Satellite beam selection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11616566-B2
Application number	US-202017137877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2020
Priority date	Dec 30, 2020
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

A system includes a remote computer. The remote computer includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor to receive location data of a plurality of satellite terminals, select, based on the received location data, for each of the plurality of satellite terminals, a respective satellite beam for providing satellite communications, and broadcast a message to the plurality of satellite terminals including data specifying respective selected satellite beams for each of the plurality of satellite terminals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising a remote computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
receive location data of a plurality of satellite terminals;
select, based on the received location data, for each of the plurality of satellite terminals, a respective satellite beam for providing satellite communications; and
broadcast a message to the plurality of satellite terminals including data specifying respective selected satellite beams for each of the plurality of satellite terminals,
wherein the message includes (i) terminal identifiers of the plurality of satellite terminals, and (ii) one or more satellite beam identifiers, and
wherein the received location data for a terminal further includes a satellite beam identifier specifying at least one of a speed and a direction of movement of the selected terminal, and the instructions further include instructions to select the satellite beam for the terminal based at least in part on a speed, direction of movement of the satellite terminal, or requested data load of the terminal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to select the respective satellite beams from one or more stored beam plans, wherein each of the one or more stored beam plans specifies a respective set of footprint boundaries for one or more satellite beams.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein each of the footprint boundaries is a subset of a transmission region of a satellite antenna.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more stored beam plans further specify a rating for each beam, wherein the instructions further include instructions to select the respective satellite beam based at least in part on the rating of the respective satellite beam.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to broadcast the message via a satellite beam upon determining, based on the received location data, that each of the plurality of satellite terminals communicate via the satellite beam.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the received location data further includes a satellite beam identifier specifying current satellite beams through which respective satellite terminals communicate, and the instructions further include instructions to determine, based on the current satellite beams, that each of the plurality of satellite terminals communicate via the satellite beam.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to broadcast the message via each of a plurality of channels of the selected beam.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to broadcast the message via a subset that is less than all of a plurality of channels of the selected beam, wherein the subset of the plurality of channels is selected based on respective channel of communication of each of the plurality of terminals.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to:
transmit, to a second remote computer, identifiers of the satellite terminals and the selected respective satellite beams identifiers; and
upon receiving data from the second remote computer including at least one of a confirmation of the transmitted identifiers or new proposed satellite beams, broadcast the message to the satellite terminals based on the received data.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to transmit, to the second computer, a speed, direction, elevation, current loading of beams, or current data load of the terminals.

11. The system of claim 1 ,
further comprising a satellite terminal computer, programmed to:
upon receiving receive the broadcast message, based on message data, determine whether an instruction for the satellite terminal is included in the message; and
upon determining that the instruction for the satellite terminal is included in the message, then switch the satellite terminal based on one or more beam identifiers included in the received message data.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the satellite terminal computer is further programmed to maintain a current satellite beam through which the satellite terminal communicates upon determining that an identifier of the current satellite beam is included in the received one or more beam identifiers.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the satellite terminal computer is further programmed to switch from a current satellite beam through which the satellite terminal communicates to one of the one or more beam identifiers included in the received message data upon determining that the received one or more beam identifiers lacks an identifier of the current satellite beam.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the satellite terminal computer is further programed to select one of the one or more beam identifiers based on a load of the one or more satellite beams.

15. A system comprising a remote computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
receive location data of a plurality of satellite terminals;
select, based on the received location data, for each of the plurality of satellite terminals, a respective satellite beam for providing satellite communications; and
broadcast a message to the plurality of satellite terminals including data specifying respective selected satellite beams for each of the plurality of satellite terminals,
wherein the message includes (i) terminal identifiers of the plurality of satellite terminals, and (ii) one or more satellite beam identifiers, and
wherein the instructions further include instructions to broadcast the message via a first satellite beam and a second satellite beam upon determining, based on the received location data, that a first subset of the plurality of satellite terminals communicate via the first satellite beam and a second subset of the plurality of satellite terminals communicate via the second satellite beam.

16. A system comprising a remote computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
receive location data of a plurality of satellite terminals;
select, based on the received location data, for each of the plurality of satellite terminals, a respective satellite beam for providing satellite communications; and
broadcast a message to the plurality of satellite terminals including data specifying respective selected satellite beams for each of the plurality of satellite terminals, wherein the instructions further include instructions to:
transmit, to a second remote computer, identifiers of the satellite terminals and the selected respective satellite beams identifiers; and
upon receiving data from the second remote computer including at least one of a confirmation of the transmitted identifiers or new proposed satellite beams, broadcast the message to the satellite terminals based on the received data.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to transmit, to the second computer, a speed, direction, elevation, current loading of beams, or current data load of the terminals.

18. A system comprising a remote computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
receive location data of a plurality of satellite terminals;
select, based on the received location data, for each of the plurality of satellite terminals, a respective satellite beam for providing satelli

Assignees

• Hughes Network Systems Llc

Inventors

• Oza Rajeev Gautam
• Korada Suresh Kumar
• Montgomery Guy

Classifications

• H04B7/06952

  Selecting one or more beams from a plurality of beams, e.g. beam training, management or sweeping · CPC title

• H04H40/90

  specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving · CPC title

• H04B7/18523 Primary

  Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service (arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20) · CPC title

• H04B7/088

  using beam selection · CPC title

• H04B7/18534 Primary

  for enhancing link reliablility, e.g. satellites diversity · CPC title