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US 2025/0026494 A1Published application
Satellite coverage using eye orbits
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMichael A. Whelan, Emily C. Widder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system includes a set of satellites in orbits having transits across the sky. Two or more such transits are arranged to intersect to form a closed loop. Movement of the satellites along their respective transits causes, at each intersection of the closed loop, two or more satellites of the set of satellites to be distanced from each other in a manner that enables coverage of the two or more satellites by a single beam of an antenna that tracks one of the satellites.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a set of satellites in orbits having transits across the sky;
- wherein two or more such transits are arranged to intersect to form a closed loop;
- and
- wherein movement of the satellites along their respective transits causes, at each intersection of the closed loop, two or more satellites of the set of satellites to be distanced from each other in a manner that enables coverage of the two or more satellites by a single beam of an antenna that tracks one of the satellites.
1 more element
A device comprising:
- a satellite orbital controller configured to generate control signals to cause a satellite to follow an orbit having a transit arranged to intersect a transit of one or more other satellites to form a closed loop and, at each intersection of the transits that form the closed loop, the satellite is distanced from another satellite in a manner that enables coverage by a single beam of an antenna that tracks the satellite as it travels along the closed loop;
- and
- a satellite communication control system configured to control communications according to a handoff schedule associated with the satellite entering or exiting the closed loop.
A method of providing polar coverage comprising:
- causing a second satellite of a set of satellites in orbits having transits across the sky to receive a handoff of a communication link from a first satellite of the set of satellites, wherein the transits are arranged to intersect to form a closed loop and wherein the communication link is handed off upon the first satellite exiting the closed loop at a first intersection and the second satellite entering the closed loop at the first intersection;
- and
- causing the second satellite to hand off the communication link to a third satellite of the set of satellites upon the second satellite exiting the closed loop at a second intersection and the third satellite entering the closed loop at the second intersection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.