Global satellite communication system with geographic protocol conversion

• US 5,287,541 A
• Filed: 04/15/1991
• Issued: 02/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Macnak, Philip P., Davis, Walter L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): URBAN, EDWARD F
• Application Number:
  US07/685,808
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.2, 455/13.3, 455/33.1, 455/33.3, 455/56.1, 379/59
• US Class Current: 455/427
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging

Abstract

A satellite communication system (1110) provides geographic protocol conversion for message delivery between communication transceivers (1118, 1118'"'"') operating within at least two geographic areas (1116, 1116'"'"'). The satellite based communication system (1110) comprises a first communication transceiver (1118) which provides two-way message delivery within a first radiotelephone network (1114) located within at least a first geographic area (1116), the two-way message being encoded in a first predetermined message transmission protocol. The first communication transceiver (1118) further enables two-way message delivery with a communication satellite (1120), the message also being encoded in the first predetermined message transmission protocol. The communication satellite (1120) comprises a satellite transceiver (1312, 1328, 1310), for enabling the two-way delivery of the message encoded in the first predetermined message transmission protocol with the first communication transceiver (1118), and a protocol converter (1314) for converting the message encoded in the first predetermined message transmission protocol into a message encoded in a second predetermined message transmission protocol. The satellite transceiver (1312, 1328, 1310) further enables two-way delivery of the message encoded in the second predetermined message transmission protocol with at least a second communication transceiver (1118'"'"') operating within a second geographic area (1116'"'"').

Claims

1. A satellite communication system providing geographic protocol conversion for message delivery between communication transceivers operating within at least two geographic areas, said satellite based communication system comprising:

a first communication transceiver, providing two-way message delivery within a first radiotelephone network located within at least a first geographic area, the two-way message being encoded in a first predetermined message transmission protocol, said first communication transceiver further enabling two-way message delivery with a communication satellite, the message also being encoded in the first predetermined message transmission protocol;

said communication satellite, comprising

a satellite transceiver, for enabling the two-way delivery of the message encoded in the first predetermined message transmission protocol with said first communication transceiver,

protocol converting means, for converting the message encoded in the first predetermined message transmission protocol into a message encoded in a second predetermined message transmission protocol, and

said satellite transceiver further for enabling two-way delivery of the message encoded in the second predetermined message transmission protocol with at least a second communication transceiver operating within a second geographic area.

2. The satellite communication system according to claim 1, wherein said communication satellite further comprises:

memory means, for storing a table correlating the predetermined message transmission protocol requirements for each geographical delivery area; and

controller means, coupled to said protocol converting means and to said memory means, for controlling the conversion of the message received in the first predetermined message transmission protocol into the message deliverable in the second predetermined message transmission protocol based on the current geographical delivery area.

3. The satellite communication system according to claim 2, wherein said satellite transmitter means is capable of transmitting on a plurality of frequencies and said satellite receiving means is further capable of receiving on a plurality of frequencies, said memory means further storing a table correlating transmitter and receiver frequencies to the geographic delivery areas, and wherein said controller means is further responsive to the geographic delivery areas, for controlling the message delivery on one or more of the plurality of transmitter and receiver frequencies for each of the plurality of geographic delivery areas.

4. The satellite communication system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second communication transceivers are cellular radiotelephone transceivers.

5. The satellite communication system according to claim 4 wherein the message transmitted in the first predetermined message transmission protocol is transmitted utilizing an analog cellular communication protocol.

6. The satellite communication system according to claim 4 wherein the message transmitted in the second predetermined message transmission protocol is transmitted utilizing a digital cellular communication protocol.

7. The satellite communication system according to claim 6, wherein the digital cellular communication protocol provides both voice and data transmission capability.

8. The satellite communication system according to claim 1, wherein said satellite communication system includes a plurality of satellites orbiting in synchronous orbits within a plurality of orbiting planes.

9. The satellite communication system according to claim 8, wherein each of said satellites further comprising inter-satellite communication means for forwarding the message received in the first predetermined message transmission protocol to an adjacent satellite in the first predetermined message transmission protocol.

10. The satellite communication system according to claim 8, wherein each of said satellites further comprising inter-satellite communication means for forwarding the message received in first predetermined message transmission protocol to an adjacent satellite in the an intermediate message transmission protocol.

11. The satellite communication system according to claim 10, wherein said satellite base communication system comprises cellular switching means for providing cellular communications between said first communication transceiver and a public switched telephone network within at least said first geographic area.

12. The satellite communication system according to claim 11, wherein said cellular switching means further comprises memory means for storing message routing information, and said cellular switching means is responsive to the message routing information for routing the message received from the first communication transceiver to the public switched telephone network.

13. The satellite communication system according to claim 11, wherein said cellular switching means further comprises memory means for storing message routing information, and said cellular switching means is responsive to the message routing information for routing the message received from the first communication transceiver to the communication satellite.

14. The satellite communication system according to claim 8, wherein said communication satellite further comprises:

timing means, for generating timing information; and

controller means, responsive to the timing signals, for controlling the message delivery between said communication satellite and said communication transceiver operating in a particular geographic area.

15. The satellite communication system according to claim 14, wherein each of said satellites further comprising inter-satellite communication means for communicating with adjacent satellites within a given orbiting plane, and said controller means is further responsive to said timing means for transferring the message between said communication satellite and said communication transceiver to an adjacent satellite in the given orbiting plane.

16. The satellite communication system according to claim 1, wherein said second communication transceiver further provides two-way message delivery within a second radiotelephone network located within the second geographic area, the two-way message also being encoded in the second predetermined message transmission protocol.