Mobile satellite communications systems, gateways and methods supporting multiple air interface standards
First Claim
1. A gateway for a mobile satellite communications system that includes a satellite operative to communicate with mobile terminals, the gateway comprising:
- a first air interface circuit operative to communicate with the satellite according to a first air interface standard;
a second air interface circuit operative to communicate with the satellite according to a second air interface standard; and
a telecommunications switch operative to transfer information between the first and second air interface circuits and/or between respective ones of the first and second air interface circuits and an external communications system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile satellite communications system includes a ground station including a first air interface circuit operative to communicate with a satellite according to a first air interface standard and a second air interface circuit operative to communicate with the satellite according to a second air interface standard. The first and second air interface circuit may be included in a gateway that further comprises a telecommunications switch operative to transfer information between the first and second air interface circuits and/or between respective ones of the first and second air interface circuits and an external communications system. For example, the first and second air interface standard may comprise respective first and second time division multiple access (TDMA) air interface standards, such as TDMA standards having different carrier frequency bandwidths and/or slot structures. In other embodiments, the first and second air interface standards may comprise a TDMA air interface standard and a code division multiple access (CDMA) air interface standard, respectively. The first air interface standard may be a “native” standard used by the mobile satellite communications system, and the second air interface standard may be an air interface standard native to a second mobile satellite communications system, for example, a neighboring system having users that may intermittently travel into the coverage area of the first mobile satellite communications system. Related methods are also discussed.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A gateway for a mobile satellite communications system that includes a satellite operative to communicate with mobile terminals, the gateway comprising:
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a first air interface circuit operative to communicate with the satellite according to a first air interface standard;
a second air interface circuit operative to communicate with the satellite according to a second air interface standard; and
a telecommunications switch operative to transfer information between the first and second air interface circuits and/or between respective ones of the first and second air interface circuits and an external communications system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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13. A mobile satellite communications system, comprising a satellite operative to communicate with mobile terminals;
- and a ground station including;
a first air interface circuit operative to communicate with the satellite according to a first air interface standard;
a second air interface circuit operative to communicate with the satellite according to a second air interface standard. - View Dependent Claims (25)
- and a ground station including;
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26. A method of operating a mobile satellite communications system comprising a satellite operative to communicate with mobile terminals over mobile links and to communicate with a ground station over a feeder link, the method comprising:
communicating between the satellite and the ground station over the feeder link according to first and second air interface standards. - View Dependent Claims (28)
Specification