WO2023056439A1 - Identification d'options de connexion de communications sans fil - Google Patents

Identification d'options de connexion de communications sans fil Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2023056439A1
WO2023056439A1 PCT/US2022/077380 US2022077380W WO2023056439A1 WO 2023056439 A1 WO2023056439 A1 WO 2023056439A1 US 2022077380 W US2022077380 W US 2022077380W WO 2023056439 A1 WO2023056439 A1 WO 2023056439A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
satellite
communications device
satellites
communication device
personal communication
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Application number
PCT/US2022/077380
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English (en)
Inventor
Charles H. Woloszynski
Jordan D. IRVING
Robert Dean SHOLL
Gregory Pelton
Original Assignee
Iridium Satellite Llc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Iridium Satellite Llc filed Critical Iridium Satellite Llc
Priority claimed from US17/957,458 external-priority patent/US20230103546A1/en
Publication of WO2023056439A1 publication Critical patent/WO2023056439A1/fr

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04B—TRANSMISSION
    • H04B7/00—Radio transmission systems, i.e. using radiation field
    • H04B7/14—Relay systems
    • H04B7/15—Active relay systems
    • H04B7/185—Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systems
    • H04B7/1851—Systems using a satellite or space-based relay
    • H04B7/18513—Transmission in a satellite or space-based system

Definitions

  • This disclosure relates generally to identifying wireless communications connection options, and, more specifically, to identifying wireless communications connection options for a communications device, such as, for example, a personal communications device like a smartphone or a tablet.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of a communications device.
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example of a satellite communications system.
  • FIG. 3 is an example of beam laydown patterns for several satellites in a satellite communications system.
  • FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for identifying communications options for a communications device.
  • a communications device such as a personal communications device (e.g., a smartphone or a tablet), may be configured to connect wirelessly to one or more different communications networks and/or one or more different wireless communications technologies or protocols. For example, as illustrated in FIG.
  • communications device 100 is configured to connect wirelessly to multiple different communications networks, including one or more cellular terrestrial communications networks 102, one or more wireless local area networks 104 (e.g., one or more Wi-Fi communications networks), one or more satellite communications networks 106 (e.g., one or more satellite communications networks provided by one or more satellites in low Earth orbit (“LEO”), one or more satellites in medium Earth orbit (“MEO”), and/or one or more satellites in geostationary orbit (“GEO”)), and one or more short-distance wireless networks 108 (e.g., one or more Bluetooth-enabled wireless personal area networks).
  • LEO low Earth orbit
  • MEO medium Earth orbit
  • GEO geostationary orbit
  • short-distance wireless networks 108 e.g., one or more Bluetooth-enabled wireless personal area networks
  • different techniques may be employed to determine which of one or more available communications networks and/or wireless communications technologies or protocols a device like communications device 100 should attempt to establish a wireless connection with or otherwise use to engage in a communications session or otherwise send and/or receive communications wirelessly. Additionally or alternatively, different techniques may be employed to determine which of multiple different nodes of one or more different available communications networks a device like communications device 100 should attempt to establish a wireless connection with or otherwise use to engage in a communication session or otherwise send and/or receive communications wirelessly. Furthermore, different techniques may be employed to facilitate and/or improve the likelihood of establishing a wireless connection with one or more different nodes of one or more different communications networks available to a device like communications device 100.
  • a device like communications device 100 may have a directional antenna (e.g., embedded antenna 101, and/or an antenna having a beam width of approximately 40 degrees or any other non-omnidirectional antenna) for the purposes of wirelessly communicating with one or more available satellite communications networks 106.
  • a directional antenna e.g., embedded antenna 101, and/or an antenna having a beam width of approximately 40 degrees or any other non-omnidirectional antenna
  • the process of establishing a wireless connection between communications device 100 and one or more satellites in position and configured to provide communications service to communications device 100 may be facilitated, or the likelihood of successfully establishing a wireless connection between communications device 100 and any such satellite may be improved, by orienting communications device 100 such that the beam(s) of the directional antenna of communications device 100 are directed in the direction of the satellite.
  • an end user of a device like communications device 100 may not have knowledge of the position(s) of such satellite(s) relative to the communications device 100 and, consequently, may not know how to orient communications device 100 in order to facilitate the process of establishing a wireless connection with such satellite(s) and/or to increase the likelihood of successfully doing so.
  • This problem may be complicated further if the satellite(s) are so-called non- stationary satellite(s) that are in constant motion relative to communications device 100, such as, for example, LEO or MEO satellites.
