System for direct communications with a space craft

• US 6,400,945 B1
• Filed: 05/03/1999
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Satcom Direct, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Satcom Direct, Inc.
• Inventors: Jensen, James W., Gardner-Springer, Colin, Linnihan, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/303,844
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/427, 455/430, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/431
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

An automated communication system for communicatively connecting a caller by means of a telephone to an space craft includes a port for accepting a telephonic call related to a specific space craft from the caller and having a machine readable call management program, the call management program automatically effecting a telephonic communication to at least one selected ground earth station responsive thereto. The ground earth station effects communication with at least one known satellite in an earth orbit responsive to the received communication from the port. And, the satellite retransmits the ground earth station communications to the space craft for reception by a dedicated receiver in the space craft, thereby establishing a telephonic communications link from the caller to the specific space craft. A method and a program for effecting global communications between a ground station, a plurality of global satellite systems and a space craft are included.

Claims

1. An automated communication system for communicatively connecting a caller by means of a telephone to a space craft, comprising:

a port for accepting a telephonic call related to a specific space craft from the caller and having a machine readable call management program, the call management program being responsive to a single telephone number consisting essentially of ten digits, three digits assigned to an area code, seven digits assigned to a spacecraft specific identifier and automatically effecting a telephonic communication to at least one selected ground earth station responsive thereto;

the ground earth station effecting communication with at least one known satellite in an earth orbit responsive to the received communication from the port; and

the satellite retransmitting the ground earth station communications to the specific space craft for reception by a dedicated receiver in the space craft, thereby establishing a telephonic communications link from the caller to the specific space craft.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the port management program sequentially initiates communications with up to three satellites in a global search for a response from the specific space craft.

3. The communication system of claim 2 wherein the port management program sequentially initiates communications with up to three satellites in a global search for a response from the specific space craft, the three satellites serving global regions designated AOR-W, POR, and IOR.

4. The communication system of claim 2 wherein the port management program sequentially initiates communications with up to three satellites in a global search for a response from the specific space craft, commencing with a satellite serving a last global region in which the specific space craft was known to be located.

5. The communication system of claim 2 including an operators data base, the data base including a table having a preference for a first of at least two ground stations, each of the at least two ground stations being associated with a selected satellite for communication with the satellite.

6. The communication system of claim 5 wherein the table of the operators data base includes a table having at least two ground stations being associated with each of at least three satellites.

7. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the port management program provides voice prompts to the caller telephone requesting transmission of a digit related to a specific phone site in the specific space craft for connection to the caller.

8. A computer-implemented program for managing direct communications between a port, a ground station and a space craft via a satellite system comprising:

a set of operators data bases implemented in the ground station, the space craft and the satellite system;

means for initiating a management program in the port wherein the call management program is initiated by a single telephone number consisting essentially of ten digits,three digits assigned to an area code, seven digits assigned to a spacecraft specific identifier; and

means for performing a communication process based on the operators data base under the control of the management program, the communication process being with a specific spacecraft responsive to the spacecraft specific identifier related to the specific spacecraft.

9. The computer-implemented program of claim 8 wherein the port management program sequentially initiates communications with up to three satellites in a global search for a response from the specific space craft.

10. The computer-implemented program of claim 9 wherein the port management program sequentially initiates communications with up to three satellites in a global search for a response from the specific space craft, the three satellites serving global regions designated AOR-W, POR, and IOR.

11. The computer-implemented program of claim 10 wherein the port management program sequentially initiates communications with up to three satellites in a global search for a response from the specific space craft, commencing with a satellite serving a last global region in which the specific space craft was known to be located.

12. The computer-implemented program of claim 8 wherein the port management program provides voice prompts to the caller telephone requesting transmission of a digit related to a specific phone site in the specific space craft for connection to the caller.

13. The computer-implemented program of claim 8, the operators data base including a table having a preference for a first of at least two ground stations, each of the at least two ground stations being associated with a selected satellite for communication with the satellite.

14. The computer-implemented program of claim 13 wherein the table of the operators data base includes a table having at least two ground stations being associated with each of at least three satellites.

15. A method of processing global communications between a ground station, a plurality of global satellite systems and a specific space craft using a software system, the method including the steps of:

assigning a space craft specific identifier to the space craft;

telephonic accessing of an operators data base for the space craft and the satellite system by entering a single telephone number consisting essentially of ten digits, three digits assigned to an area code, seven digits assigned to a spacecraft specific identifier;

performing a data base lookup for validation;

providing a set of menus to facilitate direct communication;

outdialing access numbers for the satellite systems and the space craft ID from said operators data base;

generating a successful connection signal; and

initializing a system port to process a new call.

16. The method of processing global communications of claim 15 wherein the operators data base sequentially initiates communications with up to three satellites in a global search for a response from the specific space craft.

17. The method of processing global communications of claim 16 wherein the operators data base sequentially initiates communications with up to three satellites in a global search for a response from the specific space craft, the three satellites serving global regions designated AOR-W, POR, and IOR.

18. The method of processing global communications of claim 17 wherein the operators data base sequentially initiates communications with up to three satellites in a global search for a response from the specific space craft, commencing with a satellite serving a last global region in which the specific space craft was known to be located.

19. The method of processing global communications of claim 15 wherein the operators data base provides voice prompts to the caller telephone requesting transmission of a digit related to a specific phone site in the specific space craft for connection to the caller.

20. The method of processing global communications of claim 15, the operators data base including a table having a preference for a first of at least two ground stations, each of the at least two ground stations being associated with a selected satellite for communication with the satellite.

21. The method of processing global communications of claim 20 wherein the table of the operators data base includes a table having at least two ground stations being associated with each of at least three satellites.

22. An automated communication system for communicatively connecting a caller by means of a telephone to a specific space craft, the call being routed through a port for accepting a telephonic call and having a machine readable call management program, the call management program automatically effecting a telephonic communication to at least one selected ground earth station responsive thereto, the ground earth station effecting communication with at least one known satellite in an earth orbit responsive to the received communication from the port and, the satellite retransmitting the ground earth station communications to the space craft for reception by a dedicated receiver in the space craft, comprising:

caller access to the system being effected by a number consisting essentially of a single ten digit telephone number three digits assigned to an area code, seven digits assigned to the specific space craft being called.

23. The communication system of claim 22 wherein the port management program sequentially initiates communications with up to three satellites in a global search for a response from the specific space craft.

24. The communication system of claim 23 wherein the port management program sequentially initiates communications with up to three satellites in a global search for a response from the specific space craft, the three satellites serving global regions designated AOR-W, POR, and IOR.

25. The communication system of claim 23 wherein the port management program sequentially initiates communications with up to three satellites in a global search for a response from the specific space craft, commencing with a satellite serving a last global region in which the specific space craft was known to be located.

26. The communication system of claim 23 including an operators data base, the data base including a table having a preference for a first of at least two ground stations, each of the at least two ground stations being associated with a selected satellite for communication with the satellite.

27. The communication system of claim 26 wherein the table of the operators data base includes a table having at least two ground stations being associated with each of at least three satellites.

28. The communication system of claim 22 wherein the port management program provides voice prompts to the caller telephone requesting transmission of a digit related to a specific phone site in the specific space craft for connection to the caller.

29. The communication system of claim 22 wherein the single ten digit telephone number is viewably presented on at least one wallet sized card, the card being presentable to a user.

30. The communication system of claim 22 wherein the single ten digit telephone number initiates communication with a space craft through terrestial telephonic communications to the port.

31. The communication system of claim 22 wherein caller access enables communication with the space craft by means of facsimile transmission.