Inter-Satellite Link Antenna Timing via Orbital Plane Crossings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inter-satellite communication systems face challenges in providing global coverage due to the need for multiple satellites in disparate orbital planes, leading to inefficient and costly wideband antennas, increased complexity, and higher power requirements for data transfer between satellites in different planes.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using forward and aft antennas for inter-satellite communications, timing message transmissions during orbital plane crossings to optimize data paths, and employing a processor to compute and manage message paths that account for satellite movements, allowing for efficient data transfer between satellites in the same or different orbital planes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wideband antennas are used for inter-satellite communications in disparate orbital planes, then global coverage is achieved, but device complexity, cost, and power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The satellite communication system segments the antenna functionality by orbital plane. Each satellite is equipped with narrowband antennas optimized for its specific orbital plane, rather than using wideband antennas that must handle all possible communication directions. The system manages inter-plane communications through temporal segmentation during orbital plane crossings, where satellites briefly intersect and exchange data before returning to their respective planes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts communication paths based on real-time orbital positions. When satellites are in their home orbital planes, narrowband antennas provide high-gain, low-complexity communication. When orbital plane crossings occur, the system dynamically switches to using forward/aft antennas to establish temporary cross-plane links, optimizing the balance between coverage and complexity at each moment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple satellites in disparate orbital planes are used for global coverage, then communication coverage is improved, but power requirements and mass increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by optimizing antenna characteristics for each specific orbital plane. Each satellite uses narrowband antennas with high gain optimized for its home plane, maximizing energy efficiency for local communications. Only during brief cross-plane intersection windows does the system use alternative antennas, minimizing the energy penalty for cross-plane communications.
3Productivity
If forward and aft antennas are used for cross-plane communications, then data transfer efficiency is improved, but transmission timing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and broadcasting ephemeris data that describes the predicted paths and crossing times of orbital planes. This allows ground stations and satellites to advance schedule communication windows, buffer data for transmission during optimal crossing moments, and coordinate timing without real-time complex calculations during the actual transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
In a method and apparatus for inter-satellite communications, transmissions between a satellite and neighboring satellites that share an orbital plane occur via an aft antenna or a forward antenna and transmissions between the satellite and neighboring satellites that do not share an orbital plane occur via the aft antenna or the forward antenna timed during orbital plane crossings. This occurs even if the total path length and number of links is higher than inter-satellite communications that use side-to-side transfers.