Patent Publication Number: US-2021165105-A1

Title: Real-time communication between satellites and mobile devices

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional application of a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/527,022, entitled “Real-time Communication Between Satellites and Mobile Devices,” filed on Jul. 31, 2019, which is a continuation-in-part application of a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/510,814, entitled “Real-time Communication Between Satellites and Mobile Devices,” filed on Jul. 12, 2019 and now issued as a U.S. Pat. No. 10,797,785. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a wireless communication, more particularly, to systems and methods for direct communications between satellites and mobile devices in real-time. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     With advent of satellite technologies, it is now feasible to acquire data using satellites in various technical applications. In the conventional communication systems, the satellites communicate such data with ground stations: the ground stations transmit data to the satellites so as to control/access the satellites and receive data, from the satellites, that was gathered by the satellites during their missions. Thus, if a user of a mobile device wants to access data received from the satellites or control the satellites, the user has to connect to the ground station that can communicate with the satellites. 
     Such conventional systems have several difficulties. First, when the mobile device is located outside the region, such as desert or remote/secluded area, where the ground station cannot be reached, either wirelessly or by wire, the user cannot communicate with the satellites. Since the ground station has the exclusive direct access to satellites, the communication is possible only through the ground station. Second, the data sent from the satellites is sent to the ground station that subsequently processes the data before sending the processed data to the mobile device. As such, there may be a time delay between transmitting data by the satellites to the receiving the data by the mobile device. Such a time delay may make it impossible for the satellites to communicate with the mobile device in real-time, where the real-time communication may be an important feature in certain emergency situations, such as tsunami warning, typhoon&#39;s path prediction, information on volcanic activities, so on. As such, there is a need for systems and methods for direct communication between satellites and mobile devices in real-time. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       References will be made to embodiments of the invention, examples of which may be illustrated in the accompanying figures. These figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Although the invention is generally described in the context of these embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to these particular embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  (“FIG.”) shows a schematic diagram of a system for direct communication between satellites and mobile devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for direct communication between a mobile device and a party on the ground via a satellite in real-time according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  shows a mobile phone according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for accessing/controlling a satellite in real-time using a mobile device on the ground according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  shows a mobile phone according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  shows a schematic diagram of a system for direct communication between satellites and mobile devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for direct communication between satellites and a ground station according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary protocol of data that is transmitted from a mobile device to a satellite according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 9  shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary protocol of data that is transmitted from a satellite to a mobile device according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 10  shows a mobile phone according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 11  shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for acquiring satellite images of a region using a mobile device on the ground according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 12  shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for acquiring satellite images of a region using a mobile device on the ground according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 13  shows a schematic diagram of a system for implementing one or more aspects of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following description, for purposes of explanation, specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the invention can be practiced without these details. Furthermore, one skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments of the present invention, described below, may be implemented in a variety of ways, such as a process, an apparatus, a system, a device, or a method on a tangible computer-readable medium. 
     Components shown in the drawings are illustrative of exemplary embodiments of the present invention and are meant to avoid obscuring the invention. Furthermore, connections between components within the figures are not intended to be limited to direct connections. Rather, data between these components may be modified, re-formatted, or otherwise changed by intermediary components or devices. Also, additional or fewer connections may be used. It shall also be noted that the terms “coupled” “connected” or “communicatively coupled” shall be understood to include direct connections, indirect connections through one or more intermediary devices, and wireless connections. 
     Furthermore, by applying relevant technology, one skilled in the art shall recognize: (1) that certain steps may optionally be performed; (2) that steps may not be limited to the specific order set forth herein; (3) that certain steps may be performed in different orders; and (4) certain steps may be done concurrently. 
     The present invention relates to a real-time communication between the satellites and mobile devices, more particularly, to systems and methods for direct communication between satellites in orbits and mobile devices in real-time. Hereinafter, the term mobile device(s) may refer to various types of electronic devices that allow the users to directly communicate with a satellite and exchange data with the satellite in real-time, and the electronic devices may include mobile phones, palm computers, Tablet PCs, notebook computers, desktop computers, AR (Augmented Reality) devices, VR (Virtual Reality) devices, smart wearables such as smart goggles, smart glasses and smart watches, remote controlling devices, etc. 
       FIG. 1  shows a schematic diagram of a system  100  for direct communication between one or more satellites  104   a - 104   n  and mobile devices  102   a - 102   k  according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As depicted, the satellites  104   a - 104   n  may fly in formation and be directly and communicatively coupled to the mobile devices  102   a - 102   k , establishing communication channels between the mobile devices  102   a - 102   k  and the satellites  104   a - 104   n.    
     In embodiments, each of the satellites  104  may include payloads, where each payload may be determined by the mission for outer space, the supporting subsystems and components that make up the bus. In embodiments, the missions may include direct communications with the mobile devices  102   a - 102   k , earth surface observation, weather tracking, maritime measurements and scientific research of celestial bodies, etc. 
