Patent ID: 11916592
Assignee: HONEYWELL LIMITED HONEYWELL LIMITÉE
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 12:
13. The satellite of claim 11, wherein
(a) the satellite is configured to orbit Earth in a specified low-earth orbital plane and to establish data communication with a plurality of additional LEO satellites spaced apart from the satellite along the specified low-earth orbital plane using the intraorbital optical terminals;
(b) the satellite is configured to:
i) determine whether the satellite is a relay satellite in communication with the trunk satellite at a given time;
ii) operate in the first mode of operation at the given time in response to determining that the satellite is not the relay satellite at the given time; and
iii) operate in the second mode of operation at the given time in response to determining that the satellite is the relay satellite at the given time.