Satellite system beam to beam handover
AssigneeSpace Systems/Loral, Inc.
InventorsWilliam Hreha, Anne Elizabeth Wharton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A satellite communications system provides for handovers between spot beams, including communicating (at a ground based terminal) with a non-geostationary satellite constellation using a first spot beam of the non-geostationary satellite constellation and a first beam hopping plan. The ground based terminal changes the communicating with the non-geostationary satellite constellation to use a second spot beam of the non-geostationary satellite constellation and a second beam hopping plan.
Claims20
A method for operating a satellite communications system, comprising:
- communicating, at a ground based terminal, with a non-geostationary satellite constellation using a first spot beam of the non-geostationary satellite constellation and a first beam hopping plan;
- and
- the ground based terminal changing the communicating with the non-geostationary satellite constellation to use a second spot beam of the non-geostationary satellite constellation and a second beam hopping plan.
A satellite communications system, comprising:
- a first antenna adapted to communicate with a non-geostationary satellite;
- and
- a processor connected to the first antenna, the processor configured to implement communication with a first spot beam of the non-geo stationary satellite using the first antenna and a first beam hopping plan, the processor configured to change said communication to use a second spot beam and a second beam hopping plan.
A satellite communications system, comprising:
- a first antenna adapted to communicate with a non-geostationary satellite;
- and
- a processor connected to the first antenna, the processor implementing a gateway, the processor configured to communicate with a terminal via the satellite using a first hopping beam and a first beam hooping plan, the processor configured to instruct the terminal to switch communication to a second hopping beam and a second hopping plan at a handover time, the processor configured to send first messages to the terminal via the first hopping beam for delivery prior the handoff time, the processor configured to send second messages to the terminal via the second hopping beam for delivery subsequent to the handoff time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.