Portable satellite communication terminal system

• US 6,163,677 A
• Filed: 04/02/1999
• Issued: 12/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Natsukawa, Shinji, Morimoto, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US09/285,465
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.2, 455/517, 455/524, 455/422, 455/427, 455/428, 455/429, 455/430, 455/11.1
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18521 Systems of inter linked satellites, i.e. inter satellite service for optical links between satellites H04B10/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18536 Shadowing compensation therefor, e.g. by using an additional terrestrial relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18571 for satellites; for fixed or mobile stations

Abstract

A satellite communication terminal system can execute voice communication even if it is placed at a location which is obstructed from a communication satellite by any object and has no telephone line. Further, a satellite communication terminal system for general purpose use and being extendible by using a satellite communication terminal comprises a portable satellite communication terminal for performing the voice communication with any other station through a communication satellite, a connection device and a radio telephone device including a base unit and hand units. The connection device comprises a terminal interface unit interfaced with the satellite communication terminal for controlling the transmission and reception of the satellite communication terminal and a channel control unit connected to the terminal interface unit for performing the channel connection to the radio telephone device. When the hand unit is placed at a location wherein the satellite communication terminal is not obstructed from the communication satellite, the voice communication with the other station can be accomplished through the satellite communication terminal at a location remote from the satellite communication terminal.

Claims

1. A satellite communication terminal system comprising:

a portable satellite communication terminal for executing communications with other communication stations through a communication satellite;

a radio telephone device including a base unit, and a hand-held unit for performing wireless communications with the base unit; and

a connection device connected to the portable satellite communication terminal by wire for connecting said radio telephone device through a communication channel to any other communication station via the portable satellite communication terminal,

wherein both said radio telephone device, including said base unit and said hand-held unit, and said connection device are portable devices independent of said satellite communication terminal,

whereby a user of said satellite communication terminal system is enabled to carry out communications with said other communication stations even when said user is at a location that is obstructed from said communication satellite and has no communication line.

2. A satellite communication terminal system as defined in claim 1 wherein said connection device comprises:

a terminal interface unit interfaced with the satellite communication terminal for controlling transmission and reception of the satellite communication terminal; and

a channel control unit connected to the terminal interface unit for executing the channel connection to the radio telephone device.

3. A satellite communication terminal system as defined in claim 1 wherein said satellite communication terminal is used only as communication means and wherein said connection device has a reception processing function.

4. A satellite communication terminal system as defined in claim 1 wherein said satellite communication terminal is of a type suitable for use in ISDN.

5. A satellite communication terminal system as defined in claim 1 wherein said connection device is incorporated in said radio telephone device.

6. A satellite communication terminal system as defined in claim 1 wherein said connection device comprises:

a terminal interface unit interfaced with the satellite communication terminal for controlling transmission and reception of the satellite communication terminal;

a selection number extracting unit for extracting a selection number from signals received through the terminal interface unit; and

a channel control unit for executing a channel connection with the radio telephone device corresponding to the selection number from the selection number extracting unit.

7. A satellite communication terminal system as defined in claim 1 wherein said connection device comprises:

a terminal interface unit interfaced with a plurality of satellite communication terminals for controlling transmission and reception of each of the satellite communication terminals;

a selection number extracting unit for extracting a selection number from signals received through the terminal interface unit; and

a channel control unit for performing a channel connection with the radio telephone device corresponding to the selection number from the selection number extracting unit, wherein the satellite communication terminal system can be connected to a plurality of lines at the same time.

8. A satellite communication terminal system as defined in claim 7 wherein said satellite communication terminal system comprises a plurality of said terminal interface units respectively corresponding to the individual satellite communication terminals.

9. A satellite communication terminal system as defined in claim 7 wherein a single terminal interface unit controls all the satellite communication terminals.

10. A satellite communication terminal system as defined in claim 8 wherein said connection device comprises;

a terminal interface unit interfaced with the non-telephone adaptor for controlling transmission and reception of the satellite communication terminal;

a selection number extracting unit for extracting a selection number from signals received through the terminal interface unit; and

a channel control unit for performing a channel connection to a satellite communication terminal corresponding to the selection number from the selection number extracting unit.

11. A satellite communication terminal system as defined in claim 1, wherein said portable satellite communication terminal further includes a non-telephone adaptor for carrying out communications with a non-telephone device such as a facsimile machine or the like through said communication satellite, and said connection device includes the capability of connecting said non-telephone device to said portable satellite communication terminal.

12. The satellite communication terminal system according to claim 1, wherein:

said connection device is connected by wire to the satellite communication terminal and the base unit of said radio telephone device, and

said radio telephone device and said connection device are transportable together with said satellite communication terminal while being connected by wire.