Worldwide satellite telephone system and a network coordinating gateway for allocating satellite and terrestrial gateway resources

• US 5,526,404 A
• Filed: 07/21/1994
• Issued: 06/11/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Globalstar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Space Systems/Loral Incorporated (Loral Space and Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wiedeman, Robert A., Monte, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cumming, William
• Application Number:
  US08/278,190
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 370/18, 375/1, 379/56, 379/57, 379/58, 379/59, 379/60, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/33.1, 455/54.1, 244/158 R
• US Class Current: 455/430
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18541 for handover of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18556 using a location database

Abstract

A wireless telephone system (10) capable of servicing a roaming wireless telephone user (30) includes a satellite (22) communications system consisting of at least one orbiting satellite (22); at least one terrestrial-based gateway (12, 14, 16, 18) having access to a database (20) of users, destination codes (telephone numbers); at least one network coordinating gateway (28) within at least one satellite service area (24); a single network control center (25); and a plurality of terrestrial communications links (e.g. 101). The system (10) operates by effecting communication between a terrestrial wireless telephone end user transceiver apparatus (e.g. 501) and a terrestrial communications link (e.g. 101) via a single relay through a single satellite (22) or a succession of single relay satellites (22) wherein the relay station may be in motion relative to the end user transceiver apparatus (501) and the terrestrial communications link (101). The ground-based gateway (28) effects the ultimate decision on linking in cooperation with the network database to effect hand-off from a first orbiting satellite (22) to a second orbiting satellite (22). The single satellite (22) or preferably a constellation of satellites (22) orbiting near the earth need only translate signals from the gateways (12, 14, 16, 18) to the users (30) and from the users (30) to the gateways (12, 14, 16, 18), without satellite-based control. The gateways (12, 14, 16, 18) are capable of decoding the calls, switching, processing call requests from the end users (30), processing call requests to the end users (30), processing call set-ups, handing off of calls to other satellites (22), and updating databases (20) of users (30) based on information provided by network control (25) and requests from end users (30).

Claims

1. A satellite telephone system for communicating with an existing terrestrial telephone system and with a plurality of orbiting satellites as part of a network comprising a plurality of terrestrial gateways, said satellite telephone system comprising:

a master computer coupled to the existing terrestrial telephone system via terrestrial means;

a home user database coupled to the master computer;

a database of roaming users coupled to the master computer;

a route planner coupled to the master computer;

a gateway controller coupled to the master computer;

a telephone interface unit coupled to the gateway controller;

an encoder coupled to the telephone interface unit;

a call termination processor coupled to the telephone interface unit and to the encoder;

an acknowledge generator coupled to the encoder;

a call request processor coupled to the acknowledge generator and to the telephone interface unit;

a retry generator coupled to the call request processor;

a decoder coupled to the telephone interface unit and to the retry generator;

a modem coupled to the encoder and to the decoder;

a handoff processor for controlling handoffs between satellites, said handoff processor being coupled to the modem;

an RF power monitor coupled to the handoff processor;

a satellite RF unit coupled to the RF power monitor and to the modem; and

a satellite antenna coupled to the satellite RF unit, said satellite antenna providing a communication link to said satellites.

2. A network coordinating gateway for allocating satellite and terrestrial gateway resources on behalf of users in a satellite telecommunications system operative in conjunction with an existing terrestrial telecommunications system, said network coordinating gateway comprising:

a satellite interface means;

coupled to the satellite interface means, a satellite antenna for communicating with satellites in said satellite telecommunications system; and

coordination means coupled to said satellite interface means;

wherein

said satellite interface means is coupled to said existing terrestrial telecommunications system via terrestrial means;

wherein the satellite interface means comprises;

a telephone interface unit coupled to said terrestrial telecommunications system;

a call termination processor coupled to said telephone interface unit;

an encoder coupled to said telephone interface unit and to said call termination processor;

an acknowledge generator coupled to said encoder;

a call request processor coupled to said acknowledge generator and to said telephone interface unit;

a retry generator coupled to said call request processor;

a decoder coupled to said retry generator and to said telephone interface unit;

a modem coupled to said decoder and to said encoder;

a handoff processor for controlling handoff of said satellite interface means from one satellite in the system to another satellite in the system, said handoff processor coupled to said modem;

an RF power monitor coupled to said handoff processor; and

a satellite RF unit coupled to said RF power monitor and to said modem;

wherein

said satellite antenna is coupled to said satellite RF unit; and

wherein

the coordination means comprises a satellite monitor coupled to said satellite RF unit;

a network computer coupled to said satellite monitor and to said telephone interface unit;

a satellite database coupled to the network computer; and

a network database coupled to the network computer.