Communication network with incoming calls directed through moving cells and method for operating same
First Claim
1. In a moving-cell cellular communication system wherein communications take place through antenna beams which form moving cells that move across earth and subscriber units occasionally receive incoming calls through a portion of said communications, a method of operating said system to determine where to direct said incoming calls, said method comprising the steps of:
- defining a pattern of static areas so that one of said subscriber units resides in one of said static areas;
identifying the one of said static areas where said one subscriber unit resides;
receiving a request to direct an incoming call to said one subscriber unit;
determining, in response to said receiving step, which one of said antenna beams forms a first one of said moving cells, said first moving cell coinciding with said one of said static areas; and
transmitting a message through the one of said antenna beams that forms said first moving cell.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A network includes a system and a population of subscriber units. System satellites move in low earth orbits and form moving cells on the surface of the earth. A pattern of static areas that covers the service area of the system is defined in a map. The system discovers the static areas for the subscriber units. When an incoming call needs to be directed to a subscriber unit, the subscriber unit'"'"'s static area is converted into identities of beams that form the cells that coincide with the static area. A ring signal is transmitted in only these cells. Subscriber units monitor area identification signals that identify the static areas coincident with the cells where the signals are transmitted. When the static area known by the system is not among the identified static areas, a subscriber unit engages in re-registration communications.
15 Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a moving-cell cellular communication system wherein communications take place through antenna beams which form moving cells that move across earth and subscriber units occasionally receive incoming calls through a portion of said communications, a method of operating said system to determine where to direct said incoming calls, said method comprising the steps of:
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defining a pattern of static areas so that one of said subscriber units resides in one of said static areas; identifying the one of said static areas where said one subscriber unit resides; receiving a request to direct an incoming call to said one subscriber unit; determining, in response to said receiving step, which one of said antenna beams forms a first one of said moving cells, said first moving cell coinciding with said one of said static areas; and transmitting a message through the one of said antenna beams that forms said first moving cell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. In a moving-cell cellular communication system wherein subscriber units occasionally engage in re-registration communications to inform the system of the locations of the subscriber units, a method of operating one of said subscriber units to determine when to permit a re-registration communication, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining static area data that identify, a first of a plurality of static areas, said subscriber unit residing in said first area; monitoring an area identification signal broadcast by said system, said area identification signal conveying data identifying one or more of said static areas that coincide with a moving cell to which said area identification signal is directed; and permitting said re-registration communication when said one static area is not identified as being one of said areas that reside within said moving cell to which said area identification signal is directed. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A moving-cell cellular communication system in which calls are managed for a wide service area and in which incoming calls intended for subscriber units are directed to only a portion of said service area, said communication system comprising:
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one or more system nodes which project a plurality of antenna beams that form moving cells; means for defining a pattern of static areas which collectively form said wide service area; means for identifying the one of said static areas where one of said subscriber units resides; and a controller, in data communication with said defining means, said identifying means, and at least one of said system nodes, said controller being configured to respond when a request to direct an incoming call to said one subscriber unit occurs, to determine which antenna beam forms a first one of said moving cells, said first moving cell coinciding with said one of said static areas, and to instruct the one of said system nodes that corresponds to said first moving cell to transmit a ring signal in said first moving cell, said ring signal conveying data identifying said one subscriber unit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification