US 6,185,407 B2 · Method for evaluating performance of a low earth orbit satellite system

Abstract

A method for evaluating the performance of a LEOS system. The evaluation may determine the minimum and maximum number of hops or delay time required to service a particular source and destination pair or may evaluate the LEOS system as a whole. The evaluation may be used in the design of LEOS systems or to evaluate the performance of an existing LEOS system. This evaluation may then be employed to determine how and when the LEOS system should be employed in servicing communications. A LEOS system constellation is received that is to be considered. Then, a mathematical model for the LEOS system is determined. A source/destination location pair is then selected for consideration. Shortest, longest and intermediate path lengths are then determined for the source/destination location pair for the LEOS system. For each of these path lengths, the probability of occurrence of each of these path lengths as well as a corresponding delay is then determined. Further source/destination location pairs may then be selected for additional consideration. Once a sufficient number of source/destination location pairs have been considered, the performance of the LEOS system may then be evaluated.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method for evaluating the performance of a low earth orbit satellite system, the method comprising:

receiving a low earth orbit satellite constellation for the low earth orbit satellite system;
considering a source and a destination;
determining a shortest path length employed to service a communication between the source and the destination;
determining the longest path length employed to service a communication between the source and the destination;
and
determining the probability of occurrence of both the shortest path length and the longest path length to produce an evaluation of the low earth orbit satellite system.

3 more elements

A computer readable medium that contains software instructions that, upon execution by a digital computer, causes the digital computer to evaluate the performance of a low earth orbit satellite system, the computer readable medium comprising:

a plurality of software instructions that cause the digital computer to receive a low earth orbit satellite constellation for the low earth orbit satellite system;
a plurality of software instructions that cause the digital computer to consider a source and a destination;
a plurality of software instructions that cause the digital computer to determine a shortest path length employed to service a communication between the source and the destination;
a plurality of software instructions that cause the digital computer to determine the longest path length employed to service a communication between the source and the destination;
and
a plurality of software instructions that cause the digital computer to determine the probability of occurrence of both the shortest path length and the longest path length to produce an evaluation of the low earth orbit satellite system.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for evaluating performance of a low earth orbit satellite system

Life of this patent

Method for evaluating performance of a low earth orbit satellite system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22