The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 20, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 03, 1998
Applicant:
Inventors:
Estevan Marcial Gonzales, Tempe, AZ (US);
Richard Alan Bienz, Chandler, AZ (US);
Assignee:
Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL (US);
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01Q / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
342359 ; 34235706 ; 34235715 ;
Abstract
A method and apparatus for efficiently tracking satellites includes a geosynchronous satellite (10) for transmitting the ephemeris of non-geosynchronous satellites (20, 30) to a ground terminal (50). The ephemeris is computed by the non-geosynchronous satellites (20, 30) or by other means such as a ground station (60). A ground terminal (50) can quickly acquire a non-geosynchronous satellite (20, 30) by receiving fresh ephemeris data from a geosynchronous satellite (10), determining a location of a non-geosynchronous satellite (20, 30), and orienting an antenna.