Land mobile satellite-communication system

• US 20020022452A1
• Filed: 04/17/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Toya, Ken-Ichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,095,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/13.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1853 Satellite systems for providing telephony service to a mobile station, i.e. mobile satellite service for selecting H04W

Abstract

A land mobile-satellite communication system comprises: at least one communication satellite station; a plurality of portable communication terminals for communicating with each other through a communication link to be formed to include the at least one communication satellite station; and a plurality of mobile repeater stations mounted on mobiles located on the earth for repeating the communication in the communication link formed between the portable communication terminals and including the at least one communication satellite station. Preferably, the system includes a plurality of communication satellite stations, each mounted on a respective one of a plurality of low earth communication satellites, and each including a mechanism for communicating each other through inter-satellite links.

Claims

1. A land mobile-satellite communication system comprising:

at least one communication satellite station;

a plurality of portable communication terminals for communicating with each other through a communication link to be formed to include said at least one communication satellite station; and

a plurality of mobile repeater stations mounted on mobiles located on the earth for repeating a communication in said communication link formed between said portable communication terminals and including said at least one communication satellite station.

2. The land mobile-satellite communication system as claimed in claim 1 including,

a plurality of said communication satellite stations respectively mounted on a plurality of low earth communication satellites and each said station including a means for communicating with other said stations through inter-satellite links.

3. The land mobile-satellite communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said mobile repeater stations include a means for communicating with said communication satellite stations by using a carrier wave of higher frequency than a frequency of a carrier wave to be used for communicating with said portable communication terminals.

4. The land mobile-satellite communication system as claimed in claims 2, wherein;

said portable communication terminals include a means for transmitting a position signal repeatedly, said position signal including an identification code of the portable communication terminals and a test pattern;

said mobile repeater stations include a means for transmitting a repeated position signal to said communication satellite stations by adding a self identification code to said position signal received from said portable communication terminals; and

said communication satellite stations include a means for selecting one of said mobile repeater stations which transmits said repeated position signal including the test pattern having a highest quality to be a mobile repeater station for the portable communication terminals.

5. The land mobile-satellite communication system as claimed in claims 3, wherein;

said portable communication terminals include a means for transmitting a position signal approximately periodically, said position signal including an identification code of the portable communication terminals and a test pattern;

said mobile repeater stations including a means for transmitting a repeated position signal to said communication satellite stations by adding a self identification code to said position signal received from said portable communication terminals; and

said communication satellite stations include a means for selecting one of said mobile repeater stations which transmits said repeated position signal including the test pattern having a highest quality to be a mobile repeater station for the portable communication terminals.

6. The land mobile-satellite communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said portable communication terminals include a means for communicating with said mobile repeater stations as well as with conventional land mobile communication systems.

7. The land mobile-satellite communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said mobile repeater stations include a means for converting at least one of frequency and modulation for communication by changing software to allow communication with conventional land mobile communication systems.

8. The land mobile-satellite communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said communication satellite stations include a means for transmitting information about their own position; and

said mobile repeater stations include means for aiming an antenna beam thereof at the communication satellites according to received information about the position of the communication satellites and a detected position of the mobile repeater stations.

9. The land mobile-satellite communication system as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said communication satellite stations include a means for transmitting information about their own position; and

said mobile repeater stations include means for aiming an antenna beam thereof at the communication satellites according to received information about the position of the communication satellites and a detected position of the mobile repeater stations.

10. The land mobile-satellite communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said communication satellite stations include a means for functioning as a Peering points or Proxies to provide accessibility to conventional land mobile telephone systems or Internet.

11. The land mobile-satellite communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said communication satellite stations include a means for storing data received from said portable communication terminals and for functioning as servers.

12. The land mobile-satellite communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said mobile repeater stations include a means for responding to a request from said communication satellite stations and/or portable communication terminals and for functioning as providers.

13. The land mobile-satellite communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said mobile repeater stations include a means for communicating with said at least one communication satellite station by using a carrier wave of higher frequency than a frequency of a carrier wave to be used for communicating with said portable communication terminals.