Scheduling satellite data transmissions using differing sets of ground stations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12309767-B2
Application number	US-202418761226-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2024
Priority date	Nov 2, 2020
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

The disclosure herein describes transmitting data from a satellite using a ground station configured to both transmit and receive, and a set of ground stations configured to receive data from a satellite. An orbit of the satellite is determined over a schedule period and subset of ground stations configured to receive data and not transmit data to satellite is identified based on the determined orbit of satellite. A transmission schedule associated with the satellite is then generated. For each ground station of the subset, a time interval during which satellite is within communication range is determined, an expected transmission rate is estimated, and time interval and expected transmission rate are included in transmission schedule. The transmission schedule is provided to the satellite via another ground station configured to both transmit and receive, whereby the satellite is configured to transmit data to the subset of ground stations based on transmission schedule.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory comprising computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the processor to:
determine a primary ground station and a set of secondary ground stations based on a predicted orbit of a satellite, wherein the primary ground station is configured to transmit to the satellite and to receive from the satellite, and wherein the secondary ground stations are configured to at least receive from the satellite;
identify a subset of the secondary ground stations, wherein the identified subset of the secondary ground stations are within communication range to receive data transmissions from the satellite;
dynamically change the subset of secondary ground stations at instances in a time period of the predicted orbit of the satellite, such that, for each instance in the time period, the subset of secondary ground stations includes only secondary ground stations for which the satellite will have a line of sight (LOS) and be within communication range;
provide a transmission schedule to the satellite via the primary ground station, wherein the transmission schedule indicates the subset of secondary ground stations.

2. The system of claim 1 , the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, further cause the processor to:
transmit data, by the satellite, to a ground station of the subset of secondary ground stations, based on the transmission schedule.

3. The system of claim 1 , the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, further cause the processor to:
dynamically update the transmission schedule for an instance in the time period.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instances in the time period of the predicted orbit of the satellite occur on a schedule.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the schedule is every 5 seconds or every 10 seconds or every 30 seconds.

6. The system of claim 1 , the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, further cause the processor to:
generate a satellite-station graph; and
generate the transmission schedule, the generating including, for each secondary ground station of the subset of secondary ground stations:
determining a time interval during which the satellite is within communication range of the secondary ground station;
using the satellite-station graph and a link quality model to determine an estimated transmission link quality between the satellite and the secondary ground station;
estimating an expected rate of data transmission from the satellite to the secondary ground station during the determined time interval; and
including the time interval and the expected rate of data transmission in the transmission schedule in association with the secondary ground station.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the transmission schedule is dynamic, based on dynamically changing the subset of secondary ground stations.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein at least one ground station of the set of ground stations is further configured to not transmit to the satellite, and wherein at least one ground station of the set of ground stations is further configured to transmit to the satellite.

9. A computerized method comprising:
determining a primary ground station and a set of secondary ground stations based on a predicted orbit of a satellite, wherein the primary ground station is configured to transmit to the satellite and to receive from the satellite, and wherein the secondary ground stations are configured to at least receive from the satellite;
dynamically identifying a subset of the secondary ground stations at instances in a time period of the predicted orbit of the satellite, such that, for each instance in the time period, the subset of secondary ground stations includes only secondary ground stations for which the satellite will have a line of sight (LOS) and be within communication range to receive data transmissions from the satellite;
dynamically providing a transmission schedule to the satellite via the primary ground station, wherein the transmission schedule indicates the subset of secondary ground stations.

10. The computerized method of claim 9 , further comprising:
transmitting data, by the satellite, to a ground station of the subset of secondary ground stations, based on the transmission schedule.

11. Computerized method of claim 9 , wherein the instances in the time period of the predicted orbit of the satellite occur on a schedule.

12. The computerized method of claim 11 , wherein the schedule is every 5 seconds or every 10 seconds or every 30 seconds.

13. The computerized method of claim 9 , further comprising:
generating the transmission schedule, the generating including, for each secondary ground station of the subset of secondary ground stations:
determining a time interval during which the satellite is within communication range of the secondary ground station;
estimating an expected rate of data transmission from the satellite to the secondary ground station during the determined time interval; and
including the time interval and the expected rate of data transmission in the transmission schedule in association with the secondary ground station.

14. The computerized method of claim 13 , wherein generating the transmission schedule further comprises:
identifying a stable matching; or
identifying an optimal matching.

15. The computerized method of claim 9 , wherein transmission schedule includes time information associated with each ground station of the subset of secondary ground stations that indicates, for the ground station, a portion of the time period during which the secondary ground station is in communication range of the satellite to receive data transmissions.

16. The computerized method of claim 9 , wherein at least one ground station of the set of ground stations is further configured to transmit to the satellite.

17. One or more non-transitory computer storage media having computer-executable instructions that, upon execution by a processor, cause the processor to at least:
determine a primary ground station and a set of secondary ground stations based on a predicted orbit of a satellite, wherein the primary ground station is configured to transmit to the satellite and to receive from the satellite, and wherein the secondary ground stations are configured to at least receive from the satellite;
identify a subset of the secondary ground stations, wherein the identified subset of the secondary ground stations are within communication range to receive data transmissions from the satellite;
dynamically change the subset of secondary ground stations at instances in a time period of the predicted orbit of the satellite, such that, for each instance in the time period, the subset of secondary ground stations includes only secondary ground stations for which the satellite will have a line of sight (LOS) and be within communication range;
dynamically provide a transmission schedule to the satellite via the primary ground station, wherein the transmission schedule indicates the subset of secondary ground stations.

18. The computer storage media of claim 16 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, upon execution by a processor, further cause the processor to at least:
transmit data, by the satellite, to a ground station of the subset of secondary ground stations, based on the transmission schedule.

19. The computer storage media of claim 1

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Vasisht Deepak
• Chandra Ranveer

Classifications

• H04B7/195 Primary

  Non-synchronous stations · CPC title

• H04B7/155

  Ground-based stations (H04B7/204 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04B17/40

  of relay systems · CPC title

• H04B7/18515

  Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays · CPC title

• H04B7/18517

  Transmission equipment in earth stations · CPC title