     In embodiments, the missions may also include various scientific research on polar landscapes and icebergs, Earth surface and atmosphere, oceanic circulation, water/energy cycles, and monitoring the concentration of phytoplankton, suspended particulate matter and dissolved organic matter of a given area. In embodiments, payload camera (Optical, SAR(Synthetic Aperture Radar), IR (Infrared), etc.) may be used to analyze surface area landscapes and also directly identify and check in real-time a certain phenomenon taking place in a specific area. 
     In embodiments, the satellites  104  may include the LEO (Low Earth Orbiting) satellites that orbit relative to the Earth so that they look like they are moving when looked upon from the Earth. In embodiments, the satellites  104  may also include the geosynchronous satellites which orbit the Earth at the same rate as the Earth&#39;s rotation (i.e. orbital period equivalent to the Earth&#39;s rotation period) so that when looked upon from the Earth, seem like they are staying at the same spots. In embodiments, the satellites  104  may communicate and share data with each other, i.e., perform inter-satellite communication, to form a satellite network. 
     By way of example, the mobile device  102   a  (or  102   b ) may directly communicate date with the satellite  104   a  (or  104   b ) in real-time, where the data may include one or more of text message, voice message, image/picture in JPEG format, video clip in MPEG format, telemetry data (described in conjunction with  FIGS. 8 and 9 ), etc. As such, the satellites  104  may enable the two users of the mobile devices  102   a  and  102   b  to have phone conversation with each other in real-time. It is noted that, unlike the conventional communications system, any ground station or base station is not needed for the communication between the two mobile devices  102   a  and  102   b  in the system  100 . (Hereinafter, the term ground station refers to a station that has either fixed or itinerant position on the Earth.) Thus, in embodiments, a phone conversation between the two mobile devices may be possible even if the mobile device (e.g.  102   b ) may be located in a region, such as desert or remote/secluded area, such that the mobile device  102   b  cannot reach any ground station or any base station that provides wireless communication services to mobile devices. 
     In embodiments, each of the satellites  104  may be of various sizes, such as microsat, nanosat and cubesat. Also, the number and locations of satellites  104  may be determined to cover the entire surface area of the Earth, i.e., one mobile device (e.g.  102   a ) may be able to communicate with other mobile device (e.g.  102   k ) that is located anywhere on the Earth. By way of example, a signal transmitted from the mobile device  102   a  may be delivered to another mobile device  102   k  via the communication channel: mobile device  102   a -&gt;satellite  104   a -&gt;satellite  104   n -&gt;mobile device  102   k.    
     In embodiments, a mobile device (e.g.  102   c ) may include a mobile relay antenna, where the mobile device  102   c  may communicate with a satellite (e.g.  104   b ) and be communicatively coupled to another mobile devices (such as mobile phones)  102   d   1  and  102   d   2  either wirelessly or by wire. In  FIG. 1 , only two mobile devices  102   d   1  and  102   d   2  are shown to communicate with the satellite  104   b  via the mobile device  102   c . However, it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the mobile device  102   c  may be used to provide communication services to other suitable number of mobile devices. In embodiments, the mobile devices  102   d   1  and  102   d   2  may not be able to transmit the signals directly to the satellites  104  due to the limited output power level. As such, using the mobile relay antenna, the mobile device  102   c  may transmit a signal at a higher power to thereby transmit the signal further away than the mobile devices  102   d   1  and  102   d   2 . Similarly, the mobile relay antenna may have a larger footprint, which is an area for receiving the signal from the satellite, than the mobile devices  102   d   1  and  102   d   2  to thereby increase the intensity of the signal received from the satellites. 
     In embodiments, the user of a mobile device (e.g.  102   a ) may have direct access to the data stored in the satellite and/or may control one or more satellites to perform one or more outer space missions. In embodiments, the mobile device  102   a  may send data to a satellite (e.g.  104   a ) so as to control a satellite (e.g.  104   b ), where the data may include one or more of control parameters, such as (but not limited to) user ID and password, target satellite, satellite identifying information, angle range for coverage area determination, control objective, observation time window, etc. The satellite  104   a  may validate the user ID in the data from the mobile device  102   a  and, upon successful authentication of the user ID, the satellite  104   a  may grant access rights to the mobile device  102   a . In embodiments, once access is allocated to the mobile device  102   a  through the due approval process, the user of the mobile device  102   a  may start controlling the satellite  104   b  in real-time within the given angle and time frame allocated during the approval process. In embodiments, the angle refers to the view angle to cover the area of interest. 
     In embodiments, the authentication process described above may be performed by the satellite  104   b  instead of the satellite  104   a . The satellite  104   a  may relay the control data received from the mobile device  102   a  to the satellite  104   b  by the inter-satellite communication, and the satellite  104   b  may validate the user ID and send a signal for granting an access right to the mobile device  102   a  via the satellite  102   a . By way of example, the mobile device  102   a  may control the satellite  104   b  to acquire an image of tsunami on a specific location on the Earth at a specific point in time. 
