Cell tower functionality with satellite access to allow a cell device to roam on a satellite network or call forward on a satellite network

• US 10,045,326 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2016
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalstar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Globalstar Incorporated
• Inventors: Blanchard, Eric, Crowley, Joseph, Monte, Paul A., Amran, Prihamdhani
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US15/257,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20160381657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 455427, 455436, 4554321, 455433
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1851 Systems using a satellite or space-based relay H04B7/18508, H04B7/18521 take precedence; providing specific services H04B7/18523 - H04B7/18576
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

The system and method to allow a cellular enabled device that lacks two-way satellite communication to receive incoming calls over a satellite network where the mobile terminating call is initially addressed to the cellular mobile phone number. In one embodiment, the system and method allows the cellular device to appear as a device roaming on a satellite network or sub-network. In another embodiment, the system places a call forward request to a satellite enabled device, where the call forward request is transparent to the user.

Claims

1. A method of roaming in a system comprising a mobile cellular enabled device that has an associated home base comprising a home location registry, said mobile cellular enabled device further comprising a short range non-cellular radio transceiver;

a satellite communications emulator that comprises an antenna, a transceiver for two way communications over a satellite communications network, said satellite communications emulator further comprising a short range non-cellular radio transceiver for communication with a mobile cellular enabled device, said satellite communications emulator associated with a home gateway comprising a gateway registry;

a Backoffice comprising a processor and database, said Backoffice capable of communication with said satellite communications network and a public switched telephone network or a packet network;

the method comprising the steps of;

the Backoffice processor receiving a communication from said mobile cellular enabled device through the satellite communications emulator, a satellite and a serving satellite gateway, requesting communication service through said satellite communications emulator;

said Backoffice associating said satellite communications emulator with said mobile cellular enabled device in said Backoffice database;

said Backoffice sending notification to said mobile cellular enabled device'"'"'s home location registry of the status of said mobile cellular enabled device as a roaming device on said Backoffice, said Backoffice further sending a temporary mobile station routing number or a temporary internet protocol (IP) address associated with said satellite communications emulator, to said mobile cellular enabled device'"'"'s associated home base for routing of incoming calls to said mobile cellular enabled device through said satellite communications emulator.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of said Backoffice receiving identification of said servicing satellite gateway of said satellite communications emulator from said satellite communications emulator home registry.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of establishing an incoming call to said mobile cellular enabled device, where said incoming call is routed by said mobile cellular enabled device'"'"'s associated home base using said temporary mobile station routing number or said temporary IP address received from said Backoffice.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said steps of establishing an incoming call comprises the steps of said Backoffice receiving a first request for routing a communications to said mobile cellular enabled device from said home base of said mobile cellular enabled device;

and

said Backoffice sending said temporary mobile station routing number or said temporary IP address to said associated home base of said mobile cellular enabled device when said mobile cellular enabled device registers with the Backoffice, or at the time of an incoming call to said mobile cellular enabled device.

5. A method of forwarding calls to a cellular enabled device in a system comprising said cellular enabled device having an associated home base comprising a home location registry, said cellular enabled device further comprising a short range non-cellular radio transceiver;

a satellite communications emulator that comprises an antenna, a transceiver for two way communications over a satellite communications network comprising satellites and satellite gateways, said satellite communications emulator further comprising a short range non-cellular radio transceiver for communication with said cellular enabled device;

a Backoffice comprising a processor and associated databases, said Backoffice in communications with said satellite communications network and a public switched telephone network or a packet network;

the method comprising the steps of;

the Backoffice processor receiving a communication from said cellular enabled device to communicate through said satellite communications emulator, said communication through said satellite communications emulator, one of said satellites and one of said satellite gateways, said one of said satellite gateways servicing said one of said satellites comprising a serving satellite gateway;

said Backoffice determining a routing number for communications with said satellite communications emulator over said satellite communications network;

said Backoffice sending an unconditional call forward request to said associated home base of said cellular enabled device, said unconditional call forwarding request including said routing number.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said routing number is a temporary mobile station routing number or a temporary internet protocol (IP) address associated with said satellite communications emulator.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said routing number is a Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) or an internet address of said satellite communications emulator.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said MSISDN or internet address is provided by said satellite communications emulator to said Backoffice.

9. A method of establishing a cellular device terminating call over a satellite network in a system comprising a cellular enabled device that has an associated home base comprising a home location registry, said cellular enabled device further having an associated telephone number, said cellular enabled device further comprising a short range non-cellular radio transceiver;

a satellite communications emulator that comprises an antenna, a transceiver for two way communications to a satellite in a satellite communications network comprising satellites and satellite gateways, said satellite communications emulator further comprising a short range non-cellular radio transceiver for communication with said cellular enabled device, said satellite communications emulator associated with a home satellite gateway comprising a gateway registry;

a Backoffice comprising a processor and database, said Backoffice in communication with said satellite communications network and a public switched telephone network or a packet network;

the method comprising the steps of;

receiving a request at the Backoffice for a cellular device terminating call to said cellular enabled device, said request including either the cellular enabled device'"'"'s Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) or an internet protocol (IP) address of said cellular enabled device, but said request lacking said satellite communications emulator'"'"'s address or identification information;

identifying said satellite communications emulator associated with said cellular enabled device and identifying a temporary routing address associated with said satellite communications emulator for communications over a satellite gateway serving said satellite communications emulator;

transmitting said temporary routing address to said associated home base of said cellular enabled device for call routing;

routing said cellular device terminating call through said servicing satellite gateway to said satellite to said satellite communications emulator, using said temporary routing number;

said satellite communications emulator further routing said cellular device terminating call to said cellular enabled device over said non-cellular short range transceiver in said satellite communications emulator.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said Backoffice assists in performing the step of identifying a temporary routing address for said satellite communications emulator.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said associated home base of said cellular enabled device performs a step of retrieving said temporary routing number to said satellite communications emulator.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said temporary routing number is sent to the home location registry for routing of said cellular device terminating call.

13. A system comprising mobile cellular enabled device that has an associated home base comprising a home location registry, said mobile cellular enabled device further comprising a short range non-cellular radio transceiver;

a satellite communications emulator that comprises an antenna, a transceiver for two way communications over a satellite communications network comprising satellites and satellite gateways, said emulator further comprising a short range non-cellular radio transceiver for communication with a mobile cellular device, said satellite communications emulator associated with a home gateway comprising a gateway registry;

a Backoffice comprising a processor and database, said Backoffice capable of communication with said satellite communications network and a public switched telephone network or a packet network;

said Backoffice processor configured to;

(1) associate said satellite communications emulator with said mobile cellular enabled device in said Backoffice database and (2) to send notification to said mobile cellular enabled device'"'"'s home location registry of the status of said mobile cellular enabled device as a roaming device on said Backoffice when said Backoffice processor receives a communication from said mobile cellular enabled device requesting communication service through said satellite communications emulator, and (3) to send to said mobile cellular enabled device'"'"'s home location registry a mobile station routing number or an internet protocol (IP) address associated with the satellite communications emulator.