Mobile communications terminal for satellite communications system

• US 6,992,991 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2001
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Barber, Thomas A., Gruessing, Joseph A. Jr., Duske, Frederick J. Jr., Self, Dean A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, BRENDA H
• Application Number:
  US09/903,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20020006117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 370/316, 370/338, 370/339, 370/349, 370/310, 370/401, 370/315, 370/328, 370/386, 370/310.2, 455/406, 455/405, 455/345, 455/227, 455/410, 455/412, 455/435, 455/413, 345/3.3, 345/3.4, 345/500, 705/1
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18567 Arrangements for providing additional services to the basic mobile satellite telephony service

Abstract

A mobile communications system transporting messages between mobile terminals and a central control center using a satellite communications system. The central control center and the mobile terminals each store a plurality of message display forms each having a form identifier and a predetermimed display format. The message display forms are selected as templates for generating user messages including message data supplied at the originating station. The satellite messages transmit the user message by transmitting the message data and the form identifier of the corresponding selected message display form. The receiving station, upon receiving the satellite message, accesses the message display form from memory in response to the supplied form identifier, and combines the accessed message display form with the message data to recreate the user message. The mobile terminals are designed as low-cost data terminals requiring a minimum amount of memory. The mobile terminals include a satellite transceiver, a graphic user interface providing a display and accepting key inputs from the user, and a software system including an application layer providing all messaging functions for the user and a middleware layer controlling transport of messages between the application layer and the satellite transceiver. The application layer operates as an event-based state machine, and includes an event handler that controls the application layer operations in accordance with the processing capacity of the middleware layer.

Claims

1. In a mobile satellite system including a satellite communication switching office having a satellite antenna for providing communication of a satellite message with a mobile communication system via a satellite, a central controller communicating with the mobile communication system via the satellite communication switching office, a communication method comprising:

storing a plurality of message display forms in the mobile communication system, each message display form having a predetermined display format and a form identifier;

generating at the central controller a user message comprising message data;

outputting from the central controller a satellite message carrying the message data and the form identifier of a selected one of the message display forms to the satellite communication switching office;

transmitting the satellite message to the mobile communication system via the satellite; and

displaying the satellite message received by the mobile communication system using a selected one of the stored message display forms corresponding to the form identifier in the transmitted satellite message;

wherein the mobile communication system comprises a PCMCIA slot and application software including a configuration manager, the storing step comprising;

connecting a PCMCIA card to the PCMCIA slot; and

downloading the message display forms via the PCMCIA slot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing step comprises:

generating a data message having the form identifier and the corresponding display format of at least one of the message display forms;

transmitting the data message as a second satellite message from the satellite communication switching office to the mobile communication system via the satellite; and

storing the received data message at the mobile communication system.

3. In a mobile satellite system including a satellite communication switching office having a satellite antenna for providing communication of a satellite message with mobile communication systems via a satellite, a central controller communicating with the mobile communication systems via the satellite communication switching office, a communication method comprising:

storing a plurality of message display forms in the mobile communication system, each message display form having a predetermined display format and a form identifier;

storing network identifiers for the central controller and at least one of the mobile communication systems;

generating at a first of the mobile communication systems a user message comprising message data and one of the stored network identifiers;

outputting from the first mobile communication system a satellite message carrying the one network identifier, the message data and the form identifier of a selected one of the message display forms to the satellite communication switching office;

transmitting the satellite message to the satellite communication switching office via the satellite; and

routing the satellite message from the satellite communication switching office to one of the central controller and a second of the mobile communication systems in accordance with the one network identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the storing of message display forms comprises downloading at least a portion of the message display forms from a PCMCIA card connected to the mobile communication switching office.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the storing of message display forms comprises receiving satellite messages from the satellite communication switching office including the form identifier and corresponding predetermined display format for at least a corresponding one of the message display forms.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the storing of network identifiers comprises receiving a satellite message from the satellite communication switching office including at least one of the network identifiers.

7. In a mobile satellite system including a satellite communication switching office having a satellite antenna for providing communication of satellite messages with a mobile communication system via a satellite, a central controller communicating with the mobile communication system via the satellite communication switching office, the mobile communication system including a satellite transceiver communicating data carrying a first satellite message to the satellite in response to transceiver control signals, and a graphic user interface providing a display and accepting key inputs from a user, the mobile communication system storing on a tangible medium the following software structure for transmitting and receiving the data:

(1) a middleware communications layer sending the data including the satellite message to the transceiver, said middleware communications layer capable of supporting different low level communication codes to support different transceivers;

(2) a middleware router layer controlling operations of the network controller, said middleware router layer capable of supporting different transceiver protocols;

(3) a network controller layer outputting the satellite message carrying the user message to the middleware communications layer, said network controller layer capable of supporting different network functionality; and

(4) a user interface layer outputting a user message, and receiving user inputs from the graphic user interface, said user interface layer capable of supporting different screen designs and/or information that is displayed to or received from the user without requiring recompilation of the software structure.

8. In a mobile communication system including a communication switching office for providing communication of a message with a mobile communication system, a central controller communicating with the mobile communication system via the communication switching office, a communication method comprising:

storing network identifiers for the central controller and at least one of the mobile communication systems;

generating at a first of the mobile communication systems a user message comprising message data and one of the stored network identifiers;

outputting from the first mobile communication system a message carrying the one network identifier and the message data to the communication switching office;

transmitting the message to the communication switching office; and

routing the message from the communication switching officer to one of the central controller and second of the mobile communication systems in accordance with the one network identifier.

9. In a mobile communication system including a communication switching office for providing communication of a message with a mobile communication system, a central controller communicating with the mobile communication system via the communication switching office, the mobile communication system storing on a tangible medium the following software structure for transmitting and receiving data:

(1) a middleware communications layer sending the data including the satellite message to the transceiver, said middleware communications layer capable of supporting different low level communication codes to support different transceivers;

(2) a middleware router layer controlling operations of the network controller, said middleware router layer capable of supporting different transceiver protocols;

(3) a network controller layer outputting the satellite message carrying the user message to the middleware communications layer, said network controller capable for supporting different network functionality; and

(4) a user interface layer outputting a user message, and receiving user inputs fro the graphic user interface, said user interface layer capable of supporting different screen designs and/or information that is displayed to or received from the user without requiring recompilation of the software structure.