     In embodiments, the satellites  104  may communicate data with other satellite constellation  144 , where the satellite constellation may include a number of satellites operating together under shared control and synchronized so as to overlap in coverage. In embodiments, the satellites  104  may access and/or control one or more the satellites in the satellite constellation  144 , i.e., each f the satellites  104  may act as a gateway to the satellite constellation  144 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for direct communication between a mobile device and a party on the ground via a satellite in real-time according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The process may start at step  202 . At step  202 , the user of the mobile device (e.g.  102   a ) may install a software application on the mobile device  102   a , where the application includes a graphic user interface (GUI) that allows a user to communicate data with a satellite (e.g.  104   a ).  FIG. 3  shows the mobile phone  102   a  according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As depicted, the mobile phone  102   a  may include: a speaker  360 ; a button  308 ; and a display  302  for displaying the GUI components  306   a - 306   e . The user of the mobile device  102   a  may push the button  308  to select various functions of the mobile device  102   a . It is noted that the mobile device  102   a  may have other suitable design and components, such as camera, microphone, etc. Also, the GUI  306  may have other suitable design and arrangements of GUI components. 
     In embodiments, the user may touch the “Phone Call” button in the menu  306   a  of the GUI. Then, the mobile device  102   a  may display a phone list  306   b  that are already stored in the mobile device, allowing the user select one phone number, such as “Mary Doe,” among the phone list. Alternatively, the user may want to send a text message, an image/picture, or a video clip. In such a case, the user may enter a text message into the data field  306   c  and/attach an image/picture in JPEG format or video clip in MPEG format using the button  306   d . Then, the user may touch the “SEND” button  306   e.    
     In response to the user&#39;s touch of the “SEND” button, at step  204 , the mobile device  102   a  may send, directly to the satellite  104   a , a request signal for establishing a communication channel to another party. It is noted that the another party may not be necessarily a mobile device, even though the mobile device  102   b  is treated as the other party for the purpose of illustration. In embodiments, as discussed in conjunction with  FIG. 8 , the request signal may include information of the global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the mobile device  102   a  and identification (ID) of the user of the mobile device. It is noted that each of the mobile devices  102  may be able to determine the GPS coordinates of its own location. At step  206 , the satellite  104   a  may validate the user ID using the signal from the mobile device  102   a.    
     Upon successful authentication of the user ID, the satellite  104   a  may assess the feasibility of establishing the communication channel between the mobile devices  102   a  and  102   b  at step  208 . In embodiments, the satellite  104   a  may use the information of other satellites&#39; locations to determine the feasibility. For instance, each of the satellites  104  may be able to determine the current location of other satellite, say  104   b . When the satellite  104   a  receives from the mobile device  102   a  a request to make a phone call to “Mary Doe” and the satellite  104   b  may be currently located to cover the area code “571,” the satellite  104   a  may forward the request signal to the satellite  104   b , querying whether a satellite  104   b  is able to establish the communication channel with the mobile phone  102   b.    
     At step  210 , the satellite may establish the communication channel that the user of the mobile device  102   a  may use for communication with the user of the mobile device  102   b  in real-time. Then, at step  212 , the user of the mobile device  102   a  may chat and/or exchange messages/images/video clips with the user of the mobile device  102   b  via the established communication channel in real-time. 
     It is noted that the same satellite (e.g.  104   a ) may communicate with both of the mobile devices (e.g.  102   a  and  102   b ) if the two mobile devices are within the range covered by the satellite  104   a . In such a case, the satellite  104   a  may be able to provide a communication channel between the two mobile devices  102   a  and  102   b.    
       FIG. 4  shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for accessing/controlling a satellite in real-time using a mobile device on the ground according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The process may start at step  402 . At step  402 , the user of the mobile device (e.g.  102   a ) may install a software application on the mobile device  102   a , where the application displays a graphic user interface (GUI) that allows a user to communicate data with a satellite (e.g.  104   a ).  FIG. 5  shows the mobile phone  102   a  according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As depicted, the mobile phone  102   a  may include: a speaker; a button  308 ; and a display  502  for displaying the GUI components  506   a - 506   e.    
     In embodiments, the user may touch the “Request Access” button in the menu  506   a . Then, in response to the user&#39;s touch of the “Request Access” button, the mobile device  102   a  may display the GUI components  506   b - 506   e  on the display  502 . Using the GUI components  506   b - 506   d , the user may select access parameters, such as the date and time window  506   b  during which he wants to access a satellite, the type of task  506   c  and target location  506   d . Then, the user may touch the “SEND” button  506   f.    
