Satellite Handover Scheduling Around User-Terminal Blockages

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Solution Overview

Problem

Satellite communication systems experience service interruptions due to blockages caused by obstructions, leading to simultaneous unavailability of multiple user terminals during handover processes.

Innovation Solution

Utilizing blockage data to determine optimal handover times for user terminals based on their location and satellite positions, minimizing service interruptions by staggering handover sequences to avoid overlapping blockages.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If handover is initiated for multiple user terminals simultaneously, then handover process efficiency is improved, but service interruption increases due to overlapping blockages

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover process efficiencyVSAvoidservice continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary determination of handover times for multiple user terminals by analyzing blockage data and satellite positions before actual handover execution. This advance planning ensures that handovers are scheduled at optimal times when blockages will not overlap, maintaining service continuity while achieving efficient batch processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The handover initiation time is made dynamic rather than fixed, adjusting based on real-time blockage data and satellite position information. The system dynamically determines staggered handover times for different user terminals, allowing the schedule to adapt to changing orbital conditions and blockage patterns, thus preventing service interruptions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If handover time is extended to avoid blockages, then service continuity is improved, but handover efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice continuityVSAvoidhandover efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system calculates and determines optimal handover times in advance by analyzing blockage data and satellite ephemeris information. This preliminary determination identifies the earliest possible handover moments that avoid blockages, ensuring service continuity without unnecessary delays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the timing parameters of handover operations based on blockage data analysis. By adjusting handover initiation times for different user terminals according to their specific blockage patterns and satellite positions, the system optimizes both service continuity and handover efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If blockage data analysis is performed for each user terminal individually, then handover accuracy is improved, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandover timing accuracyVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges the analysis of blockage data and satellite position information into a unified processing framework. By combining these data sources and performing joint optimization for multiple user terminals simultaneously, the system achieves accurate handover timing determination while reducing overall processing complexity through shared computations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3900221B1Systems for mitigating service interrupts in satellite systems
Publication Date: 2025.10.29 HUGHES NETWORK SYST
  • EP3900221B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3900221B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3900221B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to techniques for mitigating blockages associated with satellite systems. More specifically, techniques disclosed herein, describe solutions for minimizing service interruption during satellite handover. One or more blockages associated with one or more user terminals that connect to a satellite system may be determined by various means. Utilizing those blockages, handover times for the one or more user terminals may be determined such that service interrupts may be minimized.