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US 12,739,022 B2Granted
Systems and methods for extending satellite coverage
AssigneeHughes Network Systems, LLC
InventorsLin-Nan Lee, Bill Whitmarsh, Victor Liau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Satellite communication systems and methods are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, a satellite communication method includes providing a satellite communication system including a plurality of satellites having inclined orbits, and adjusting a tilt of at least one antenna on at least one satellite of the plurality of satellites so as to increase satellite coverage at a target region.
Claims16
A satellite communication method comprising:
- providing a satellite communication system including a plurality of satellites having inclined orbits;
- and
- programming a controller of at least one of the satellites of the plurality of satellites on an inclined orbit (i) to adjust a tilt of at least one antenna on the at least one satellite to a north side of an orbital path when the at least one satellite reaches a north polar region so as to increase satellite coverage at the north polar region on the north side of the orbital path and decrease satellite coverage on a south side of the orbital path and (ii) to adjust the tilt of the at least one antenna on the at least one satellite to the south side of the orbital path when the at least one satellite reaches a south polar region so as to increase satellite coverage at the south polar region on the south side of the orbital path and decrease satellite coverage on the north side of the orbital path.
A satellite communication system comprising:
- a plurality of satellites having only inclined orbits and not including a satellite having a polar orbit;
- and
- a controller programmed (i) to adjust a tilt of at least one antenna on at least one satellite of the plurality of satellites on an inclined orbit to a north side of an orbital path when the at least one satellite reaches a north polar region so as to increase satellite coverage at the north polar region on the north side of the orbital path and decrease satellite coverage on a south side of the orbital path and (ii) to adjust the tilt of the at least one antenna on the at least one satellite to the south side of the orbital path when the at least one satellite reaches a south polar region so as to increase satellite coverage at the south polar region on the south side of the orbital path and decrease satellite coverage on the north side of the orbital path.
A satellite comprising:
- a housing;
- an antenna configured to create a coverage area for communication with user terminals;
- and
- a controller programmed (i) to adjust a tilt of the antenna to a north side of an orbital path of an inclined orbit as the satellite approaches a north polar region so as to increase the coverage area for the north polar region on the north side of the orbital path and decrease the coverage area on a south side of the orbital path and (ii) to adjust the tilt of the antenna to the south side of the orbital path of the inclined orbit as the satellite reaches a south polar region so as to increase the coverage area at the south polar region on the south side of the orbital path and decrease the coverage area on the north side of the orbital path.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.