     In response to the user&#39;s touch of the button  506   f , the mobile device  102   a  may send, directly to the satellite  104   a , a signal for querying a list of accessible satellites that are accessible according to the access parameters at step  404 . In embodiments, the signal may include the access parameters and the information of the global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the mobile device  102   a  and identification (ID) of the user of the mobile device. At step  406 , the satellite  104   a  may validate the user ID using the signal from the mobile device  102   a.    
     Upon successful validation of the user ID, the satellite  104   a  may determine whether the access parameters are within permitted ranges and acceptable. It may be possible that some of the access parameters may be beyond the limit set by the satellite  104   a . For instance, certain areas, such as military base, that the government prohibits an access to for security reasons cannot be observed. 
     Upon determining that the access parameters are with the permitted ranges, the satellite  104   a  may generate a list of satellites that can be accessed by the mobile device  104   a  according to the access parameters at step  408 . In embodiments, the satellite  104   a  may use the information of other satellites in the satellite network  104  and in the satellite constellation  144  to generate the list. In embodiments, the information of other satellites at step  408  may include the information that is required to determine whether the satellites meet the access parameters. By way of example, the information may include flight information, such as current locations of the satellites, areas covered by the satellites, flight schedules and trajectories of the satellites, so on. In another example, the information may include specification of the satellites, such as the communication power, numbers and sizes of antennas, so on. 
     At step  410 , the satellite  104   a  may send a signal that includes the information of a list of accessible satellites to the mobile device  102   a.    
     At step  412 , the mobile device  102   a  may display the received list of accessible satellites on the GUI component  506   e , as shown in  FIG. 5 . In embodiments, the user may select a satellite (e.g. “DSW-2”) by touching one of the satellites in the list on the GUI component  506   e , as shown in  FIG. 5 . Upon selecting a satellite in the list  506   e , the user may touch the “SEND” button  506   f . Then, at step  414 , the mobile device  102   a  may send a signal for reserving an access to the satellite “DSW-2” that is selected among the list of satellites  506   e . In embodiments, the user may select more than one satellite among the list of satellites  506   e . In embodiments, the signal for reserving the access may include the access parameters that are selected using the GUI components  506   b - 506   d.    
     At step  416 , the satellite  104   a  may send an acknowledgement signal for granting the access to the mobile device  102   a  at step  416 . At step  418 , the satellite  104   a  may send the acknowledgement signal to the selected satellite. In embodiments, the acknowledgement signal may be sent to other satellites in the satellite network  104  and satellite constellation  144 . In embodiments, the satellite  104   a  may store the information of the grant to access in its memory. 
     At step  418 , the user of the mobile device  102   a  may touch the “Start Access” button in the menu  506   a  to access the selected satellite according to the access parameters  506   b - 506   d . For instance, the mobile device  102   a  may directly control the satellite  104   a  during the selected time window to capture images of Seoul. In another example, the mobile device  102   a  may directly receive data that is provided by the satellite  104   a , such as, still image, video clips, etc. and display the data on the display  502 . 
     In embodiments, the satellites  104  may communicate data with the mobile devices  102  based on the block chain technology so that the data is not modified. It is noted that other suitable types of security measures may be used by the satellites  104  to secure the data communicated with the mobile devices  102 . 
     In embodiments, the satellite  104   a  may assign a higher priority to the mobile device  102   a  than the mobile device  102   b  so that the mobile device  102   a  may access the satellite  104   a  before the mobile device  140   b , even though the mobile device  102   a  requested the access after the mobile device  102   b . For instance, the mobile device  102   a  may be used to broadcast the natural disaster or national emergency. In embodiments, the satellite  104   a  may adjust the existing grants to access the satellite  104   a  according to the priority and notify the adjustment to the corresponding mobile devices. 
       FIG. 6  shows a schematic diagram of a system  600  for direct communication between satellites and mobile devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The system  600  may be similar to the system  100 , with the difference that one or more ground stations  606  may communicate with the satellites  604  and satellite constellation  644 . It is noted that other suitable number of ground stations may be used in the system  600 , even though only one ground station is shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     In embodiments, the mobile devices  602   a - 602   m  may have the similar functions as the mobile devices  102   a - 102   k  to directly communicate with the satellites  604 , as described in conjunction with  FIGS. 1-5 . Similarly, the satellites  604  may have the similar functions as the satellites  104  such that each of the mobile devices  602   a - 602   m  may be able to chat and/or exchange messages/images/video clips with other mobile device in real-time and access the satellite during a reserved time window. Similarly, each of the satellite  604  may act as a gateway to the satellite constellation  644  for the mobile devices  602   a - 602   m.    