  • communications device 100 may display visual instructions or information about how to orient communications device 100 and/or communications device 100 may provide auditory or haptic cues about how to orient communications device 100.
  • communications device 100 may be configured to mechanically or otherwise steer its antenna and/or to automatically orient itself without any input by, or action on behalf of, an end user to facilitate the process of establishing a wireless connection with a satellite and/or to increase the likelihood of successfully doing so based on the identified likely position(s) of the satellite(s) relative to the communications device 100.
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one example of a satellite communications system 200 that may provide a satellite communications network, such as, for example, one of satellite communications network(s) 106 illustrated in FIG. 1.
  • Satellite communications system 200 is a constellation of LEO (e.g., at an altitude between the Earth’s surface and approximately 2,000 km or 1,200 miles) communications satellites that provides mobile and/or fixed communications services (e.g., voice and data communications services) across much (if not substantially all) of the Earth.
  • LEO e.g., at an altitude between the Earth’s surface and approximately 2,000 km or 1,200 miles
  • fixed communications services e.g., voice and data communications services
  • the constellation of satellites is arranged in 6 near-polar orbital planes 202(a)-202(f) of 11 satellites each.
  • individual satellites maintain communications crosslinks with neighboring satellites in the fore, aft, east, and west directions.
  • the orbital planes 202(a)-202(f) converge near the poles and are farthest apart near the equator.
  • the individual satellites are constantly in motion relative to fixed positions on Earth. For example, in an implementation where the satellites are in orbit at an altitude of approximately 785 km, the orbital velocity of individual satellites may be approximately 17,000 miles per hour, and individual satellites may complete a full orbit around the Earth in approximately 100 minutes.
  • orienting communications device 100 in a particular manner relative to one or more of the satellites may facilitate the process of establishing a wireless connection with such satellite(s) and/or increase the likelihood of successfully doing so.
  • an end user of a communications device like communications device 100 may not know how to so orient communications device 100, particularly given that the individual satellites are in constant motion relative to the location of communications device 100.
  • the constellation of satellites is configured so that the coverage footprints of the individual satellites collectively cover substantially all of the Earth.
  • the orbital planes 202(a)-202(f) are spaced relatively far apart, there may be relatively little overlap of the coverage footprints provided by individual satellites.
  • the orbital planes 202(a)-202(f) converge, and the coverage footprints provided by individual satellites increasingly overlap.
  • individual communications satellites may have phased array antennas that provide multiple beams that collectively define the coverage footprints of their respective satellites.
  • each individual communications satellite may have a phased array antenna configured to provide 48 beams, which collectively define the coverage footprint for the satellite.
  • coverage footprint 302 of a first satellite is composed of 18 interior, substantially circular beams and 30 finger-shaped beams extending outward from the interior.
  • each of coverage footprint 304 of a second, neighboring satellite and coverage footprint 306 of a third, neighboring satellite similarly may be composed of 18 interior, substantially circular beams and 30 finger-shaped beams extending outward from the interior.
  • coverage footprint 302 of the first satellite may cover much of Central and Western Europe at a particular point of time
  • coverage footprint 304 of the second satellite may cover the United Kingdom and a region of the Atlantic Ocean and coverage footprint 306 of the third, neighboring satellite may cover much of Eastern Europe and a portion of Russia at the particular point of time.
  • the coverage footprints 302, 304, and 306 of the three satellites also overlap significantly.
  • the orbital planes of the satellites converge as they get nearer to the north pole, the overlap between the three satellites (as well as other satellites) may become even more substantial.
  • one or more beams of one or more of the satellites may be turned off, for example, to reduce overlap and/or interference.
  • beams that are oriented in relatively eastwardly or westwardly directions may be turned off while beams that are oriented in relatively northwardly or southwardly directions may be kept on. This may further complicate the task of trying to appropriately orient a communications device because one or more of the satellites that is in position to provide coverage for the communications device may not actually be capable of providing coverage for the communications device due to one or more of their beams that otherwise would provide coverage in the area of the communications device being off.
  • different techniques may be employed to identify the likely position(s) of one or more satellites (e.g., of a satellite communications system, such as, for example, the satellite communications system 200 of FIG. 2 or the Iridium satellite communications system) configured to provide coverage to the communications device at a point in time relative to the communications device and/or to provide cues to an end user about how to orient the communications device to facilitate the process of establishing a wireless connection with a satellite and/or to increase the likelihood of successfully doing so based on the identified likely position(s) of the satellite(s) relative to the communications device.
