Patent · US Expired

Method for sector-based routing

US6173176A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
3References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 27, 1998
Grant dateJan 9, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 27, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04B7/195
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A communication system (10) has multiple satellites (20) communicating with ground stations (30) and with base stations (40). The satellites (20) are in non-geosynchronous orbit around the earth (52). A first ground station (30) transmits a data packet to a satellite (20). The data packet includes a sector number which represents an area on the earth (52) where the destination ground station (31) is located. The satellite (20) transmits the data packet to another satellite (20) if the satellite (20) is not serving an area identified by the sector number. This step is repeated until the data packet reaches a most likely satellite (20) that is most likely to be serving the area identified by the sector number. The most likely satellite (20) transmits the data packet to the destination ground station (31) if it is still serving the area identified by the sector number.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.