     In embodiments, the ground station  606  may have a server  608  that shares (and stores) the information with the satellites  604  and is able to perform various tasks on behalf of the satellites  604 .  FIG. 7  shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for direct communication between satellites  604  and the ground station  606  according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In embodiments, a mobile device (e.g.  602   a ) may directly communicate data with a satellite (e.g.  604   a ) in real-time. When the mobile device  602   a  sends the signal querying an access to a satellite(s) (as described in conjunction with step  404 ), the satellite may forward the query signal to the ground station  606  at step  702 . Then, the ground station  606  may validate the user ID, determine whether the access parameters are acceptable and in permitted ranges, generate the list of accessible satellites, and send the validation result and the list to the satellite  604   a  at steps  704  and  706 , i.e., the ground station  606  may perform the steps  406  and  408  on behalf of the satellite  604   a . Then, the satellite  604   a  may send the information of the list of accessible satellites to the mobile device  602   a  (as described in conjunction with step  410 ). 
     In another example, the satellite  604   a  may assign a higher priority to the mobile device  602   a  than the mobile device  602   b  so that the mobile device  602   a  may access the satellite  604   a  before the mobile device  602   b , even though the mobile device  602   a  requested the access after the mobile device  602   b . In embodiments, when the mobile device  602   a  sends a signal for reserving an access to a satellite selected among the list of accessible satellites (as described in conjunction with step  414 ), the satellite  604   a  may forward the received signal to the ground station  606 , and the ground station may adjust the existing grants to access the satellite  604   a  according to the priority. Then, the ground station  606  may send the information of the adjusted grants to the satellite  604   a  so that the satellite  604   a  may forward the information to the corresponding mobile devices. 
     In embodiments, the ground station  606  may be communicatively coupled to one or more servers (or computing devices)  610  either wirelessly, by wire or via the Internet  612 . In embodiments, one of the severs  610  may be a computing device of an advertisement company and send an advertisement information to the satellites  604  via the ground station  606 . Then, the satellites  604  may broadcast the advertisement to the mobile devices  602   a - 602   m . For instance, the advertisement may be a banner displayed on the display of the mobile devices. 
     In embodiments, the mobile device  602   a  may not be able to process all of the data received from the satellite  604   a  at once due to the limited memory size; instead, the data received from the satellite  604   a  may be saved in the sever  608  of the ground station  606  and the server  608  may break the data into multiple segments and send each segment separately to the mobile device  602   a  via the satellite  604   a  in real-time. In alternative embodiments, the satellite  604   a  may break the data into multiple segments and send each segment directly to the mobile device  602   a.    
     In embodiments, the mobile devices  102  and  602  may send data to the satellites  104  and  604  according to various data protocols.  FIG. 8  shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary protocol  800  of data that is transmitted from a mobile device to a satellite according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As depicted, the protocol  800  may include: header  802  including the information for parsing the following portion of the data; satellite ID  804  including an identification information of the receiving satellite; phone ID  806  including an identification information of the data sending mobile device  102   a ; user GPS  808  including a coordinate information of the mobile device  102   a ; reservation time  810  including the information of the access time in the GUI component  506   b ; reservation area  812  including the information of target area in the GUI component  506   d ; operation time  814  including the information of the operation time; data  816 ; phone status  818  including the status of the mobile device (e.g.  102   b ) that the user of the mobile device  102   a  wants to communicate with; CSUM  820  including information for checksum, such as cyclic redundancy check (CRC); and end portion  822  including end portion of the data. In embodiments, telemetry data may refer to the information in the data fields  804 ,  806 ,  808 ,  810  and  812 . 
     In embodiments, the protocol  800  may include the information, such as reservation (or access) time  810  and area  812 , that the user of the mobile device (e.g.  102   a ) enters into the GUI components  306   b - 306   d  and  506   b - 506   e  and the information, such as phone ID  806  and user GPS  808 , that the mobile device  104   a  adds when the data is sent to the satellite (e.g.  104   a ). It should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other types of protocol may be used to send the data  816  in place of the protocol  800 . It should be also apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that some of the data fields in the protocol  800  may not carry any information and that addition data fields may be added to the protocol  800 . For instance, the phones status  818  may not include any information since the mobile device  102   a  may not know about the status of the mobile phone  102   b  at the time when the mobile device  102   a  sends a request for communication with the mobile device  102   b  via the satellite  104   a.    
     In embodiments, the data  816  may include various contents, depending on the type of the communication between the mobile device  102   a  and satellite  104   a . In embodiments, the mobile device  102   a  may communicate data with another mobile device  102   b  vi the satellite  104   a , as discussed in conjunction with  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In such a case, the data  816  may include: header  830  including the information for parsing the following portion of the data; text message  832  including text message entered into the GUI component  306   c  by the user of the mobile device  102   a ; voice message  834  including voice message of the user of the mobile device  102   a ; image data  836  uploaded by the user of the mobile device  102   a  using the GUI component  306   d ; MPEG data  838  uploaded by the user of the mobile device  102   a ; CSUM (CRC)  840  including information for checksum; and end  842  including end portion of the data  816 . 
     In embodiments, the mobile device  102   a  may use the protocol  800  to send data to the satellite  104   a  at various steps in  FIG. 4 . In such a case, some of the information fields of the data  816  may not carry any information therein. 
