{
  "patent_number": "US 8693947",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How Satellites Use Lasers and Colors to Send Data Fast",
  "original_title": "Extensible high bandwidth global space communication network",
  "summary": "This patent describes a satellite communication system that uses two low-orbit satellites linked by a high-speed laser beam, which splits light into different colors to send massive amounts of data quickly between ground stations or aircraft.",
  "what_it_does": "The patent describes a communication system using two satellites in low or medium Earth orbit (LEO/MEO) to relay data. A first satellite talks to a ground station or an aircraft (a \"first transceiver\" per claim 1 and 2) using a radio or laser link (claim 14). This first satellite then sends data to a second satellite using a special \"laser communication crosslink\" (claim 1). This laser link is very fast because it uses \"wavelength division multiplexing\" (WDM), meaning it sends data on multiple different colors of light at the same time (claim 1). The second satellite then sends the data down to another ground station (a \"second transceiver\" per claim 1 and 5). For example, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) could send surveillance data to a first satellite, which beams it via laser to a second satellite, which then sends it to a ground control station in near real-time (claims 4, 8, 9).",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Communication systems where satellites are only linked by radio frequency (RF) signals, as it specifically requires a \"laser communication crosslink\" (claim 1).",
    "Laser communication crosslinks that do not use \"wavelength division multiplexing\" (WDM) to increase data rate (claim 1).",
    "Satellite systems where both satellites are in geostationary orbit, as it specifies LEO or MEO below 36,000 km (abstract).",
    "Systems where the satellites cannot autonomously compute a data route, as claim 16 describes this as an optional feature.",
    "Systems that do not achieve low latency (less than 100 ms) or high data rates (greater than 1 gigabit per second) as specified in claims 9, 10, and 11."
  ],
  "filed": "2011-05-27",
  "granted": "2014-04-08",
  "expires": "2031-05-27",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Raytheon",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/raytheon",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "James McSpadden",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/james-mcspadden"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. Thomas HASTINGS, JR.",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/c-thomas-hastings-jr"
    },
    {
      "name": "John F. SILNY",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/john-f-silny"
    },
    {
      "name": "William J. Miniscalco",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/william-j-miniscalco"
    },
    {
      "name": "Gary D. COLEMAN",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/gary-d-coleman"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 2,
  "tags": [
    "telecommunications",
    "aerospace",
    "software",
    "consumer_electronics"
  ],
  "abstract": "Various embodiments provide a satellite communication system including a first transceiver and a second transceiver geographically fixed on the earth, and a first satellite configured to communicate with the first transceiver through a first link. The system further includes a second satellite configured to communicate with the second transceiver through a second link and communicate with the first satellite through a laser communication crosslink. The first satellite and the second satellite are at a low earth orbit or medium earth orbit below the geostationary earth orbit of approximately 36000 km.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8693947/extensible-high-bandwidth-global-space-communication-network",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8693947/extensible-high-bandwidth-global-space-communication-network/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US8693947",
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}