  • a satellite communications system such as, for example, the satellite communications system 200 of FIG. 2 or the Iridium satellite communications system
  • a communications device may be configured to instruct, or otherwise suggest to, a user to scan the surrounding sky with the communications device (e.g., by holding the communications device in the air and turning around a full 360 degrees) to enable the communications device to attempt to sense the presence of and/or measure characteristics of signals transmitted by one or more satellites to determine if any satellites currently are providing coverage to the location of the user and, if so, to identify the location(s) of such satellites.
  • This process also may enable the communications device to assess the likelihood of the communications device being able to successfully establish a wireless connection with such satellites.
  • the communications device may display textual and/or graphical cues to the user instructing the user to scan the surrounding sky with the communications device and/or the communications device may generate audio, haptic, or other cues to instruct the user to scan the surrounding sky with the communications device.
  • the communications device itself or additional supporting equipment may be configured to automatically scan the surrounding sky and/or the communications device may be configured to mechanically or otherwise steer its antenna without any involvement of a user.
  • the communications device when the communications device senses the presence of a signal transmitted by a satellite while scanning the surrounding sky, the communications device may be configured to measure the power present in the received signal (e.g., in the form of a received signal strength indicator (“RS SI”)) as part of assessing the likelihood of the communications device being able to successfully establish wireless connections with the satellites. Additionally or alternatively, the communications device may be configured to measure the signal quality estimate (“SQE”) or some other measure of signal power or signal quality of a signal when the communications device senses the presence of a signal transmitted by a satellite while scanning the surrounding sky as part of assessing the likelihood of the communications device being able to successfully establish wireless connections with the satellites.
  • RS SI received signal strength indicator
  • the communications device may record the measured indication of signal power (e.g., RSSI) and/or signal quality (e.g., SQE) as well as the relative position of the communications device when the presence of the signal was detected (e.g., by using one or more accelerometers to track the movement of the device as the surrounding sky is scanned and then correlating the position of the device with physical directions using a compass).
  • RSSI signal power
  • SQE signal quality
  • the communications device may normalize each RSSI before recording it (e.g., to account for different transmit powers between the different satellites).
  • the communications device records the SQE for each received signal it may normalize each SQE before recording it (e.g., to account for differences in waveforms between the different signals).
  • the communications device may determine the likelihood of successfully establishing a wireless connection with each satellite for which it detected the presence of a transmitted signal (e.g., based on the measured indications of signal power and/or signal quality for each signal) and then instruct, or otherwise guide, a user to return the communications device to one or more of the different recorded relative positions to attempt to establish a wireless connection with the corresponding satellite.
  • a transmitted signal e.g., based on the measured indications of signal power and/or signal quality for each signal
  • the communications device may instruct, or otherwise guide, the user to return the communications device to the different recorded relative positions in an order corresponding to a rank-ordered list of the likelihood of successfully establishing a wireless connection with each corresponding satellite until the communications device successfully establishes a wireless connection with a satellite, until the communications device has attempted but failed to successfully establish a wireless connection with some defined number of satellites, or until the communications device has attempted but failed to successfully establish a wireless connection with each of the satellites for which the communications detected the presence of a transmitted signal.
  • the communications device may display textual and/or graphical cues to the user to instruct, or otherwise guide, the user to return the communications device to such recorded relative positions and/or the communications device may generate audio, haptic, or other cues to instruct, or otherwise guide the user to return the communications device to such recorded relative positions.
  • the communications device itself or additional supporting equipment may be configured to automatically return the communications to such recorded relative positions and/or the communications device may be configured to mechanically or otherwise steer its antenna to such recorded relative positions without any involvement of a user.
  • the communications device may be configured to sense and/or measure the power and/or quality of certain specific components of signals transmitted by satellites.
  • the pace at which the communications device scans the surrounding sky may depend on the frequency or periodicity of such signal components. For example, if the signal component is transmitted at a fixed frequency of 4.32 seconds and the communications device’s antenna has a receive beam width of 30 degrees, then the communications device should pause for 4.32 seconds at each of twelve different positions separated by 30 degrees to cover the full 360 degrees of the scan, thereby requiring at least 51.84 seconds to complete the full scan.
  • a communications device may take advantage of advanced knowledge of the positions (or expected positions) of satellites to identify the likely position(s) of one or more satellites configured to provide coverage to the communications device and/or to provide cues to an end user about how to orient the communications device to facilitate the process of establishing a wireless connection with a satellite and/or to increase the likelihood of successfully doing so based on the identified likely position(s) of the satellite(s) relative to the communications device.