     In embodiments, the mobile device  102   a  may want to broadcast an advertisement. In such a case, the data  816  may include an advertisement, such as banner, where the satellite  104   a  may download the advertisement contents to other mobile devices. 
     In embodiments, the satellites  104  and  604  may send data to the mobile devices  102  and  602  according to various data protocols.  FIG. 9  shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary protocol  900  of data that is transmitted from a satellite to a mobile device according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As depicted, the protocol  900  may include: header  902  including the information for parsing the following portion of the data; phone ID  904  including an identification information of the receiving mobile device  102   a ; satellite ID  906  including an identification information of the data sending satellite  104   a ; user GPS  908  including a coordinate information of the mobile device  102   a ; reservation time  910  including the information of the access time; reservation area  912  including the information of target area of interest; operation time  914  including the information of the operation time; data  916 ; satellite reservation status  918  information on whether the satellite  104   a  is accessible during the reservation time in the reservation area; CSUM  920  including information for checksum, such as cyclic redundancy check (CRC); and end portion  922  including end portion of the data. In embodiments, telemetry data may refer to the information in the data fields  904 ,  906 ,  908 ,  910  and  912 . 
     In embodiments, the data  916  may include various contents, depending on the type of the communication between the mobile device  102   a  and satellite  104   a . In embodiments, the mobile device  102   a  may communicate data with another mobile device  102   b  vi the satellite  104   a , as discussed in conjunction with  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In such a case, the data  916  sent to the mobile device  102   a  may include: header  930  including the information for parsing the following portion of the data; text message  932  including text message uploaded by the user of the mobile device  102   b ; voice message  934  including voice message of the user of the mobile device  102   b ; image data  936  uploaded by the user of the mobile device  102   b ; MPEG data  938  uploaded by the user of the mobile device  102   b ; CSUM (CRC)  940  including information for checksum; and end  942  including end portion of the data  916 . 
     In embodiments, the satellite  104   a  may use the protocol  900  to send data to the mobile device  102   a  at various steps in  FIG. 4 . In such a case, some of the information fields of the data  916  may not carry any information therein. 
       FIG. 10  shows the mobile phone (e.g.  102   a ) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As depicted, the mobile phone  102   a  may include: a speaker; a button; and a display  1002  for displaying the GUI components  1006   a - 1006   e . (Hereinafter, the term GUI may collectively refer to the GUI components  1006   a - 1006   e .) It is noted that the display  1002  may have other suitable design and arrangements of GUI components.  FIG. 11  shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for acquiring satellite images of a region using a mobile device  102   a  on the ground according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     In  FIG. 11 , the process may start at step  1102 . At step  1102 , the user of the mobile device (e.g.  102   a ) may install a software application on the mobile device  102   a , where the application displays the GUI in  FIG. 10  that allows a user to communicate data to a satellite (e.g.  104   a ). In embodiments, the user may want to get satellite images of a region in real-time, for instance. Hereinafter, for the purpose of illustration, it is assumed that the user wants to get the satellite images of a region on the ground, even though the user may want to get other types of information. In embodiments, the display  1002  may be a touch screen that allows the user to interact with the mobile device  102   a.    
     At step  1104 , an image of a map may be displayed on the GUI component  1006   b . In embodiments, the user may enter the address of a location in the text field  1006   a , where the map displayed in the GUI component  1006   b  may be centered around the address. In embodiments, the user may touch the screen to change the location of the region on the map. In embodiments, the user may use two fingers to control the zoom level of the image of the map so that the user can set the boundary of the region of his interest. 
     In embodiments, the user may want to watch the real-time satellite images of the region on the map displayed on the GUI component  1006   b . Upon selection of the region, the user may touch the GUI component  1006   e , i.e., “SEND” button. 
     At step  1106 , the mobile device  102   a  may send directly to the satellite  104   a  a request signal for acquiring information related to the region on the map, where the request signal includes information of GPS coordinates of the mobile device, GPS coordinates of the region on the map, and ID of the user of the mobile device. In embodiments, the GPS coordinates of the region on the map may include the GPS coordinates of the four corners of the region. In embodiments, the request may use the protocol  800  in  FIG. 8 . 
     In embodiments, the user may set the values of parameters for the information related to the region on the map, such as the date and time window  1006   c  during which satellite images of the region on the map are to be acquired by one or more satellites. In embodiments, the user may set the ground resolution of satellite image using the GUI component  1006   d . Hereinafter, the term “ground resolution” means the minimum distance on the ground between two closely located objects distinguishable as separate objects. 
     Then, the user may touch the “SEND” button  1006   e . In such a case, the request signal sent to the satellite  104   a  may also include information of the values of the parameters for the information and/or the ground resolution of satellite image. 
