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Satellite communication system that is coupled to a terrestrial communication network and method

  • US 5,594,780 A
  • Filed: 06/02/1995
  • Issued: 01/14/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method for performing wireless communications in a satellite communications system that is bidirectionally coupled to a terrestrial communications network, comprising the steps of:

  • providing a plurality of earth orbiting satellites;

    initiating a request for service with a wireless transceiver of a group of wireless transceivers associated with users of the satellite communications system, individual ones of the group of wireless transceivers being bidirectionally coupled, when active, through first RF links to at least one satellite of the plurality of earth orbiting satellites for transmitting communications signals to, and for receiving communications signals from, the at least one satellite;

    transmitting the request for service from the wireless transceiver over one of the first RF links to the at least one satellite;

    repeating the request for service by receiving the request for service with the at least one satellite from the one of the first RF links, frequency shifting the received request for service, and transmitting the frequency shifted request for service to one of second RF links, without regard for any informational content of the request for service;

    receiving the repeated request for service with at least one network coordinating gateway, the at least one network coordinating gateway being bidirectionally coupled to the at least one satellite through the second RF links;

    providing a plurality of terrestrial gateways that are bidirectionally coupled through the second RF links to the at least one satellite for transmitting communications signals to, and for receiving communications signals from, the at least one satellite, each of the plurality of terrestrial gateways also being bidirectionally coupled to a terrestrial communications network;

    determining, with the network coordinating gateway, a location of the wireless transceiver that is requesting service;

    selecting, with the network coordinating gateway, one of the plurality of terrestrial gateways to couple the wireless transceiver requesting service to the terrestrial communications network, the terrestrial gateway being selected in accordance with at least the determined location of the wireless transceiver that is requesting service;

    establishing a wireless communication link between the wireless transceiver requesting service and the terrestrial communications network through the selected one of the terrestrial gateways; and

    in response to the selected one of the terrestrial gateways establishing the wireless communication link between the wireless transceiver requesting service and the terrestrial communications network, the established wireless communication link having a first uplink communications signal component from the wireless transceiver to the at least one satellite, a first downlink communications signal component from the at least one satellite to the selected terrestrial gateway, a second uplink communications signal component from the terrestrial gateway to the at least one satellite, and a second downlink communications signal component from the at least one satellite to the wireless transceiver,repeating the first uplink communications signals with the at least one satellite by receiving the first uplink communications signals, frequency shifting the received first uplink communications signals, and transmitting the frequency shifted first uplink communications signals as the first downlink communications signals, without regard for any informational content of the first uplink communications signals; and

    repeating the second uplink communications signals with the at least one satellite by receiving the second uplink communications signals, frequency shifting the received second uplink communications signals, and transmitting the frequency shifted second uplink communications signals as the second downlink communications signals, without regard for any informational content of the second uplink communications signals;

    whereinthe step of repeating the request for service, the step of repeating the first uplink communications signals, and the step of repeating the second uplink communications signals all repeat code division multiple access signals; and

    whereinthe step of establishing the wireless communication link includes a step of transmitting at least one code to the wireless transceiver requesting service, the at least one code being used for at least one of (a) modulating a communication signal that is transmitted from the wireless transceiver using the first uplink communications signal component, and (b) demodulating a communication signal that is transmitted to the wireless transceiver using the second downlink communications signal component.

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