  • ephemeris data for one or more satellites such as, for example, the satellites of satellite communications system 200 illustrated in FIG.
  • the communications device may be preloaded onto the communications device and/or such ephemeris data may be periodically or otherwise occasionally loaded onto the communications device (e.g., via download from the Internet or via communications with one or more of such satellites).
  • the communications device may determine its position (e.g., based on global positioning system (“GPS”) data or some other global navigation satellite system (“GNSS”) data accessible to it) at a point in time and then identify, based on the ephemeris data, expected positions of one or more satellites that it assesses to be likely to be providing coverage to its position at that point in time.
  • GPS global positioning system
  • GNSS global navigation satellite system
  • the communications device may instruct, or otherwise guide, (e.g., as described above) a user to orient the communications device in the direction of one or more of the satellites that it assesses to be likely to be providing coverage to its position at that point in time.
  • the communications device may be configured to mechanically or otherwise steer its antenna and/or the communications device itself or additional supporting equipment may be configured to automatically orient the communications device in such fashion.
  • the communications device may employ some combination of a motion detector (e.g., an accelerometer) and a direction sensor (e.g., a compass) to determine the current orientation of the communications device relative to the expected position of a satellite and/or how the communications device needs to be reoriented in order to be oriented in the direction of the expected position of the satellite.
  • a motion detector e.g., an accelerometer
  • a direction sensor e.g., a compass
  • the communications device may create, based on its determined position and the ephemeris data, a list of satellites currently expected to be in view of the communications device arranged in increasing order of expected distance from the communications device. Thereafter, the communications device may instruct, or otherwise guide, (e.g., as described above) a user to orient the communications device in the direction of one or more of the satellites currently expected to be in view of the communications device in the order of the expected distance between the communications device and the satellites until the communications device successfully establishes a wireless connection with a satellite, until the communications device has attempted but failed to successfully establish a wireless connection with some defined number of satellites, or until the communications device has attempted but failed to successfully establish a wireless connection with each of the satellites currently expected to be in view of the communications device.
  • the communications device may be configured to mechanically or otherwise steer its antenna and/or the communications device itself or additional supporting equipment may be configured to automatically orient the communications device as described above.
  • the beam width of the communications device’s antenna may be wide enough that the communications device may be considered to be oriented in the direction of multiple satellites expected to be in view of the communications device at the same time. Therefore, in some implementations, the communications device may attempt to establish a wireless connection with any such satellite while so oriented and, if the communications device proves unsuccessful at establishing a wireless connection from such orientation at such time, the communications device may not later instruct, or otherwise guide, the user to return the communications device to the same or a similar orientation for the purposes of trying to establish a wireless connection with a device that is expected to be further away from the communications device.
  • a communications device may take advantage of advanced knowledge of the expected coverage footprints and/or expected beam patterns of satellites as well as advanced knowledge of the positions (or expected positions) of satellites to identify the likely position(s) of one or more satellites configured to provide coverage to the communications device and/or to provide cues to an end user about how to orient the communications device to facilitate the process of establishing a wireless connection with a satellite and/or to increase the likelihood of successfully doing so based on the identified likely position(s) of the satellite(s) relative to the communications device.
  • the satellites are arranged in substantially polar planes such that the planes, and the coverage footprints of individual satellites, converge near the poles.
  • one or more beams of individual satellites may be turned off, or the coverage footprints of individual satellites otherwise may be reduced, as the satellites near the poles, for example, to reduce overlap and/or interference.
  • beams that are oriented in relatively eastwardly or westwardly directions may be turned off while beams that are oriented in relatively northwardly or southwardly directions may be kept on.
  • the expected distance between a communications device and a first satellite expected to be in view of the communications device in an eastwardly or westwardly direction relative to the communications device may be less than the expected distance between the communications device and a second satellite expected to be in view of the communications device in a northwardly or southwardly direction relative to the communications device, but the first satellite may not actually be capable of providing coverage to the communications device because its coverage footprint has been reduced (e.g., by turning off one or more of its beams) and does not currently cover the location of the communications device.
  • a communications device may take its current position, the expected positions of the satellites, and the expected coverage footprints and/or expected beam patterns of the satellites into account when attempting to identify the likely position(s) of one or more satellites configured to provide coverage to the communications device and/or to provide cues to an end user about how to orient the communications device to facilitate the process of establishing a wireless connection with a satellite and/or to increase the likelihood of successfully doing so based on the identified likely position(s) of the satellite(s) relative to the communications device.
