Integrated telecommunications system providing fixed and mobile satellite-based services
First Claim
1. An integrated telecommunications system comprising:
- at least one satellite in geosynchronous orbit over a geographical region;
a plurality of user terminals distributed at fixed locations in the geographical region, two-way user links being provided to the user terminals by the at least one satellite;
a satellite cellular telephone network that includes a satellite cellular telephone having a number that is also associated with a user terminal;
a plurality of gateway stations distributed in the geographical region, two-way access links being provided to the gateway stations by the at least one satellite, at least one of the gateway stations includingat least one antenna;
a mobile switching center (MSC) coupled to a terrestrial network;
a gateway station controller (GSC) coupled to the MSC and to the at least one antenna, the GSC providing control signals which drive the at least one antenna to route a call to the number through the at least one satellite to either the user terminal or the satellite cellular telephone; and
a network control center (NCC) that controls the at least one satellite, bandwidth and power of the at least one satellite being allocated by the NCC to provide the user links and the access links.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated telecommunications system provides fixed and mobile satellite-based services via one or more geosynchronous satellites. Two-way user links are provided by the satellites to user terminals located throughout a geographical region. Additionally, the satellites provide two-way access links to gateway stations within the region, and also to a satellite network control center. The network control center controls bandwidth and power of the satellites to establish the user links and the access links. A mobile cellular telephone network provides mobile cellular telephone service to a subscriber that also has a user terminal. A gateway station includes a gateway station controller coupled to a mobile switching center, which, in turn, is coupled to a terrestrial network. The gateway station controller provides control signals route calls to either the user terminal or the mobile cellular telephone of the subscriber based on a single dialed number.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An integrated telecommunications system comprising:
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at least one satellite in geosynchronous orbit over a geographical region; a plurality of user terminals distributed at fixed locations in the geographical region, two-way user links being provided to the user terminals by the at least one satellite; a satellite cellular telephone network that includes a satellite cellular telephone having a number that is also associated with a user terminal; a plurality of gateway stations distributed in the geographical region, two-way access links being provided to the gateway stations by the at least one satellite, at least one of the gateway stations including at least one antenna; a mobile switching center (MSC) coupled to a terrestrial network; a gateway station controller (GSC) coupled to the MSC and to the at least one antenna, the GSC providing control signals which drive the at least one antenna to route a call to the number through the at least one satellite to either the user terminal or the satellite cellular telephone; and a network control center (NCC) that controls the at least one satellite, bandwidth and power of the at least one satellite being allocated by the NCC to provide the user links and the access links. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A satellite-based telecommunications system comprising:
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first and second satellites in geosynchronous orbit over a geographical region; a plurality of user terminals distributed at fixed locations in the geographical region, two-way user links being provided to the user terminals by the first satellite at an Extended C-Band frequency band; a mobile telephone having a number that also identifies a user terminal; a gateway station located in the geographical region, two-way access links being provided to the gateway stations by the first and second satellites, the gateway stations including first and second antennas; a mobile switching center (MSC) coupled to a terrestrial network; a gateway station controller (GSC) coupled to the MSC and to the antennas, the GSC providing control signals which drive the antenna to route a call to the number either to the user terminal via the first satellite or to the mobile telephone via the second satellite; and a network control center (NCC) that controls the first and second satellites. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification