Satellite mobile communication system for rural service areas

• US 5,081,703 A
• Filed: 06/27/1990
• Issued: 01/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PacTel Corp. (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Lee, William C. Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Application Number:
  US07/544,607
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12, 455/13, 455/14, 455/15, 455/20, 455/23, 455/44, 455/45, 455/33, 455/51, 455/54, 455/7, 455/11, 455/10, 455/16, 455/17, 455/24, 455/56, 455/208, 379/59, 379/60, 379/343, 375/110, 375/111, 370/404.1
• US Class Current: 455/13.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18558 Arrangements for managing communications, i.e. for setting up, maintaining or releasing a call between stations

Abstract

A mobile communications system uses a communications satellite and a Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) and communicates with mobile units via the satellite. A cell site has a co-located cell site converter which converts satellite signals to signals for the MTSO and vice-versa. Remote converter sites communicate with the satellite and with the mobile units in given geographical areas. A single satellite link is sufficient for adequate RSA service. Frequency and phase differences among signals from the remote sites to the satellite are synchronized to avoid frequency- and phase-drift.

Claims

1. A mobile communications system, utilizing at least one communications satellite and at least one mobile telephone switching office (MTSO), for communicating with a plurality of mobile units via said satellite, the system comprising:

at least one cell site having a cell site converter thereat for converting signals from said satellite to signals too said MTSO and vice-versa, said cell site converter having an antenna for communicating with said satellite and a MTSO communication means for communicating with said mobile telephone switching office; and

at least one remote converter site each having at least one remote converter thereat for converting signals from said satellite to signals for said mobile units and vice-versa, each of said remote converters including an antenna for communicating with said satellite, a transmitter and a receiver for communicating with said mobile units, and means for synchronizing the frequency and phase of the signals from said remote converter to said satellite.

2. The mobile communications system of claim 1 wherein said cell site converter and said remote converters communicate with said satellite over a single satellite communications link.

3. The mobile communications system of claim 1 wherein said cell site is co-located with said mobile telephone switching office.

4. The mobile communications system of claim 1 wherein said cell site converter further comprises pilot signal generating means for generating a pilot signal, and said plurality of remote converters each further comprise pilot signal recovery mans for recovering said pilot signal for frequency- and phase-synchronizing the communications from said remote converters to said satellite.

5. A mobile communications system,utilizing at least one communication satellite and at least one mobile telephone switching office (MTSO), for communicating with a plurality of mobile units in at least one rural service area via said satellite, said mobile communications system further utilizing at least one first wireline central office connecting landline telephones to said MTSO, and at least one second wireline central office connecting landline telephones to a remote site in one of said rural service area, the mobile communications system comprising:

a MTSO converter disposed at said MTSO for converting signals from said satellite to signals for said MTSO and vice-versa via a MTSO converter antenna;

a first data bank means disposed at said MTSO and coupled between said first central office and said MTSO for converting communications from said first wireline central office for use inn said MTSO and vice-versa;

a remote CO converter disposed at said remote site for converting signals from said satellite to signals for said second wireline central office and vice-versa via a remote CO converter antenna, said remote CO converter further includes means for synchronizing the frequency and phase of said signals from said remote CO converter to said satellite; and

a second data bank disposed at said remote site and coupled between said remote CO converter and said second wireline central office for converting communications from said remote CO converter to said second wireline office and vice-versa.

6. A mobile communications system, utilizing at least one communications satellite and at least one mobile telephone switching office, for communicating with a plurality of mobile units via said satellite, the system comprising:

at least one cell site having a cell site converter thereat for converting signals from said satellite to signals for said MTSO and vice-versa, said cell site converter having an antenna for communicating with said satellite and a MTSO communication means for communicating with said mobile telephone switching office;

at least one remote converter site each having at least one remote converter thereat for converting signals from said satellite to signals for said mobile units, each of said remote converters including an antenna for communicating with said satellite, and a transmitter and a receiver for communicating with said mobile units;

said cell site converter and said remote converters further communicating with said satellite over a single satellite communications link;

said cell site further being co-located with said mobile telephone switching office; and

said cell site converter further comprising pilot signal generating means for generating a pilot signal, and said plurality of remote converters each further comprising pilot signal recovery means for recovering said pilot signal for frequency- and phase-synchronizing the communications from said remote converters to said satellite.