Invented by Ives; Derrick L., Dreiling; Ryan P., Lucht; Thomas P., Wang; Helen, Lundahl; Michele, Shah; Mehul, Siddique; Zaheer Mohammed

Staying connected everywhere is important, but not every network is the same. New technology lets your phone or tablet switch from ground-based networks to satellites when you leave the city or travel far away. But using a satellite network is not as simple as using your phone at home. This article explains why, how streaming apps can adapt, and what new ideas this patent brings to the world of mobile devices and networks.

Background and Market Context

Today, almost everyone uses a mobile device. We depend on them for music, videos, messages, and much more. Most devices connect to networks built on towers, called terrestrial networks, like 4G and 5G. These work well in cities and towns. But what happens when you travel to the countryside, hike up a mountain, or go far from any tower? This is where satellite networks, or non-terrestrial networks, step in.

Satellites fly high above the earth and can cover large areas. They reach places where there are no towers or cables. This is great for people in remote areas, on ships, or in airplanes. It’s also helpful for emergencies like hurricanes or earthquakes, when regular networks go down. With new generations of wireless technology, like 6G, your phone could switch between ground networks and satellites without you even noticing.

But there’s a catch. Satellite networks are not the same as the ones you use every day. They have limited resources. Think of them as a narrow, bumpy road compared to a wide, smooth highway. Too many cars (or in this case, data) can cause traffic jams. If everyone streams high-quality video or sends big files, the network slows down for everyone. Satellite connections are also more expensive and use more energy.

Phone companies and app makers know this. They don’t want your device to overload the satellite network. That’s why there is a growing need for smarter mobile devices and applications. Devices must recognize when they are on a satellite network and adjust how they work—using less data, pausing big downloads, or sending only important messages. This helps everyone get better service and saves energy.

The market for this technology is huge. As more people travel, explore, or work in remote areas, the demand for satellite coverage will only grow. Governments, businesses, and regular users all want reliable connections everywhere. But they also want their devices to work smoothly, without slowdowns or high costs. This is why new solutions, like the one in this patent, are so important right now.

Scientific Rationale and Prior Art

To understand why this invention matters, let’s look at how mobile devices and networks work today. When you use your phone, it connects to the closest network tower. Your apps—like YouTube, Netflix, and WhatsApp—are designed to work their best, using as much network speed as they can get. They don’t really care if the network is busy or slow. They just try to send and receive as much data as possible to give you a good experience.

This works fine on fast, strong networks, but not on satellite networks. Satellite links have less bandwidth (less room for data), higher latency (longer wait times), and can drop data more often. Imagine trying to watch a video on a slow, spotty connection—it will pause and buffer a lot.

In the past, there have been some solutions. For example, some devices let you manually turn on “data saver” modes, or you can set apps to lower video quality. Some network providers also block certain services on satellite networks, like big downloads or video calls, to avoid crowding the network. But most of these solutions rely on the user to make choices, or they block features completely, which can be frustrating.

There are also some approaches where apps check the type of network (like Wi-Fi or 4G) and adjust their behavior. For example, Netflix may lower video quality on a slow connection. But these systems don’t always recognize satellite networks clearly, or adjust quickly as you move between different networks.

What makes the invention in this patent different is that it brings together several ideas:

• It lets the device automatically recognize when it’s on a satellite (non-terrestrial) network using special codes and network info.



• It checks the network’s current state—how much bandwidth is left, how much delay there is, and how much data is being lost.
• It tells apps to adjust themselves automatically—like lowering the video quality, stopping big downloads, or even turning off some features.
• It can do this not just for video apps, but for messaging apps and others, blocking things like emojis or videos in messages to save data.
• It can monitor the network in real-time and keep adjusting as things change.

Most importantly, all of this happens in the background, without needing the user to do anything. The device becomes “smart” about how it uses the network, making sure you still get service, but not overloading the satellite connection.

