User paging for mobile satellite communications
First Claim
1. A method of initiating communication between a ground station and a mobile handset through a satellite beam, comprising the steps of:
- (a) transmitting a forward signal indicative of a fixed geographic area as at least one of a plurality of coverage satellite beams passes over said fixed geographic area on at least a periodic basis;
(b) registering the location of said mobile handset by storing, at said mobile handset, at least one variable geographic value,indicative of at least a portion of said fixed geographic area, based on said forward control signal received by said mobile handset, transmitting a reverse signal from said mobile handset to said ground station which is indicative of a portion of said fixed geographic area where said mobile handset was located during registration, and storing at least one variable geographic value associated with said reverse signal in a database accessible to said ground station;
(c) determining at said mobile handset whether a currently transmitted forward signal matches said variable geographic value stored, and if a match is not found, then repeating said step of registering to re-register the current location of said mobile handset; and
(d) determining which of said satellites beams should initiate a call signal from said ground station to said mobile handset based upon said variable geographic value stored in said database for said mobile handset.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of initiating communication between a ground station and a mobile handset through a satellite beam includes the steps of transmitting a forward signal indicative of a fixed geographic area covered by each of a plurality of satellites on at least a periodic basis. The location of said mobile handset is registered by storing at least one variable geographic value associated with said forward control signal at said mobile handset. A reverse signal is transmitted from said mobile handset to said ground station which is indicative of a geographic area where said mobile handset was located during registration. At least one variable geographic value associated with said reverse signal is stored in a database accessible to said ground station. The mobile handset determines whether a currently transmitted forward signal matches said variable geographic value stored. If a match is not found, the current location of said mobile handset is re-registered. The ground station determines which of said satellite beams should initiate a call signal to said mobile handset based upon said variable geographic value stored in said database for said mobile handset.
53 Citations
42 Claims
-
1. A method of initiating communication between a ground station and a mobile handset through a satellite beam, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) transmitting a forward signal indicative of a fixed geographic area as at least one of a plurality of coverage satellite beams passes over said fixed geographic area on at least a periodic basis; (b) registering the location of said mobile handset by storing, at said mobile handset, at least one variable geographic value,indicative of at least a portion of said fixed geographic area, based on said forward control signal received by said mobile handset, transmitting a reverse signal from said mobile handset to said ground station which is indicative of a portion of said fixed geographic area where said mobile handset was located during registration, and storing at least one variable geographic value associated with said reverse signal in a database accessible to said ground station; (c) determining at said mobile handset whether a currently transmitted forward signal matches said variable geographic value stored, and if a match is not found, then repeating said step of registering to re-register the current location of said mobile handset; and (d) determining which of said satellites beams should initiate a call signal from said ground station to said mobile handset based upon said variable geographic value stored in said database for said mobile handset. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
17. A method of initiating communication between a ground station and a mobile handset through at least one sub-geosynchronous satellite, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) defining a plurality of grid sections which are fixed with respect to the earth; (b) transmitting a plurality of individual focused beams, each with at least one forward channel, at said fixed grid sections, said individual focused beams passing over, and moving relative to, said grid sections; (c) transmitting grid section identification data related to grid sections completely or partially covered by an individual focused beam using a corresponding one of said forward channels; (d) sampling a forward channel of a selected one of said individual focused beams using said mobile handset to obtain grid section identification data; and (e) registering the location of said mobile handset by storing said grid section identification data, and transmitting, using said mobile handset, at least one of said grid section identification data and beam identification data on a reverse channel of said selected individual focused beam. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A system for initiating communication between a ground station and a mobile handset through a satellite comprising:
-
a mobile handset; a ground station; and at least one satellite generating a plurality of individual focused beams for relaying data between said mobile handset and ground station, said mobile handset including; transmitting and receiving means for transmitting and receiving data from said ground station via said at least one satellite, sampling means, connection to said mobile handset transmitting and receiving means, for obtaining grid division identification data related to grid divisions from a forward control channel of a selected individual focused beam of a satellite, said grid divisions remaining fixed with respect to the earth as said selected individual focused beam passes over said grid division, comparing means, connected to said sampling means, for comparing said grid division identification data with stored grid division identification data to identify a match, and storing means, connected to said sampling means and said comparing means, for replacing said stored grid division identification data with said grid division identification data from said strongest individual focused beam if said match does not occur. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
Specification