Geofenced Satellite Access Control for Network Capacity Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Satellite-based networks face capacity overload due to multiple terrestrial user devices connecting despite having terrestrial telecommunications network coverage, preventing devices without coverage from accessing the satellite network.

Innovation Solution

Implementing geofencing and time-based thresholding techniques to manage connections by querying a database for previously captured events on a terrestrial network, determining time durations, and rejecting requests from devices within a geofence if the time since last event is less than a predefined threshold.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple terrestrial user devices connect to the satellite network simultaneously, then the satellite network capacity becomes overloaded, but devices without terrestrial coverage are prevented from accessing the satellite network

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesatellite network capacityVSAvoidaccessibility for devices without terrestrial coverage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by checking whether a user device has previously connected to the terrestrial network within a predefined time threshold before allowing satellite network access. This pre-check prevents devices with terrestrial coverage from consuming satellite capacity, while ensuring devices without terrestrial coverage can access the satellite network when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If geofencing and time-based thresholding are implemented to manage connections, then satellite network capacity is protected, but system complexity increases due to database queries and time duration calculations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesatellite network capacity protectionVSAvoidconnection management system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system manages connection complexity by changing parameters such as using a predefined time threshold and geofence boundaries. Instead of continuously monitoring all possible connection scenarios, the system uses these simplified parameter checks to determine whether to allow satellite network access, reducing the complexity of the connection management system while still protecting satellite capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12513599B2System and methods for geographic and time-based control of satellite network connections to user devices

Publication Date: 2025.12.30 T MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC

AI summary

Aspects herein provide systems, methods, and media for terrestrially controlling whether user devices are allowed to or preventing from accessing and utilizing a non-terrestrial network. Using geofencing and time-based threshold techniques, a terrestrial network component determines and control whether user devices within a geofence should be prevented from accessing and utilizing the non-terrestrial network in order to avoid overloading the capacity of the non-terrestrial network. The terrestrial network component sends an indication and/or error to the non-terrestrial network for delivery to the user device to prevent the access. When the user device receives the indication and/or error from a satellite, for example, the user device that is within the geofence is caused to access and utilize the terrestrial network instead of the non-terrestrial network.