US 12,750,761 B2Granted

Orbit-aware routing

AssigneeSRI International

InventorsPatrick Denis Lincoln, Steven M. Dawson, Phillip A Porras, Keith M. Skinner, Martin W. Fong

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A satellite orbiting the Earth may perform orbit-aware routing by receiving a data packet, determining whether a final destination plane of the data packet is different from an orbital plane of the satellite, in response to determining that the final destination plane of the data packet is different from the orbital plane of the satellite, determining whether the satellite is able to communicate with one or more cross-plane neighboring satellites, selecting a neighboring satellite to receive the data packet based at least in part on whether the satellite is able to communicate with one or more cross-plane neighboring satellites, and forwarding the data packet to the neighboring satellite.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method for orbit-aware routing, comprising:

receiving, by a satellite orbiting the Earth, a data packet;
determining, by the satellite, whether a final destination plane of the data packet is different from an orbital plane of the satellite;
in response to determining that the final destination plane of the data packet is different from the orbital plane of the satellite, determining, by the satellite, whether the satellite is able to communicate with one or more cross-plane neighboring satellites, including:
determining that the satellite is not in a pre-determined region that allows communication with cross-plane neighboring satellites based at least in part on a position of the satellite in relation to the Earth, and
based at least in part on determining that the satellite is not in the pre-determined region that allows communication with cross-plane neighboring satellites, determining, by the satellite, that the satellite is not able to communicate with one or more cross-plane neighboring satellites;
selecting, by the satellite, a neighboring satellite to receive the data packet based at least in part on whether the satellite is able to communicate with the one or more cross-plane neighboring satellites;
and
forwarding, by the satellite, the data packet to the neighboring satellite.

5 more elements

A satellite, comprising:

a memory;
and
processing circuitry operably coupled to the memory and configured to:
receive a data packet while the satellite is orbiting the Earth;
determine whether a final destination plane of the data packet is different from an orbital plane of the satellite;
in response to determining that the final destination plane of the data packet is different from the orbital plane of the satellite, determine whether the satellite is able to communicate with one or more cross-plane neighboring satellites, including:
determining that the satellite is not in a pre-determined region that allows communication with cross-plane neighboring satellites based at least in part on a position of the satellite in relation to the Earth, and
based at least in part on determining that the satellite is not in the pre-determined region that allows communication with cross-plane neighboring satellites, determining that the satellite is not able to communicate with one or more cross-plane neighboring satellites;
select a neighboring satellite to receive the data packet based at least in part on whether the satellite is able to communicate with the one or more cross-plane neighboring satellites;
and
forward the data packet to the neighboring satellite.

8 more elements

A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a satellite orbiting the Earth, cause the one or more processors of the satellite to:

receive a data packet;
determine whether a final destination plane of the data packet is different from an orbital plane of the satellite;
in response to determining that the final destination plane of the data packet is different from the orbital plane of the satellite, determine whether the satellite is able to communicate with one or more cross-plane neighboring satellites, including:
determining that the satellite is not in a pre-determined region that allows communication with cross-plane neighboring satellites based at least in part on a position of the satellite in relation to the Earth, and
based at least in part on determining that the satellite is not in the pre-determined region that allows communication with cross-plane neighboring satellites, determining, by the satellite, that the satellite is not able to communicate with one or more cross-plane neighboring satellites;
select a neighboring satellite to receive the data packet based at least in part on whether the satellite is able to communicate with the one or more cross-plane neighboring satellites;
and
forward the data packet to the neighboring satellite.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/552,408Filed 26 Mar 2021
Published: US 2024/0089824 A114 Mar 2024
Granted: 29 Sep 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H04B 7/18584
Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations: arrangements for data networking, i.e. for data packet…
H04W 40/20
Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing: based on geographic position or location
H04L 45/126
Shortest path evaluation: minimising geographical or physical path length
H04W 64/003
Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management: locating network equipment