US Patent 9585150 EPFD coverage for NGSO satellites

A method and apparatus for operating one or more satellites in a non-geosynchronous orbit (NGSO) satellite constellation are disclosed. In some aspects, a coverage area on Earth for a first beam transmitted from a first satellite in the NGSO satellite constellation may be determined, a cone may be projected onto a first region of the beam coverage area, a second region of the beam coverage area may be defined as including portions of the beam coverage area lying outside the first region, and a minimum arc angle for each of a plurality of points within the first region but not the second region of the beam coverage area may be determined.