  • a communications device may determine its current position (e.g., based on GPS data or some other GNSS data accessible to it). If the communications device determines that it is below (or at or below) a threshold latitude (e.g., below 55° north or 55° south), the communications device then may identify (e.g., based on ephemeris data) expected positions of one or more satellites that it assesses to be likely to be providing coverage to its position at that point in time and create a list of satellites currently expected to be in view of the communications device arranged in increasing order of expected distance from the communications device.
  • a threshold latitude e.g., below 55° north or 55° south
  • the communications device may instruct, or otherwise guide, (e.g., as described above) a user to orient the communications device in the direction of one or more of the satellites currently expected to be in view of the communications device in order of the expected distance between the communications device and the satellites until the communications device successfully establishes a wireless connection with a satellite, until the communications device has attempted but failed to successfully establish a wireless connection with some defined number of satellites, or until the communications device has attempted but failed to successfully establish a wireless connection with each of the satellites currently expected to be in view of the communications device.
  • the communications device may be configured to mechanically or otherwise steer its antenna and/or the communications device itself or additional supporting equipment may be configured to automatically orient the communications device as described above without any involvement of a user.
  • the communications device may identify (e.g., based on ephemeris data) expected positions of one or more satellites that it assesses to be likely to be providing coverage to its position at that point in time and create a list of satellites currently expected to be in view of the communications device arranged in increasing order of expected distance from the communications device. Thereafter, the communications device may instruct, or otherwise guide, (e.g., as described above) a user to orient the communications device in the direction of the satellite currently expected to be in view of the communications device that it determined to be closest to it.
  • the communications device may instruct, or otherwise guide, (e.g., as described above) a user to orient the communications device in the direction of the satellite currently expected to be in view of the communications device that it determined to be closest to it.
  • the communications device may instruct, or otherwise guide, (e.g., as described above) a user to orient the communications device in the direction of the satellite currently expected to be in view of the communications device that is next closest to it and that is (i) in a generally northwardly direction relative to the communications device (e.g., having an azimuth angle within a range of approximately 315° - 45°, where 0° is due north) if the communications device is at or above the threshold latitude in the northern hemisphere, or (ii) in a generally southwardly direction relative to the communications device (e.g., having an azimuth angle within a range of approximately 135° - 225°, where 0° is due north) if the communications device is at or above the threshold hemisphere in the southern hemisphere.
  • a generally northwardly direction relative to the communications device e.g., having an azimuth angle within a range of approximately 315° - 45°, where 0° is due north
  • the communications device is
  • the communications device may instruct, or otherwise guide, (e.g., as described above) a user to orient the communications device in the direction of the satellite currently expected to be in view of the communications device that is next closest to it and that is (i) in a generally southwardly direction relative to the communications device (e.g., having an azimuth angle within a range of approximately 135° - 225°, where 0° is due north) if the communications device is at or above the threshold latitude in the northern hemisphere, or (ii) in a generally northwardly direction relative to the communications device (e.g., having an azimuth angle within a range of approximately 315° - 45°, where 0° is due north) if the communications device is at or above the threshold latitude in the southern hemisphere.
  • a generally southwardly direction relative to the communications device e.g., having an azimuth angle within a range of approximately 135° - 225°, where 0° is due north
  • the communications device is at
  • the communications device may instruct, or otherwise guide, (e.g., as described above) a user to orient the communications device in the direction of the satellite currently expected to be in view of the communications device that is closest to it and that is (i) in a generally northwardly direction relative to the communications device (e.g., having an azimuth angle within a range of approximately 315° - 45°, where 0° is due north) if the communications device is at or above the threshold latitude in the northern hemisphere, or (ii) in a generally southwardly direction relative to the communications device (e.g., having an azimuth angle within a range of approximately 135° - 225°, where 0° is due north) if the communications device is at or above the threshold latitude in the southern hemisphere.
  • a generally northwardly direction relative to the communications device e.g., having an azimuth angle within a range of approximately 315° - 45°, where 0° is due north
  • the communications device is at or above
  • the communications device may instruct, or otherwise guide, (e.g., as described above) a user to orient the communications device in the direction of the satellite currently expected to be in view of the communications device that is next closest to it and that is (i) in a generally southwardly direction relative to the communications device (e.g., having an azimuth angle within a range of approximately 135° - 225°, where 0° is due north) if the communications device is at or above the threshold latitude in the northern hemisphere, or (ii) in a generally northwardly direction relative to the communications device (e.g., having an azimuth angle within a range of approximately 315° - 45°, where 0° is due north) if the communications device is at or above the threshold latitude in the southern hemisphere.