     At step  1108 , the satellite  104   a  may validate the user ID in the request signal. At step  1110 , responsive to a successful validation of the user ID, the satellite  104   a  may determine the feasibility of acquiring the requested information. In embodiments, when the user requested real-time satellite images of the region on the map, the satellite  104   a  may determine whether there is any satellite that can capture the images of the region. In embodiments, when the user set the time window using the GUI component  1006   c , the satellite  104   a  may determine whether there is any satellite(s) that can capture the images of the region during the time window. 
     At step  1112 , one or more of the satellites  104  may send the information related to the region on the map to the mobile device  102   a , where the information is obtained by one or more of the satellites  104 . For instance, the satellite  102   a  may receive satellite images from another satellite (e.g.  104   b ) that can capture the image of the region on the map and start forwarding satellite images to the mobile device  102  in real-time. As the time progresses, the satellite  104   b  may change its location on its orbit and cannot cover the region on the map any more. In such a case, another satellite (e.g.  104   c ) may take over to resume sending the satellite images to the satellite  104   a  so that the satellite  104   a  can forward satellite images to the mobile device  102   a . In another example, the satellite  104   a  may send satellite images to the mobile device  102   a . As the time progresses, the satellite  104   a  may change its location on its orbit and cannot directly communicate with the mobile device  102   a  anymore. In such a case, another satellite (e.g.  104   b ) may take over to resume sending the satellite images to the satellite  104   a . In yet another example, the satellite  102   a  may communicate with other satellite(s), receive satellite images of the region from the other satellite(s) during the time window defined in the GUI component  1006   c , and forward the received images to the mobile device  102   a . As discussed in these examples, one or more satellites may collect the information related to the region on the map, and one or more satellites may send the information to the mobile device  102   a . At step  1114 , the information received from the satellite(s) may be displayed on the display  1002 . 
     In embodiments, the mobile device may use the protocol  800  to send data to the satellite and the satellite may use the protocol  900  to send data to the mobile device at various steps in  FIG. 11 . 
     In embodiments, the mobile device  102   a  may communicate with the satellite  104   a  via a ground station (e.g.  606 ) so that the mobile device  102   a  may get the real-time satellite images of a region on the map  1006   e  or satellite images acquired during the time interval specified in the GUI component  1006   c . Stated differently, the mobile device  102   a  may operate in the system  600  to communicate with satellites  604  via the ground station  606 .  FIG. 12  shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for acquiring satellite images of a region using a mobile device  102   a  via the ground station  604  according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     In  FIG. 12 , the process may start at step  1202 . At step  1202 , the user of the mobile device (e.g.  102   a ) may install a software application on the mobile device  102   a , where the application displays the GUI in  FIG. 10  that allows a user to communicate data to a satellite (e.g.  604   a ). In embodiments, the user may want to get satellite images of a region in real-time, for instance. Hereinafter, for the purpose of illustration, it is assumed that the user wants to get the satellite images of a region on the ground, even though the user may want to get other types of information. In embodiments, the display  1002  may be a touch screen that allows the user to interact with the mobile device  102   a.    
     At step  1204 , an image of a map may be displayed on the GUI component  1006   b . In embodiments, the user may enter the address of a location in the text field  1006   a , where the map displayed in the GUI component  1006   b  may be centered around the address. In embodiments, the user may touch the screen to change the location of the region on the map. In embodiments, the user may use two fingers to control the zoom level of the image of the map so that the user can set the boundary of the region of his interest. 
     In embodiments, the user may want to watch the real-time satellite images of the region on the map displayed on the GUI component  1006   b , i.e., the information related to the region on the map may be real-time satellite images. Upon selection of the region, the user may touch the GUI component  1006   e , i.e., “SEND” button. 
     At step  1206 , the mobile device  102   a  may send to the ground station  606  a request signal for acquiring information related to the region on the map, where the request signal includes information of GPS coordinates of the mobile device, GPS coordinates of the region on the map, and ID of the user of the mobile device. In embodiments, the GPS coordinates of the region on the map may include the GPS coordinates of the four corners of the region. In embodiments, the request may use the protocol  800  in  FIG. 8 . 
     In embodiments, the user may set the values of parameters for the information related to the region on the map, such as the date and time window  1006   c  during which satellite images of the region on the map are to be acquired by one or more satellites. In embodiments, the user may set the ground resolution of satellite image using the GUI component  1006   d.    
     Then, the user may touch the “SEND” button  1006   e . In such a case, the request signal sent to the ground station  606  may also include information of the values of the time window specified in the GUI component  1006   c  and/or the ground resolution of satellite image specified in the GUI component  1006   d.    
     At step  1208 , the ground station  606  may validate the user ID in the request signal. At step  1210 , responsive to a successful validation of the user ID, the satellite  104   a  may determine the feasibility of acquiring the requested information. In embodiments, when the user requested real-time satellite images of the region on the map, the ground station  606  may determine whether there is any satellite that can capture the images of the region. In embodiments, when the user sets the time window using the GUI component  1006   c , the ground station  606  may determine whether there is any satellite(s) that can capture the images of the region during the time window. In embodiments, when the user sets the ground resolution, the ground station  606  may determine whether there is any satellite(s) that can capture the images of the region at the specified ground resolution. 
