Performance evaluation of an optimized intersegment handover procedure for hybrid constellation satellite systems

Abstract

Satellite system architectures based on geostationary or Low Earth Orbit (LEO)/Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) constellation suffer from their intrinsic limitations in terms of coverage or flexibility. Traffic requirements concerning broadband services are expected to be very uneven both in time and space. To match this requirement and to improve coverage an innovative satellite system architecture, composed of a LEO/MEO segment to complement a Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) segment, has been proposed. In this scenario, to achieve interworking and to make it possible to hold the call while switching between the two segments, efficient intersegment handover (ISHO) procedures must be identified.The paper, after introducing the classical ISHO schemes, aims at defining and analysing an ISHO procedure developed to perform handover in case of hybrid constellations based on the use of both GEO and LEO/MEO orbits. Performance evaluation will be carried out for different system configurations utilizing a dynamic satellite constellation simulator in the time domain. The execution delay and its complementary cumulative distribution have been evaluated for different constellation geometry at different distances from the gateway. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.