  • a generally southwardly direction relative to the communications device e.g., having an azimuth angle within a range of approximately 135° - 225°, where 0° is due north
  • the communications device is at
  • the communications device may instruct, or otherwise guide, (e.g., as described above) a user to orient the communications device in the direction of one or more of the satellites currently expected to be in view of the communications device that either are generally in a northwardly direction relative to the communications device (e.g., having an azimuth angle within a range of approximately 315° - 45°, where 0° is due north) or a southwardly direction relative to the communications device (e.g., having an azimuth angle within a range of approximately 135° - 225°, where 0° is due north) in order of the expected distance between the communications device and the satellites until the communications device successfully establishes a wireless connection with a satellite, until the communications device has attempted but failed to successfully establish a wireless connection with some defined number of satellites, or until the communications device has attempted but failed to successfully establish a wireless connection with each of the satellite
  • the communications device may be configured to mechanically or otherwise steer its antenna and/or the communications device itself or additional supporting equipment may be configured to automatically orient the communications device as described above without any involvement of a user.
  • a communications device may take advantage of advanced knowledge of the direction satellites are travelling as well as advanced knowledge of the positions (or expected positions) of satellites to identify the likely position(s) of one or more satellites configured to provide coverage to the communications device and/or to provide cues to an end user about how to orient the communications device to facilitate the process of establishing a wireless connection with a satellite and/or to increase the likelihood of successfully doing so based on the identified likely position(s) of the satellite(s) relative to the communications device.
  • satellites in one plane may travel in an opposite direction (e.g., north) from satellites in an adjacent plane (e.g., south).
  • satellites in an adjacent plane e.g., south
  • two adjacent planes where the satellites in one plane travel in the opposite direction from satellites in the adjacent plane may be referred to as a “seam” in the constellation of satellites.
  • FIG. 4 an example of a communications device taking its current position, the expected positions of one or more satellites (e.g., from the satellite communications system 200 of FIG. 2 or the Iridium satellite communications system), and the directions such satellites are travelling into account when attempting to identify the likely position(s) of one or more satellites configured to provide coverage to the communications device and/or to provide cues to an end user about how to orient the communications device to facilitate the process of establishing a wireless connection with a satellite and/or to increase the likelihood of successfully doing so based on the identified likely position(s) of the satellite(s) relative to the communications device is described.
  • the expected positions of one or more satellites e.g., from the satellite communications system 200 of FIG. 2 or the Iridium satellite communications system
  • the directions such satellites are travelling into account when attempting to identify the likely position(s) of one or more satellites configured to provide coverage to the communications device and/or to provide cues to an end user about how to orient the communications device to facilitate the process of establishing a
  • the communications device determines its current position (e.g., based on GPS data or some other GNSS data accessible to it) and then determines the distance between the communications device and the expected positions of the six satellites expected to be closest to the communications device (e.g., based on ephemeris data). In addition, for each of these six satellites expected to be closest to the communications device, the communications device also determines the direction the satellite is travelling and the azimuth angle to the satellite (e.g., based on ephemeris data). Based on this information, the communications device then may identify two of the six satellites expected to be closest to the communications device as the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device determines its current position (e.g., based on GPS data or some other GNSS data accessible to it) and then determines the distance between the communications device and the expected positions of the six satellites expected to be closest to the communications device (e.g., based on ephemeris data). In
  • the communications device may instruct, or otherwise guide, (e.g., as described above) a user to orient the communications device in the direction of the best candidate and thereafter the second-best candidate in an attempt to establish a wireless connection with one of the two candidate satellites.
  • the communications device may be configured to mechanically or otherwise steer its antenna and/or the communications device itself or additional supporting equipment may be configured to automatically orient the communications device in the directions of the two best candidate satellites.
  • the communications device may determine that the two satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may consider the directions that the three satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling. If the two satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be third closest to the communications device is travelling north, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be third closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may determine that the two satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the three satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device is travelling north, the satellite expected to be second-closest to the communications device is travelling south, and the satellite expected to be third-closest to the communications device is travelling north.
  • the communications device may check the azimuth angle to the satellite expected to be second-closest to the communications device to determine if it is within the range between 215-345° (where 0° is due north), and, if it is, the communications device may determine that the two satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with. If the azimuth angle to the satellite expected to be second-closest to the communications device is not within the range between 215-345°, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be third closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check to see if the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device is travelling south while the satellites that are expected to be second- and third-closest to the communications device are travelling north, and, if that’s the case, the communications device may check if the expected distance between the communications device and the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device is greater than 850km and if the azimuth angle to the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device is within the range between 215-345° (where 0° is due north).