Earlier patents and systems did not offer this level of flexibility or automation. They mostly focused on blocking or limiting certain services, but didn’t allow for fine-tuned, real-time adjustments based on network quality or type. This new approach combines network awareness, app control, and real-time adjustment, filling a big gap in current technology.

Invention Description and Key Innovations

Now let’s dive into what this invention actually does. Imagine you are using your phone to watch a video while traveling. As you leave the city, your phone’s connection to regular cell towers gets weaker. Eventually, it switches to a satellite network. Here’s what happens next, thanks to this invention:

Your phone listens for special signals from the network. These signals include a code that tells your phone what kind of network it’s connected to—a regular ground network, or a satellite network. It also gets extra details, like how much data can be sent, how long it takes for data to travel, and how reliable the connection is.

Once your phone realizes it’s on a satellite network, it tells your apps to change how they work. For example, your streaming app might be set to play high-definition video when you’re on a ground network. But on satellite, it switches to a lower video quality. If the network gets even slower, the app might drop down to audio-only, or pause the video until the connection improves.

It’s not just video. If you’re using a messaging app, the phone can stop you from sending big files, voice notes, or even emojis, which use more data. Only basic text messages will go through. This helps keep the network open for more people and stops unnecessary traffic.

The phone keeps checking the network’s status. If things get better—maybe the satellite gets less busy or you move back into a faster area—the apps can automatically upgrade, letting you stream better quality or send bigger messages.

If your phone switches from one satellite to another (for example, moving from a low-Earth orbit satellite to a geostationary satellite), it checks the new network’s quality and changes app behavior again. Everything is automatic.

The invention also works with something called an Access Point Name, or APN. This is like a gate that controls what services and data your phone can use on a network. When you’re on a satellite network, your phone can switch to a special APN that only allows certain data to go through—again, saving resources. This APN can be picked based on the network’s real-time conditions.

Another big idea is that the device’s app store can show you different versions of apps depending on your network. If you’re on a satellite, it might only let you download “lite” versions of apps that use less data. When you switch back to a ground network, the regular versions appear again. This makes it easier for users to get the right apps for their situation.

All of these changes help save energy. By using less data and blocking unnecessary features, your phone and the satellite both use less power. This is good for the environment, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and data centers.

The patent also allows for user preferences. Maybe you want to pick which apps get disabled on satellites, or which features you really need to keep. The system can let you make those choices, or just handle everything automatically.

To make all this possible, the invention uses a mix of hardware and software. There are special instructions stored on your phone’s memory. The processor runs these instructions to check the network, read the codes, decide what to do, and send commands to your apps. The system can be updated by your phone company or app makers, so it stays smart as networks change or new satellites are launched.

In summary, here are the key innovations:

• Automatic Network Sensing: The device can tell, on its own, when it’s connected to a satellite network and how good or bad that network currently is.
• Real-Time App Control: Apps can change their settings or turn off certain features automatically, based on the network status.
• Fine-Grained Adjustments: Not only blocking or allowing entire apps, but controlling specific features (like video quality, messaging types, or even emojis).
• User and Provider Control: Both the user and the network provider can set preferences for how apps behave on satellite networks.
• Smart App Distribution: The app store can show you different app versions based on your current network, making sure you get the best experience without overloading the satellite.
• Energy and Resource Saving: By using less data and processing, the device and network use less power, helping the planet.

This invention is a big step forward in making mobile devices work smarter, not harder, especially as we move towards a world where you can be connected anywhere, any time.

Conclusion

As our need for always-on, everywhere connectivity grows, so does the challenge of managing limited resources on satellite networks. This patent shows how mobile devices and apps can become more intelligent—adapting in real-time to changing networks, saving data, and giving users a smoother experience without manual effort. By understanding the network, controlling apps smartly, and even managing which app versions are available, this invention sets the stage for a new era in mobile communications. It’s a win for users, a win for network providers, and a win for the environment.

Click here https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/ and search 20250220541.