Remote Processing Satellites Reduce Latency in Earth Observation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current satellite Earth observation systems face limitations in data transmission volume and system reactivity due to limited visibility and high latency, with existing solutions either not addressing latency or being costly and complex.
Innovation Solution
A processing and observation system comprising a constellation of remote sensing satellites in low Earth orbit and remote processing satellites in medium Earth orbit, with adjusted phasing and local times to ensure constant visibility, enabling efficient data transmission and processing, and reducing latency through a network of ground stations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a satellite is placed in a sun-synchronous circular orbit to ensure consistent illumination, then the observation quality is improved, but the visibility period of ground telemetry stations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediate processing satellites in medium Earth orbit that act as mediators between the observation satellites and ground stations. These intermediate satellites receive data from observation satellites and relay it to ground stations, extending the effective visibility period and enabling continuous data transmission without requiring direct line-of-sight between observation satellites and ground stations throughout the entire orbit.
2Productivity
If the number of ground stations is increased to improve data transmission, then the throughput and latency are improved, but the system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data transmission function by introducing intermediate processing satellites that handle data routing and processing in space. This segmentation allows a single ground station to communicate with multiple observation satellites through the intermediate satellites, achieving high throughput without requiring multiple ground stations. The complexity is distributed to the satellite system rather than concentrated on the ground infrastructure.
3Speed
If higher frequency bands are used to increase data rate, then the transmission speed is improved, but the latency and responsiveness issues are not resolved
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate processing satellites perform preliminary data processing, compression, and prioritization before transmission to ground stations. Configuration data is pre-processed and queued for immediate transmission when opportunities arise, while observation data is pre-compressed and prepared for efficient downlink. This preliminary action reduces the time required for data handling and transmission, addressing latency issues without requiring higher frequency bands.
Data Source
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AI summary
This system (50) comprises a ground communication module (21), a first set of electronic devices (31) including a remote sensing module (51) capable of observing the Earth and generating observation data, and two second sets of electronic devices (42), each including a remote communication module (56) capable of communicating with the ground communication module (21). The first and each second set of electronic devices (31, 42) respectively include a first and a second proximal communication module (52, 54), the first module (52) being capable of transmitting observation data to each second module (54). Each second set of electronic devices (42) further includes a processing module (55) capable of processing the observation data for transmission to the ground communication module (21).