Worldwide telecommunications system using satellites
First Claim
1. In a satellite telecommunications network operative in conjunction with an existing terrestrial telecommunications system, a method for operating said satellite telecommunications network to permit subscriber transceivers to roam, comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of satellites in low earth orbit;
providing a plurality of terrestrial communications gateways that are bidirectionally coupled to the terrestrial telecommunications system;
providing at least one terrestrial network coordinating gateway;
providing a plurality of satellite telecommunications system subscriber transceivers each comprising a satellite RF transceiver unit and a control unit coupled to the satellite RF transceiver unit, the control unit having access to a stored identification of the subscriber transceiver;
bidirectionally coupling, through first satellite links, at least one terrestrial communications gateway to at least one of the plurality of satellites;
bidirectionally coupling, through the first satellite links, the least one terrestrial network coordinating gateway to at least one of the satellites;
operating a subscriber transceiver to generate a service request, the service request including the stored identification of the subscriber transceiver and a message for indicating that the subscribertransceiver desires to operate as a roaming subscriber transceiver;
transmitting the service request from the subscriber transceiver to at least one satellite through second satellite links and, through the at least one satellite, to the at least one terrestrial network coordinating gateway;
wherein the method further comprises steps, executed by the terrestrial network coordinating gateway, ofreceiving the service request;
verifying that the subscriber transceiver that transmitted the service request can be authorized to roam in the satellite telecommunications network and, if the subscriber transceiver is authorized,sending an acknowledgement signal from the network coordinating gateway back to the subscriber transceiver through the at least one satellite; and
updating a network database for the roaming subscriber transceiver.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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).
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. In a satellite telecommunications network operative in conjunction with an existing terrestrial telecommunications system, a method for operating said satellite telecommunications network to permit subscriber transceivers to roam, comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of satellites in low earth orbit; providing a plurality of terrestrial communications gateways that are bidirectionally coupled to the terrestrial telecommunications system; providing at least one terrestrial network coordinating gateway; providing a plurality of satellite telecommunications system subscriber transceivers each comprising a satellite RF transceiver unit and a control unit coupled to the satellite RF transceiver unit, the control unit having access to a stored identification of the subscriber transceiver; bidirectionally coupling, through first satellite links, at least one terrestrial communications gateway to at least one of the plurality of satellites; bidirectionally coupling, through the first satellite links, the least one terrestrial network coordinating gateway to at least one of the satellites; operating a subscriber transceiver to generate a service request, the service request including the stored identification of the subscriber transceiver and a message for indicating that the subscriber transceiver desires to operate as a roaming subscriber transceiver; transmitting the service request from the subscriber transceiver to at least one satellite through second satellite links and, through the at least one satellite, to the at least one terrestrial network coordinating gateway; wherein the method further comprises steps, executed by the terrestrial network coordinating gateway, of receiving the service request; verifying that the subscriber transceiver that transmitted the service request can be authorized to roam in the satellite telecommunications network and, if the subscriber transceiver is authorized, sending an acknowledgement signal from the network coordinating gateway back to the subscriber transceiver through the at least one satellite; and updating a network database for the roaming subscriber transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A satellite telecommunications system operative in conjunction with an existing terrestrial telecommunications system, said satellite telecommunications system comprising:
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at least one satellite in earth orbit; at least one terrestrial communications gateway for coupling said at least one satellite to said terrestrial telecommunications system; a plurality of satellite telecommunications system subscriber transceivers each comprising means for conducting communications through said at least one satellite with subscribers of said terrestrial telecommunications system; and a terrestrial network coordinating gateway in communication with said at least one satellite, said network coordinating gateway comprising means for receiving, through said at least one satellite, access requests from individual ones of said plurality of subscriber transceivers; means for assigning satellite channels on behalf of said subscriber transceivers; means for selecting terrestrial communications gateways to create call set-up links on behalf of said subscriber transceivers; and means for logging-in roaming subscriber transceivers; said network coordinating gateway further comprising; a satellite interface means; coupled to the satellite interface means, a satellite antenna for communicating with said at least one satellite; and coordination means coupled to said satellite interface means;
whereinsaid satellite interface means is coupled to said existing terrestrial telecommunications system through a cellular system switch. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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Specification