US 12,143,177 B2
Distributed multiple-input multiple-output low earth orbit satellite systems and methods
Mohammed Abdelsadek, Kanata (CA); Gunes Karabulut Kurt, Montreal (CA); and Halim Yanikomeroglu, Ottawa (CA)
Assigned to MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue (CA)
Filed by MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue (CA)
Filed on Dec. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/074,893.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/264,890, filed on Dec. 3, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0179273 A1, Jun. 8, 2023
Int. Cl. H04L 23/02 (2006.01); H04B 7/0417 (2017.01); H04B 7/0456 (2017.01)
CPC H04B 7/0465 (2013.01) [H04B 7/0417 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A communications network comprising:
a) a plurality of satellites, each satellite providing a satellite access point (SAP); and
b) a plurality of super satellite nodes (SSNs), each SSN comprising a network processing unit (NPU); wherein
each SSN establishes a cluster with a defined subset of the plurality of satellites; and
the cluster communicates with a user terminal (UT); wherein
the NPU:
c) manages communications with the UT;
d) manages communications with the defined subset of the plurality of satellites associated with the SSN of which it forms part; and
e) manages communications to another NPU within another SSN to establish a handover of communications with the UT from the cluster to which the NPU is associated to another cluster associated with the another SSN.