     At step  1212 , the ground station  606  may receive the information related to the region on the map from one or more of the satellites  604 . At step  1214 , the ground station  606  may send the received information to the mobile device  102   a . At step  1216 , the information received from the ground station  606  may be displayed on the display  1002 . 
     In embodiments, the mobile device may use the protocol  800  to send data to the satellite and the satellite may use the protocol  900  to send data to the mobile device at various steps in  FIG. 12 . 
       FIG. 13  shows a schematic diagram of a system  1300  for implementing one or more aspects of the present disclosure. It will be understood that the functionalities shown for system  1300  may operate to support various embodiments of the electronic devices (such as mobile devices, servers and satellites) shown in  FIGS. 1-12 —although it shall be understood that an electronic device may be differently configured and include different components. As illustrated in  FIG. 13 , system  1300  includes a central processing unit (CPU)  1301  that provides computing resources and controls the computer. CPU  1301  may be implemented with a microprocessor or the like, and may also include a graphics processor and/or a floating point coprocessor for mathematical computations. System  1300  may also include a system memory  1302 , which may be in the form of random-access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). 
     A number of controllers and peripheral devices may also be provided, as shown in  FIG. 13 . An input controller  1303  represents an interface to various input device(s)  1304 , such as a keyboard, mouse, or stylus. There may also be a scanner controller  1305 , which communicates with a scanner  1306 . System  1300  may also include a storage controller  1307  for interfacing with one or more storage devices  1308  each of which includes a storage medium such as magnetic tape or disk, or an optical medium that might be used to record programs of instructions for operating systems, utilities and applications which may include embodiments of programs that implement various aspects of the present invention. Storage device(s)  1308  may also be used to store processed data or data to be processed in accordance with the invention. System  1300  may also include a display controller  1309  for providing an interface to a display device  1311 , which may be a cathode ray tube (CRT), a thin film transistor (TFT) display, or other type of display. System  1300  may also include a printer controller  1312  for communicating with a printer  1313 . A communications controller  1314  may interface with one or more communication devices  1315 , which enables system  1300  to connect to remote devices through any of a variety of networks including the Internet, an Ethernet cloud, an FCoE/DCB cloud, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a storage area network (SAN) or through any suitable electromagnetic carrier signals including infrared signals. 
     In the illustrated system, all major system components may connect to a bus  1316 , which may represent more than one physical bus. However, various system components may or may not be in physical proximity to one another. For example, input data and/or output data may be remotely transmitted from one physical location to another. In addition, programs that implement various aspects of this invention may be accessed from a remote location (e.g., a server) over a network. Such data and/or programs may be conveyed through any of a variety of machine-readable medium including, but are not limited to: magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROMs and holographic devices; magneto-optical media; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store or to store and execute program code, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), flash memory devices, and ROM and RAM devices. 
     Embodiments of the present invention may be encoded upon one or more non-transitory computer-readable media with instructions for one or more processors or processing units to cause steps to be performed. It shall be noted that the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media shall include volatile and non-volatile memory. It shall be noted that alternative implementations are possible, including a hardware implementation or a software/hardware implementation. Hardware-implemented functions may be realized using ASIC(s), programmable arrays, digital signal processing circuitry, or the like. Accordingly, the “means” terms in any claims are intended to cover both software and hardware implementations. Similarly, the term “computer-readable medium or media” as used herein includes software and/or hardware having a program of instructions embodied thereon, or a combination thereof. With these implementation alternatives in mind, it is to be understood that the figures and accompanying description provide the functional information one skilled in the art would require to write program code (i.e., software) and/or to fabricate circuits (i.e., hardware) to perform the processing required. 
     It shall be noted that embodiments of the present invention may further relate to computer products with a non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium that have computer code thereon for performing various computer-implemented operations. The media and computer code may be those specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the present invention, or they may be of the kind known or available to those having skill in the relevant arts. Examples of tangible computer-readable media include, but are not limited to: magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROMs and holographic devices; magneto-optical media; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store or to store and execute program code, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), flash memory devices, and ROM and RAM devices. Examples of computer code include machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and files containing higher level code that are executed by a computer using an interpreter. Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in whole or in part as machine-executable instructions that may be in program modules that are executed by a processing device. Examples of program modules include libraries, programs, routines, objects, components, and data structures. In distributed computing environments, program modules may be physically located in settings that are local, remote, or both. 
     One skilled in the art will recognize no computing system or programming language is critical to the practice of the present invention. One skilled in the art will also recognize that a number of the elements described above may be physically and/or functionally separated into sub-modules or combined together.