Adaptive handoff for multi-antenna mobile satellite systems with ancillary terrestrial component

In integrated mobile satellite systems (MSSs) with ancillary terrestrial component (ATC), seamless handoff techniques will be fundamental for allowing users to switch between the space segment and the terrestrial component. On the other hand, introducing multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology in next-generation MSS-ATC systems promises the well-known advantages related to the MIMO implementation. For performing handoff analysis, the single-input single-output (SISO) channel model equivalent to the MIMO model needs to be developed, which is challenging in MSS-ATC networks because of the high complexity of the satellite channel, and the vast difference in the nature of the MSS and the ATC links. This challenge is tackled in this paper, where an optimal user-driven handoff algorithm for MSS-ATC systems is presented, with both types of links implementing MIMO. Furthermore, for a better signal prediction, Kalman filtering is proposed, which significantly increases the performance. Notably, the application of multi-antenna technology in MSS-ATC systems reveals significant gains in terms of handoff performance.