Space Systems/loral, LLC

Erin Michelle Lavis

William Hreha

Guillaume Lamontagne

Anne Elizabeth Wharton

David Linford Foulke

Louis Trichardt Hildebrand

Eric Shima

A satellite communication system comprises a satellite configured to provide a plurality of spot beams adapted for communication using time domain beam hopping to switch throughput among spot beams of the plurality of spot beams. The plurality of spot beams includes a first spot beam that illuminates and communicates with a first gateway and a first set of subscriber terminals. The satellite is configured to implement a beam hopping plan that during a hopping period provides throughput to the first spot beam for an aggregated time duration based on bandwidth assignments to the first gateway and the first set of subscriber terminals.

Satellite system with beam hopping plan that takes into account the needs of gateways and subscriber terminals

A satellite communication system comprises one or more non-geostationary satellites. Each satellite is configured to provide a plurality of spot beams using time domain beam hopping among the spot beams. The spot beams are divided into hopping groups and each satellite is configured to switch throughput and power among spot beams in a same hopping group at intervals of an epoch over a hopping period according to a hopping plan. Each satellite is configured to receive, change and implement the hopping plan in orbit while the satellite moves in relation to a fixed geographic coverage region. The satellites are programmable to assign any combination of epochs in a hopping plan among spot beams of a same hopping group and to route throughput between spot beams.

Satellite system using time domain beam hopping

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Erin Michelle Lavis