  • the communications device may determine that the two satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with. If either is false, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be second-closest and the satellite expected to third-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with. Alternatively, if it is not the case that the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device is travelling south while the satellites that are expected to be second- and third-closest to the communications device are travelling north, the communications device may determine that the two satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the four satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the three satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device is travelling north. If that’s the case, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be nearest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may determine if the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device and the satellites expected to be third- and fourth-closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be second-closest to the communications device is travelling north. If that’s the case, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be third-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with. Otherwise, the communications device may determine that the two satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the four satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the three satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device is travelling north. If that’s the case, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be second-closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be third-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the five satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the four satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be fifth- closest to the communications device is travelling north. If that’s the case, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be second-closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be third-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with. Otherwise, the communications device may determine that the two satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the four satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the three satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device is travelling north. If that’s the case, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be third-closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with. Otherwise, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be third-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the four satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the three satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device is travelling north. If that’s the case, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be fifth-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with. Otherwise, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be third-closest and the satellite excepted to be fourth-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may consider the directions that the three satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling. If the two satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be third closest to the communications device is travelling north, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be third closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may determine that the two satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the five satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the four satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be fifth-closest to the communications device is travelling north. If that’s the case, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be second-closest to the communications device and the satellite excepted to be third-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the six satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the three satellites expected to be closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be six-closest to the communications device are travelling north while the satellites expected to be fourth- and fifth- closest to the communications device are travelling south.
  • the communications device also may check the azimuth angle to the satellite expected to be third-closest to the communications device to determine if it is within the range between 200-240° (where 0° is due north).
  • the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be third-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with. Otherwise, the communications device may determine that the two satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the four satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the three satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device is travelling north. If that’s the case, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be second-closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with. Otherwise, the communications device may determine that the two satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the four satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the three satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device is travelling north. If that’s the case, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the five satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the four satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be fifth-closest to the communications device is travelling north. If that’s the case, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with. Otherwise, the communications device may determine that the two satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the four satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the three satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device is travelling north. If that’s the case, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be third-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the five satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the four satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be fifth-closest to the communications device is travelling north. If that’s the case, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be second-closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be third-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with. Otherwise, the communications device may determine that the two satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the four satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the three satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device is travelling north. If that’s the case, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be third-closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with. Otherwise, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be closest and the satellite expected to be third-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • the communications device may check the directions that the four satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling to determine if the three satellites expected to be closest to the communications device are travelling south and the satellite expected to be fourth-closest to the communications device is travelling north. If that’s the case, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be closest to the communications device and the satellite expected to be fifth-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with. Otherwise, the communications device may determine that the satellite expected to be third-closest and the satellite excepted to be fourth-closest to the communications device are the two best candidate satellites for the communications device to attempt to establish a wireless connection with.
  • aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented entirely in hardware, entirely in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or in combinations of software and hardware. Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable program code embodied thereon.
  • the computer-readable media may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium.
  • a computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.
  • a computer-readable storage medium More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of such a computer-readable storage medium include the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an appropriate optical fiber with a repeater, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.
  • a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
  • a computer-readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer-readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof.
  • a computer-readable signal medium may be any computer-readable medium that is not a computer-readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
  • Program code embodied on a computer- readable signal medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, radio frequency (“RF”) signals, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.
  • RF radio frequency
  • Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object oriented programming languages, dynamic programming languages, and/or procedural programming languages.
  • While many of the techniques disclosed herein are described largely in the context of constellations of LEO communications satellites in near-polar orbits, such techniques may be employed in any of a variety of other satellite network configurations, including, for example, in satellite network configurations in orbits other than or in addition to near-polar orbits and/or LEO including MEO and other non- stationary orbits.
  • the techniques disclosed herein may be employed in connection with a constellation of communications satellites arranged in planes in non-polar orbits such that the planes of satellites converge over locations other than the poles.
  • a communications device may take advantage of advanced knowledge of the expected locations of satellites, areas of convergence, and/or direction of travel as described herein but as adjusted for the differences in the configuration of the constellation and the orientation of the planes.
  • the techniques described herein may be used in connection with identifying and attempting to establish a wireless connection with a node in one of multiple different wireless communications networks available to a communications device.
  • the techniques described herein may be used in connection with identifying and attempting to establish a wireless connection with a node in one or more satellite communications network, one or more terrestrial cellular networks, one or more wireless local area networks, and/or one or more short-distance wireless networks available to a communications device.
