Coordinating inter-satellite handoff in a telecommunications system

An apparatus (106, 400) for coordinating inter-satellite handoff in a telecommunications system including a first communication satellite (102) and a second communication satellite (104) controllable to lay down steerable spot beams including respectively a first spot beam (110) and a second spot beam (112), the apparatus comprising a processor (114, 414) and a memory (420) storing executable instructions (420) that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

• control the first communication satellite to steer the first spot beam to track and communicate with a user terminal (108A) during a first time interval;
• determine a trajectory (118) of the user terminal and a predicted handoff point (120) on the trajectory for the handoff for handoff of the user terminal from the first communication satellite to the second communication satellite;
• automatically control the second communication satellite to steer the second spot beam to the predicted handoff point or a point (122) proximate thereto no sooner than the user terminal is within the second spot beam when steered to the predicted handoff point or the point proximate thereto to enable the handoff;
• and thereafter,
• coordinate handoff of the user terminal from the first communication satellite to the second communication satellite;
• and
• control the second communication satellite to steer the second spot beam to track and communicate with the user terminal during a subsequent, second time interval.

A method (400) for coordinating inter-satellite handoff in a telecommunications system including a first communication satellite (102) and a second communication satellite (104) controllable to lay down steerable spot beams including respectively a first spot beam (110) and a second spot beam (112), the method comprising at a communications apparatus (106, 400):

• controlling (402) the first communication satellite to steer the first spot beam to track and communicate with a user terminal (108A) during a first time interval;
• determining (404) a trajectory (118) of the user terminal and a predicted handoff point (120) on the trajectory for the handoff for handoff of the user terminal from the first communication satellite to the second communication satellite;
• automatically controlling (406) the second communication satellite to steer the second spot beam to the predicted handoff point or a point (122) proximate thereto no sooner than the user terminal is within the second spot beam when steered to the predicted handoff point or the point proximate thereto to enable the handoff;
• and thereafter,
• coordinating (408) handoff of the user terminal from the first communication satellite to the second communication satellite;
• and
• controlling (410) the second communication satellite to steer the second spot beam to track and communicate with the user terminal during a subsequent, second time interval.