Method for accurately tracking and communicating with a satellite from a mobile platform
US6483458B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 30, 2001 |
| Grant date | Nov 19, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 30, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04B7/18508
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for accurately tracking and communicating with a satellite from a mobile platform, wherein the satellite has an antenna which performs both transmit and receive functions from a single antenna aperture. The method involves using an inertial reference unit (IRU) of the mobile platform to initially acquire the signal from the satellite. A sequential lobing process is then used to more accurately center the antenna aperture relative to the receive beam from the satellite. The antenna is then used to transmit data or other information, and the antenna pointing is maintained by an additional IRU local to the antenna with higher accuracy and lower latency than the IRU of the mobile platform. Periodically, transmissions from the antenna are inhibited and the sequential lobing process is repeated to eliminate for any inertial reference drift error. The method allows for more accurate antenna pointing when a single antenna aperture is used for both transmit and receive functions without significantly interfering with the transmission of data or information from the antenna.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.