Granted Patent B1

US 12,273,936 · App. 18/654,834 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

Inventors: Egil Gronstad (Bellevue, WA); John Joseph Humbert, IV (Olathe, KS); Karri M. Kuoppamaki (Kirkland, WA); Jun Liu (Sammamish, WA); Kun Lu (Bellevue, WA); Scott Francis Migaldi (Cary, IL); Brian A. Olsen (Kirkland, WA)

Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.

H04W76/10H04B7/18513H04W64/00

Abstract

Claims (128)

1. A system comprising:

at least one hardware processor; and

at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the system to:

receive orbital information for a first interconnected satellite of a non-terrestrial network,

wherein the first satellite is out of range to connect to a ground station of a terrestrial network when the first satellite is connected to a wireless device,

wherein there is at least one other interconnected satellite between the first interconnected satellite and a nonconnected satellite an orbital path of the non-terrestrial network

wherein the first interconnected satellite is communicatively coupled to at least one other interconnected satellite

wherein the at least one other interconnected satellite is communicatively coupled to a ground station, and

wherein the orbital information includes a location of the first interconnected satellite and a velocity of the first interconnected satellite;

determine a location of the wireless device,

wherein the location includes a longitude and latitude for the wireless device;

determine the location of the wireless device relative to the first interconnected satellite;

calculate a connectivity window based on the relative location of the wireless device to the first interconnected satellite,

wherein the connectivity window is a time period at the location of the wireless device during which the wireless device receives a signal from a satellite in the non-terrestrial network to perform a network connection with the non-terrestrial network;

connect the wireless device to the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the at least one first interconnected satellite is open; and

cause the ground station to determine a location of the nonconnected satellite when the first interconnected satellite connects to the wireless device, and

cause the ground station to transmit the location of the nonconnected satellite to the at least one other interconnected satellite;

cause the at least one other interconnected satellite to transmit the location of the nonconnected satellite to the first interconnected satellite;

receive the location of the nonconnected satellite from the first interconnected satellite;

wherein the wireless device calculates a connectivity window for the nonconnected satellite when the wireless device connects to the at least one other interconnected satellite; and

prevent the wireless device from searching for a network connection to the non-terrestrial network when the wireless device is outside the connectivity window of a satellite in the non-terrestrial network.

2. The system of claim 1 further caused to:

determine an update to the location of the wireless device,

wherein the location is updated when the longitude and latitude coordinate of the wireless device changes;

determine a second relative location of the wireless device to a currently connected satellite to the wireless device; and

calculate a new connectivity window based on the second relative location.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein there are multiple interconnected satellites in the non-terrestrial network after the nonconnected satellite, the system further caused to:

connect a third interconnected satellite in the non-terrestrial network to the wireless device;

cause a fourth interconnected satellite in the non-terrestrial network to transmit the location of the fourth interconnected satellite to the first third interconnected satellite,

wherein the third interconnected satellite and the fourth interconnected satellite have a same orbit, and

wherein the fourth interconnected satellite is a neighboring satellite which is a next satellite in orbit after the third interconnected satellite;

receive the location of the fourth interconnected satellite from the third interconnected satellite;

calculate a connectivity window for each of the multiple satellites;

disconnect the wireless device from the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the third interconnected satellite is closed; and

reconnect the wireless device to the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the fourth interconnected satellite is open.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein there are multiple nonconnected satellites in the non-terrestrial network after the nonconnected satellite including a first satellite and a second satellite, the system further caused to:

connect the first satellite in the non-terrestrial network to the wireless device;

wherein the first satellite is communicatively coupled to a ground station of a terrestrial network;

cause the ground station to determine a location of the second satellite when the first satellite connects to the wireless device,

wherein the second satellite is communicatively coupled to the ground station,

wherein the first satellite and the second satellite have a same orbit, and

wherein the second satellite is a neighboring satellite which is a next satellite in orbit after the first satellite;

cause the ground station to transmit the location of the second satellite to the first satellite;

receive the location of the second satellite from the first satellite;

calculate a connectivity window for each of the multiple nonconnected satellites;

disconnect the wireless device from the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the first satellite is closed; and

reconnect the wireless device to the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the second satellite is open.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless device is configured to continuously search for a network connection to the non-terrestrial network until the wireless device connects to the non-terrestrial network for the first time.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein greenhouse gas emissions are reduced due to the wireless device consuming less energy by the wireless device only attempting to connect to the non-terrestrial network when the wireless device is in the connectivity window.

7. The system of claim 1 , further caused to:

update the connectivity window based on an addition or subtraction to a total number of satellites in the non-terrestrial network.

8. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions recorded thereon, wherein the instructions when executed by at least one data processor of a system, cause the system to:

calculate a connectivity window of at least one satellite of a non-terrestrial network,

wherein the at least one satellite is an interconnected satellite; and

wherein the connectivity window is a time period at a location of a wireless device during which the wireless device receives a signal from the at least one satellite to perform a network connection with the non-terrestrial network;

connect the wireless device to the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the at least one satellite is open,

wherein the at least one satellite is connected to a second interconnected satellite when the wireless device connects to the at least one satellite;

cause a ground station to determine a location of a nonconnected satellite,

wherein the ground station is communicatively coupled to the nonconnected satellite and the second interconnected satellite,

wherein the ground station transmits the location of the nonconnected satellite to the second interconnected satellite;

receive the location of the nonconnected satellite from the at least one satellite;

wherein the at least one satellite received the location of the nonconnected satellite from the second interconnected satellite;

wherein the wireless device calculates a connectivity window for the nonconnected satellite when the wireless device connects to the second interconnected satellite; and

prevent the wireless device from searching for a network connection to the non-terrestrial network when the wireless device is outside the connectivity window of the at least one satellite.

9. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

determine an update to the location of the wireless device,

wherein the location is updated when a latitudinal or longitudinal coordinate of the wireless device changes; and

calculate a new connectivity window based on the update to the location of the wireless device.

10. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

connect a first satellite in the non-terrestrial network to the wireless device;

cause a second satellite in the non-terrestrial network to transmit the location of the second satellite to the first satellite,

wherein the second satellite is a neighboring satellite which is a next satellite in orbit after the first satellite;

receive the location of the second satellite from the first satellite;

calculate a connectivity window for each of the first and second satellites;

disconnect the wireless device from the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the first satellite is closed; and

reconnect the wireless device to the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the second satellite is open.

11. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 8 , wherein there is at least a first nonconnected satellite and a second nonconnected satellite after the nonconnected satellite in the non-terrestrial, wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

connect the first nonconnected satellite in the non-terrestrial network to the wireless device;

cause the ground station to determine a location of the second nonconnected satellite when the first nonconnected satellite connects to the wireless device,

wherein the first nonconnected satellite and the second nonconnected satellite are communicatively coupled to the ground station, and

wherein the second nonconnected satellite is a neighboring satellite which is the next satellite in orbit after the first nonconnected satellite;

cause the ground station to transmit the location of the second nonconnected satellite to the first nonconnected satellite;

receive the location of the second nonconnected satellite from the first nonconnected satellite;

calculate a connectivity window for the first and second nonconnected satellites;

disconnect the wireless device from the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the first nonconnected satellite is closed; and

reconnect the wireless device to the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the second nonconnected satellite is open.

12. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the wireless device is configured to continuously search for a network connection to the non-terrestrial network until the wireless device connects to the non-terrestrial network for the first time.

13. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

update the connectivity window based on an addition or subtraction to a total number of satellites in the non-terrestrial network.

14. A method comprising:

receiving orbital information for at least one satellite of a non-terrestrial network;

calculating a connectivity window of the at least one satellite,

wherein the at least one satellite is an interconnected satellite; and

wherein the connectivity window is a time period at a location of a wireless device during which the wireless device receives a signal from the at least one satellite to perform a network connection with the non-terrestrial network;

connecting the wireless device to the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the at least one satellite is open,

wherein the at least one satellite is connected to a second interconnected satellite when the wireless device connects to the at least one satellite;

cause a ground station to determine a location of a nonconnected satellite,

wherein the ground station is communicatively coupled to the nonconnected satellite and the second interconnected satellite,

wherein the ground station transmits the location of the nonconnected satellite to the second interconnected satellite;

receive the location of the nonconnected satellite from the at least one satellite;

wherein the at least one satellite received the location of the nonconnected satellite from the second interconnected satellite;

wherein the wireless device calculates a connectivity window for the nonconnected satellite when the wireless device connects to the second interconnected satellite; and

preventing the wireless device from searching for a network connection to the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the at least one satellite is closed.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

determining an update to the location of the wireless device,

wherein the location is updated when a latitudinal or longitudinal coordinate of the wireless device changes; and

calculating a new connectivity window based on the update to the location of the wireless device.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein there are multiple interconnected satellites after the nonconnected satellite in the non-terrestrial network, further comprising:

connecting a first satellite in the non-terrestrial network to the wireless device;

causing a second satellite in the non-terrestrial network to transmit the location of the second satellite to the first satellite,

wherein the second satellite is a neighboring satellite which is a next satellite in orbit after the first satellite;

receiving the location of the second satellite from the first satellite;

calculating a connectivity window for each of the multiple satellites;

disconnecting the wireless device from the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the first satellite is closed; and

reconnecting the wireless device to the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the second satellite is open.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein there is at least a first nonconnected satellite and a second nonconnected satellite after the nonconnected satellite in the non-terrestrial network including a first satellite and a second satellite, further comprising:

connecting the first nonconnected satellite in the non-terrestrial network to the wireless device;

causing the ground station to determine a location of the second nonconnected satellite when the first nonconnected satellite connects to the wireless device,

wherein the first nonconnected satellite and the second nonconnected satellite are communicatively coupled to the ground station,

wherein the first nonconnected satellite and the second nonconnected satellite have a same orbit, and

wherein the second nonconnected satellite is a neighboring satellite which is a next satellite in orbit after the first nonconnected satellite;

causing the ground station to transmit the location of the second nonconnected satellite to the first nonconnected satellite;

receiving the location of the second nonconnected satellite from the first nonconnected satellite;

calculating a connectivity window for the first and second nonconnected satellites;

disconnecting the wireless device from the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the first nonconnected satellite is closed; and

reconnecting the wireless device to the non-terrestrial network when the connectivity window of the second nonconnected satellite is open.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

updating the connectivity window based on an addition or subtraction to a total number of satellites in the non-terrestrial network.

Assignments (1)

References Cited (61)