Mobile communications network method and apparatuses

• US 20040192198A1
• Filed: 09/14/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: ITEC SRL
• Inventors: Montebruno, Lidia, Striuli, Alessandro, Vignoli, Marcello
• Granted Patent: US 7,379,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18578 Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations for selecting H04W; provisions for broadband connection, H04Q11/0478

Abstract

A telecommunications network for mobile users (UNET), said telecommunications network for mobile users comprising a user'"'"'s subsystem (STU) and a transport subsystem (STT) connected by means of an access subsystem (STA), which offers them respectively a user access communications interface (Uu) and a transport access communications interface (Iu), suitable to permit the exchange of the information flows (TS) among said subsystems, said access subsystem (STA) identifying a coverage area of the cellular telephone network. According to the invention, said access subsystem (AST) is associated with interconnection means (GSB, NGS) in order to receive second flows of information (BS) broadcast from one or more geostationary satellites (GS) and send them via the telecommunications network for mobile users (UNET), said means of interconnection (GSB, NGS) being located within the coverage area of said mobile telecommunications network (UNET).

Claims

1. A public cellular telecommunication network for mobile users comprising a user subsystem, a transport subsystem, an access subsystem, a user access communication interface operatively connected between said user subsystem and said access subsystem, a transport access communication interface operatively connected between said transport subsystem and said access subsystem, said user access communication interface and transport access communication interface allowing exchange of first information between said subsystems, said access subsystem having a correspondence with a coverage area of a public cellular telecommunications network, said transport subsystem implementing switching and routing function of the public cellular telecommunications network, and interconnection means for operatively connecting said access subsystem to at least one or mere geostationary satellites for receiving second information broadcasted by said geostationary satellite, said interconnection means being within the coverage area of the public cellular telecommunications network.

2. A public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users according to claim 1, wherein said interconnection means comprises means for reception of signals from said satellite.

3. A public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users according to claim 2 wherein said access subsystem comprises at least one network radio controller for controlling a base stations, and a station control interface operatively connected between said interconnection means and said base station, said interconnection means also being opertively connected to said radio network controller.

4. A public cellular telecommunications for mobile users according to claim 2 wherein said interconnection means is operatively connected to said network radio controller through said transport access interface.

5. A public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users according to claim 2, further comprising means for transmission to the geostationary satellite operatively connected to said means for reception.

6. A public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users according to claim 1, wherein the public cellular telecommunications network is a network according to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System standard and the access subsystem is of the UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network type.

7. A public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users according to claim 1, wherein the public cellular telecommunications network uses Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications and the UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network as the access subsystem.

8. A public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users according to claim 2, wherein the means for reception comprise low-cost domestic satellite radio receivers.

9. A public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users according to claim 1, wherein the access subsystem includes additional means for connections with terrestrial radio transmitters associated with said base stations and/or radio controllers.

10. A public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users according to claim 1 wherein said interconnection means includes at least one storage means for storing at least some of said secondary information.

11. A public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users according to claim 1 wherein said interconnection means comprises means for two-way terrestrial broadcast signals.

12. A public cellular telecommunications for mobile users according to claim 1 wherein said access subsystem is shared with a wireless Local Area Network in order to allow sending said second information over said wireless Local Area Network.

13. A public cellular telecommunications for mobile users according to claim 1 further comprising a Base Station operatively connected to said interconnection means for receiving said second information.

14. A public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users according to claim 1 further comprising at least one Radio Network Controllers operatively connected to said interconnection means for receiving said second information.

15. A method for sending information to user terminals of a public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users comprising:

implementing switching and routing function of the public cellular telecommunication network via a transport subsystem;

sending first information from the transport subsystems,

broadcasting second information by means of at least one geostationary satellites in a coverage area of said public telecommunications network for mobile users; and

receiving said second information broadcasted by said geostationary satellites by means of a base stations and/or a network radio controller of the access subsystems of the cellular public telecommunications network for mobile users, and

making said second information available to said user terminals.

16. A method for sending information to the user terminals of a public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users according to claim 15 further comprising using the access subsystem as an access system to said geostationary satellites for the user terminals of the public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users in order to allow bidirectional communications between said user terminals and said satellite.

17. A method for sending information to the user terminals of a public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users according to claim 15 further comprising integrating the base stations and/or network radio controllers of the access subsystems of said public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users with two-way satellite systems for single family homes or apartment buildings.

18. A method for sending information to the user terminals of a public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users according to claim 15 further comprising integrating said base stations and/or network radio controllers of the access subsystems of said public cellular telecommunications network for mobile users with already installed two-way satellite systems.