US 12,267,146 B2
Radio frequency data downlink for a high revisit rate, near earth orbit satellite system
Dan Nobbe, San Diego, CA (US); and Ronald E. Reedy, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to Skeyeon, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by Skeyeon, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 5, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/205,611.
Application 18/205,611 is a continuation of application No. 16/925,081, filed on Jul. 9, 2020, granted, now 11,671,169.
Application 16/925,081 is a continuation of application No. 15/868,812, filed on Jan. 11, 2018, granted, now 10,715,245, issued on Jul. 14, 2020.
Application 15/868,812 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/439,533, filed on Feb. 22, 2017, granted, now 10,351,267, issued on Jul. 16, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/430,727, filed on Dec. 6, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0327749 A1, Oct. 12, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04W 84/06 (2009.01); G01S 19/25 (2010.01); H04B 7/185 (2006.01); G01S 13/88 (2006.01)
CPC H04B 7/18513 (2013.01) [G01S 19/254 (2013.01); H04B 7/18534 (2013.01); H04W 84/06 (2013.01); G01S 13/88 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A plurality of ground stations, each ground station of the plurality of ground stations comprising:
one or more electronically steerable phased array antennae configured to:
transmit and receive data,
communicate with one or more satellites operating at 100 km to 400 km in altitude, and
obtain satellite data comprising satellite location and trajectory information; and
a processor configured to:
use the obtained satellite data to steer each of the one or more electronically steerable phased array antennae to an expected location of the one or more satellites to establish a communications link with the one or more satellites, and
perform a hand-off of the communications link of the one or more satellites from a first ground station at a predetermined first location to a second ground station at a predetermined second location,
wherein the one or more satellites occupies a region of overlap within a transmission range of the first ground station and a transmission range of the second ground station during the hand-off.