Assistance data for orienting a mobile device for satellite-based communications

A device for facilitating pointing of a mobile device at a satellite of a satellite constellation for satellite-based data communication, the device comprising:

• a transceiver;
• a memory;
• and
• one or more processors communicatively coupled with the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
• obtain historical orbital data indicative of orbital movement of a set of satellites over a period of time, the set of satellites comprising at least a subset of satellites of the satellite constellation;
• for each satellite in the set of satellites, estimate a set of orbital parameter values by fitting an orbital model to the historical data of the respective satellite, wherein at least one orbital parameter value of the set of orbital values is common across a group of satellites within the set of satellites;
• and
• send assistance data to at least one mobile device, the assistance data indicative of the respective set of orbital parameter values for all satellites of the set of satellites.

An apparatus for facilitating pointing of a mobile device at a satellite of a satellite constellation for satellite-based data communication, the apparatus comprising:

• means for obtaining historical orbital data indicative of orbital movement of a set of satellites over a period of time, the set of satellites comprising at least a subset of satellites of the satellite constellation;
• means for estimating, for each satellite in the set of satellites, a set of orbital parameter values by fitting an orbital model to the historical data of the respective satellite, wherein at least one orbital parameter value of the set of orbital values is common across a group of satellites within the set of satellites;
• and
• means for sending assistance data to at least one mobile device, the assistance data indicative of the respective set of orbital parameter values for all satellites of the set of satellites.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for facilitating pointing of a mobile device at a satellite of a satellite constellation for satellite-based data communication, the instructions comprising code for:

• obtaining historical orbital data indicative of orbital movement of a set of satellites over a period of time, the set of satellites comprising at least a subset of satellites of the satellite constellation;
• for each satellite in the set of satellites, estimating a set of orbital parameter values by fitting an orbital model to the historical data of the respective satellite, wherein at least one orbital parameter value of the set of orbital values is common across a group of satellites within the set of satellites;
• and
• sending assistance data to at least one mobile device, the assistance data indicative of the respective set of orbital parameter values for all satellites of the set of satellites.