Satellite Antenna Ground Station Sharing for Flexible Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Satellite owners/operators face significant costs and inefficiencies in building and maintaining ground antennas due to long-term leases and underutilization of infrastructure, leading to lost perishable satellite antenna access time when satellites are out of range.

Innovation Solution

A satellite antenna ground station service provides a network of globally distributed ground stations with elastic capacity, allowing clients to reserve short-term access slots and utilize virtualized computing resources for data processing and management, integrated with a provider network offering scalable data storage, analytics, and communication services.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If satellite owners/operators build or obtain long-term leases on ground antennas, then satellite connectivity is maintained, but infrastructure costs and capital investments increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesatellite connectivityVSAvoidinfrastructure costs

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple satellite operators share common ground antenna infrastructure through a service provider platform, combining previously separate antenna systems into a shared resource pool that reduces individual capital investments while maintaining connectivity reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Ground antennas are designed to support multiple satellite operators and various satellite types (LEO, MEO, GEO) through universal interfaces and scheduling systems, allowing single antennas to perform multiple functions for different clients rather than dedicated single-purpose installations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If ground antennas are deployed for satellite communication, then satellite connectivity is achieved, but antenna utilization is not continuous due to satellite orbital ranges

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesatellite connectivityVSAvoidantenna downtime

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The scheduling system continuously allocates antenna time slots to different satellites and operators based on orbital predictions and demand, ensuring antennas remain actively utilized whenever satellites are in range by seamlessly transitioning between different communication tasks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The ground station network implements dynamic scheduling that adapts antenna allocation in real-time based on satellite positions, communication priorities, and operational demands, allowing flexible reconfiguration of antenna usage patterns rather than static assignments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If satellite owners/operators maintain dedicated ground infrastructure, then communication reliability is ensured, but employee costs for monitoring and management increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidmanagement complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The platform implements automated scheduling, monitoring, and resource allocation systems that self-manage ground station operations without requiring dedicated operator teams, with algorithms automatically handling satellite tracking, antenna pointing, and communication session management

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

A service provider platform acts as an intermediary between satellite operators and ground infrastructure, managing all operational complexities centrally while providing simplified interfaces to clients, thereby isolating management complexity from end users

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Adaptability or versatility

If multiple ground antennas are deployed in different countries, then global satellite coverage is achieved, but capital investment and infrastructure deployment costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveglobal coverageVSAvoidinfrastructure deployment costs

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The service provider consolidates ground antenna resources across multiple geographic locations into a shared network that serves multiple satellite operators, combining previously separate national infrastructure projects into a cost-effective international shared platform

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS12418340B2Satellite antenna ground station service system

Publication Date: 2025.09.16 AMAZON TECH INC

AI summary

A satellite antenna ground station service includes a plurality of ground stations and associated data centers, wherein the data centers are part of a provider network. Clients may reserve satellite antenna access time-slots via a user interface of the satellite antenna ground station service and store data directly to a data center of the provider network or to the client's premises via a direct connection between the client and the provider network. In some embodiments, the provider network may offer a plurality of network-based services, such as a compute service, a data storage service, a machine learning service, or a data analytics service, and a client may utilize one or more of these services to analyze and process downlinked data received from a satellite of the client via a satellite antenna ground station of the satellite antenna ground station service of the provider network.