Methods and Apparatuses for Enhancing Availability via Multi-Satellite Diversity

A method performed by a control apparatus operating in a satellite communications network (SCN) comprising a constellation of non-geosynchronous satellites following respective orbital paths, the method comprising:

• learning viewing angle restrictions for corresponding geographic locations, based on collecting connectivity metrics over time for given user terminals (UTs) operating in the corresponding locations, wherein the connectivity metrics collected for each such location indicate viewing angles characteristically associated with degraded connectivity;
• serving a user terminal (UT) in a non-diversity service mode, in which there is a single serving satellite at a time in the constellation for the UT;
• predicting that the UT will experience degraded connectivity, based on the learned viewing angle restrictions;
• and
• responsive to the prediction:
• deciding to change from serving the UT in the non-diversity service mode to serving the UT in a diversity service mode, in which there are two or more serving satellites at a time in the constellation for the UT;
• and
• serving the UT in the diversity service mode.

A control apparatus configured for operation in a satellite communications network (SCN) comprising a constellation of non-geosynchronous satellites following respective orbital paths, the control apparatus comprising:

• communication interface circuitry;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to:
• learn viewing angle restrictions for corresponding geographic locations, based on collecting connectivity metrics over time for given user terminals (UTs) operating in the corresponding locations, wherein the connectivity metrics collected for each such location indicate viewing angles characteristically associated with degraded connectivity;
• serve a user terminal (UT) in a non-diversity service mode, in which there is a single serving satellite at a time in the constellation for the UT;
• predict that the UT will experience degraded connectivity, based on the learned viewing angle restrictions;
• and
• responsive to the prediction:
• decide to change from serving the UT in the non-diversity service mode to serving the UT in a diversity service mode, in which there are two or more serving satellites at a time in the constellation for the UT;
• and
• serve the UT in the diversity service mode.