  • the techniques described herein may be used in combination with techniques to evaluate the quality of the different wireless networks available to the communications device at a particular point in time (e.g., based on current signal strength, available bandwidth, network congestion, and/or quality of service (“QoS”)) in connection with identifying and attempting to establish a wireless connection with a node of one such network.
  • QoS quality of service
  • the expected continuity of the connection to a node of such networks also may be considered in connection with identifying and attempting to establish a wireless connection with a node of one such network.
  • a potential connection to a MEO satellite may be favored over a potential connection to a LEO satellite because the potential connection to the LEO satellite may be available for a shorter duration and may require inter-beam and/or inter-satellite handoffs to maintain the connection.
  • the techniques described herein also may be used in combination with additional data and/or other techniques in connection with identifying and attempting to establish a wireless connection between a communications device and a node in a wireless communications network, including a satellite communications network like satellite communications network 200 of FIG. 2, including, for example, geospatial information about the area surrounding the communications device (e.g., mountains, buildings, and/or other potential physical obstructions), actual, historical, or predicted weather patterns, and/or actual, historical, or predicted RF interference patterns.
  • the techniques described herein may be used, or taken advantage of, by a communications device equipped with a camera or similar optical sensor or instrument that can be used to identify potential physical obstructions in proximity to the communications device.
  • the communications device may use the camera to take images of or otherwise gather information about potential physical obstructions within the field of view of the camera and/or the communication device’s antenna. Based on such information (e.g., the absence or presence of potential physical obstructions), the communications device may determine that it does (or, alternatively, does not) make sense to orient the communications device in the direction of a particular satellite identified according to the techniques described herein because it is (or is not) likely that the communications device will be able to successfully establish a wireless connection with the satellite because of the absence (or presence) of potential physical obstructions in the field of view.
  • the communications device may use the camera to take images of or otherwise gather information about potential physical obstructions within the field of view of the camera and/or the communication device’s antenna. Based on such information (e.g., the absence or presence of potential physical obstructions), the communications device may determine that it does (or, alternatively, does not) make sense to orient the communications device in the direction of a particular satellite identified according to the techniques described herein because it is (or is not)
  • the communications device may consider the expected positions of the candidate satellites relative to each other and the communications device in determining how to orient (or about how to provide cues to an end user about how to orient) the communications device to facilitate the process of establishing a wireless connection with a satellite and/or to increase the likelihood of successfully doing so.
  • the communications device might prioritize orienting (or providing cues to an end user to orient) the communications device such that the field of view of the communication device’s antenna(s) includes those multiple candidate satellites over other orientations of the communications device and/or the communications device may decide to orient (or to provide cues to an end user to orient) the communications device such that the field of view of the communication device’s antenna(s) includes the multiple candidate satellites instead of attempting to orient (or provide cues to an end user to orient) the communications device so that a specific candidate satellite is in the center of the field of view of the communication device’s antenna(s).

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Astronomy & Astrophysics (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Radio Relay Systems (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Abstract

Un procédé pour recevoir une communication entre un dispositif de communication personnel et un système de communication par satellite consiste à identifier des positions probables d'un ou plusieurs satellites et à déterminer une position d'orientation du dispositif de communication personnel pour faciliter potentiellement une connexion de communication sans fil entre le dispositif de communication personnel et au moins un satellite. La position d'orientation peut être fournie au niveau d'une interface graphique utilisateur du dispositif de communication personnel. Un signal reçu en provenance du satellite peut être détecté et une détermination peut être effectuée pour savoir si le satellite est capable d'établir la connexion de communication sans fil entre le dispositif de communication personnel et le satellite.
PCT/US2022/077380 2021-10-01 2022-09-30 Identification d'options de connexion de communications sans fil WO2023056439A1 (fr)

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US202163251236P 2021-10-01 2021-10-01
US63/251,236 2021-10-01
US202163282015P 2021-11-22 2021-11-22
US63/282,015 2021-11-22
US17/957,458 2022-09-30
US17/957,458 US20230103546A1 (en) 2021-10-01 2022-09-30 Identifying wireless communications connection options

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Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20180309505A1 (en) * 2016-04-21 2018-10-25 University Of Louisiana At Lafayette Experimental Smartphone Ground Station Grid System and Method

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20180309505A1 (en) * 2016-04-21 2018-10-25 University Of Louisiana At Lafayette Experimental Smartphone Ground Station Grid System and Method

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