Meteor burst communication system
First Claim
1. A system for communicating between a master station and a plurality of remote stations, comprising:
- a master station processing unit selectively generating a digital probe signal, a master station transmitter generating an RF probing signal corresponding to said digital probe signal, and a master station receiver adapted to detect RF signals; and
a remote station receiver for each of said remote station, said remote station receiver detecting said RF probing signal when a meteor trail is present at the proper location and providing an enabling signal in response thereto indicative of the existence of a communication path between said master station and the respective remote station, a data generating device for each remote station providing respective digital data signals indicative of information generated at such remote station, processing means for each remote station determining in response to said RF probing signal whether, based upon factors specific to each remote station, said remote station should respond independently of any information contained in said RF probing signal that prompts a response from an identified remote station and for generating a trigger signal in response to a determination to respond, a transmitter for each remote station generating an RF reply signal for such remote station in response to said trigger signal, and a modulator connected to said data generating device and said transmitter for encoding said RF reply singals with said digital data signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A meteor burst communication system utilizing a master station and a large number of remote stations. A master station transmits a probing radio signal which, when reflected from a suitably positioned meteor trail, is received by a remote station. The remote station verifies that the received signal is being transmitted by a master station and then decides whether to respond to the probing signal, depending upon an a number of internal factors, including whether it has data available to send and when it last transmitted data to the master station. The master station can also address specific remote stations or transmit messages to all remote stations simultaneously.
42 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system for communicating between a master station and a plurality of remote stations, comprising:
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a master station processing unit selectively generating a digital probe signal, a master station transmitter generating an RF probing signal corresponding to said digital probe signal, and a master station receiver adapted to detect RF signals; and a remote station receiver for each of said remote station, said remote station receiver detecting said RF probing signal when a meteor trail is present at the proper location and providing an enabling signal in response thereto indicative of the existence of a communication path between said master station and the respective remote station, a data generating device for each remote station providing respective digital data signals indicative of information generated at such remote station, processing means for each remote station determining in response to said RF probing signal whether, based upon factors specific to each remote station, said remote station should respond independently of any information contained in said RF probing signal that prompts a response from an identified remote station and for generating a trigger signal in response to a determination to respond, a transmitter for each remote station generating an RF reply signal for such remote station in response to said trigger signal, and a modulator connected to said data generating device and said transmitter for encoding said RF reply singals with said digital data signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A meteor burst communication system comprising:
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at least one master station, including a radio transmitter for transmitting digital probing radio signals for reflection from meteor vapor trails, and a receiver for receiving digital reply radio signals; and a plurality of remote stations positioned at locations remote from said master station, each of said remote stations including a data generating device generating digital reply data signals indicative of information originating at said remote station, a radio receiver receiving said digital probing radio signals from said master station after said digital probing radio signals have been reflected from a meteor trail, a processing means for deciding whether, based upon factors specific to each remote station, to respond to said digital probing radio signals detected by said receiver independently of any information contained in said digital probing radio signals that prompts a response from an identified remote station and a radio transmitter for transmitting said digital reply radio signals for reflection from the meteor vapor trail reflecting said digital probing radio signals to said master station responsive to a decision by said processing means to respond, said radio transmitter containing a modulator that is connected to said data generating device for modulating the output of an oscillator within said radio transmitter with said digital replay data signal to generate said digital reply radio signal so that the information originating at said remote station can be communicated to said master station.
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13. A remote station for use in a meteor burst communication system, said remote station comprising:
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an RF receiver generating an enabling signal in response to receipt of an RF signal; a data generating device providing digital data signals indicative of information; processing means for said remote station for determining in response to said enabling signal whether, based upon factors specific to said remote station, said remote station should respond independently of any of the information contained in the received RF signal and for generating a trigger signal in response to a determination to respond; and a transmitter generating an RF signal, said transmitter containing a means for encoding said digital data signals into said RF signal in response to said trigger signal, and said RF signal encoded with said digital data signals. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of communicating between a master station and a plurality of remote stations, comprising:
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transmitting an RF digital probe signal from said master station for reflection from a suitably positioned meteor trail; receiving said RF digital probe signal at each remote station if a meteor trail is present at a location that provides a signal path between said master and remote stations; deciding at each remote station whether to respond to said RF digital probe signal actually received at such remote station by examining factors relating to such remote stations or to the remote station identifying information of such remote station so that said remote stations decide whether to respond independently of each other and any remote station identifying information contained in said RF digital probe signals; and responding to a decision to reply to said RF digital probe signal by transmitting an RF reply signal to said master station by reflection from the same meteor trail that reflected said RF digital probe signal from said master station to said remote station. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification