초록 ▼

A satellite communications system is disclosed. One of the embodiments of the present invention includes six to fourteen satellites (12) which operate in a single Equatorial orbit (14). These satellites (12) are capable of providing communications services to locations on the Earth (E) which are wit

A satellite communications system is disclosed. One of the embodiments of the present invention includes six to fourteen satellites (12) which operate in a single Equatorial orbit (14). These satellites (12) are capable of providing communications services to locations on the Earth (E) which are within thirty degrees of the Equator (16). Another embodiment of the invention utilizes both the single Equatorial orbit plane (14) in combination with other satellites (12) moving in polar or inclined orbits (60, 63, 210). The embodiment that combines satellites (12) in Equatorial (14), polar (60) and inclined (63, 210) orbits will provide a wide variety of data services to virtually any point on the globe. In the preferred embodiments, the satellites (12) are designed to operate in a circular low Earth orbit at an altitude of from 800 to 1852 kilometers. Although the preferred embodiments utilize this specific range of altitudes, the satellites (12) are designed to fly in any orbit that is not a geosynchronous orbit. The satellites (12) are also capable of speeding packetized messages (225) around the globe either by working in combination with relay stations (34, 61, 65) on the ground, by transferring message payloads (225) across different orbits via the relay stations (34, 61, 65) or by conveying packetized payloads (225) through the use of inter-satellite links (55).

대표청구항 ▼

A satellite communications system comprising: a plurality of Equatorial, polar and middle latitude relay stations (34, 61, 65); said relay stations (34, 61, 65) being located circumferentially along Earth\s Equator (16), near Earth\s poles (NP, SP) and in regions of Earth\s middle-latitudes, respect

A satellite communications system comprising: a plurality of Equatorial, polar and middle latitude relay stations (34, 61, 65); said relay stations (34, 61, 65) being located circumferentially along Earth\s Equator (16), near Earth\s poles (NP, SP) and in regions of Earth\s middle-latitudes, respectively; a first satellite (12) operating in an Equatorial, low Earth orbit (14); a second satellite (12) operating in an inclined, low Earth orbit (60, 63, 210); said first satellite (12) being capable of communicating with said plurality of Equatorial relay stations (34) over uplinks (35a) and downlinks (35b); said second satellite (12) being capable of communicating with at least one of said plurality of polar relay stations (61) with at least one of said plurality of middle-latitude relay stations (65) and with at least one of said plurality of Equatorial relay stations (34); said first satellite (12) being capable of storing a message from a first Equatorial relay station (34) and forwarding said message to a second Equatorial relay station (34); and said second satellite (12) capable of receiving said message from said second Equatorial relay station (34) and forwarding said message to one of said plurality of polar and middle-latitude relay stations (61, 65).