Method and system for providing rural subscriber telephony service using an integrated satellite/cell system

• US 6,198,921 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1998
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacwest Holding Corporation
• Original Assignee: STM Wireless, Inc.
• Inventors: Luecke, James R., Youssefzadeh, Emil, Serafinko, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, QUANG D
• Application Number:
  US09/192,732
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.2, 455/427, 455/428, 455/429, 455/430, 370/316, 370/321, 370/401
• US Class Current: 455/428
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18558 Arrangements for managing communications, i.e. for setting up, maintaining or releasing a call between stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/004 in the uplink, i.e. towards network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

An integrated satellite/cell system and equipment that provides low-cost telephony services to remote/rural and other previously non-served areas. Local communications is through wireless cell technology with inter cell communication between cells and between cells and the public switched telephone network supported through existing, non-processing satellites by means of satellite earth terminal stations at the remote sites. A demand assigned multiple access satellite network controlled through a open channel signaling and data provides single-hop, full mesh connectivity. The cell can be any cellular or cordless phone technology.

Claims

1. An integrated satellite/cell telecommunication network for communication among subscriber units comprising:

a.) at least one communication satellite interconnect backbone system comprising a demand assigned multiple access, non processing, full mesh satellite network adapted to communicate with at least one earth terminal/gateway station;

b.) a network management system having an earth terminal/gateway station and containing a network location register for subscriber units within the network for

1.) controlling said network;

2.) routing said communication traffic to, from and among network cells; and

,

3.) facilitating single hop, non-intra cell communication of subscriber units by means of said communication satellite interconnect backbone system; and

,

c.) at least one network cell containing at least one network subscriber unit having an earth terminal/gateway station and, a cell management system containing a cell location register for subscriber units within the cell, for

1.) controlling said cell;

2.) routing intra-cell communication traffic to, from and among cell subscribers; and

,

3.) facilitating single hop, non-intra cell communication of subscriber units by means of said communication satellite interconnect backbone system.

2. The system as set out in claim 1 wherein said routing established by use of a network management system is accomplished by use of an open signaling channel born by said communication satellite interconnect backbone system.

3. The system as set out in claim 1 wherein said cell management system has demand assigned multiple access functionality.

4. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein said cell is a selected from a cellular or cordless phone system.

5. The system as set out in claim 4, wherein said cellular system is selected from the group consisting of a global system for mobile communications, code division multiple access, advanced mobile phone system, extended total access communications system and combinations thereof.

6. The system as set out in claim 4, wherein said cordless phone systems is selected from the group consisting of digital European cordless telephone, personal handyphone system and combinations thereof.

7. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein said cell is a subscriber earth terminal station having one subscriber unit.

8. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein said cell location register of subscriber units within the cell comprises a cell home location register of cell subscribers and a cell visitor location register of cell visitors.

9. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein said network location register of subscriber units within the network comprises a network home location register of network subscribers and a network visitor location register of network visitors.

10. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein said cell management system further includes the intra-cell call processing function and inter-cell switching capability integrated with the earth terminal/gateway station.

11. The system as set out in claim 10, wherein said cell management system further comprises a radio base transceiver processing function, base station control function, call processing control function, local switching function, and cell location registry function.

12. The system as set out in claim 10, wherein said cell management system provides protocol between said network cell subscriber units and said communication satellite interconnect backbone system.

13. The system as set out in claim 11, wherein said base transceiver processing function provides layers 1 and 2 of the radio interface.

14. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein said network management system is combined with a gateway.

15. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein said earth terminal/gateway station is selected from the group consisting of single channel ultra-small aperture terminals, small aperture terminals, very small aperture terminals, and large earth terminals.

16. The system as set out in claim 15, wherein said single channel ultra-small aperture terminals is selected from the group consisting of a subscriber earth terminal station and a free standing public phone earth station.

17. The system as set out in claim 15, wherein said very small aperture terminal is located at a cell site.

18. The system as set out in claim 15, wherein said large sized earth terminal stations are utilized for non-network gateway connections to the public switched telephone network.

19. The system as set out in claim 1 wherein said network management system provides protocol between said network cell subscriber units and said public switched telephone network.

20. An integrated satellite/subscriber telecommunication system for communication among subscriber units wherein intra cell communications is accomplished by routing within the cell and inter cell communication between cells and/or the public switched telephone network and/or subscriber earth terminal stations within the network or outside the network is accomplished by routing communications traffic over a single hop interconnect through non-processing satellites by means of earth terminal/gateway stations wherein such routing is established by use of a network management system comprising:

a.) at least one communication satellite interconnect backbone system comprising a demand assigned multiple access, non processing, full mesh satellite network;

b.) at least one cell, containing a cell management system having a cell location register of subscriber units within the cell for facilitating autonomous connecting of intra cell communication between subscriber units within said cell interactive with a network earth terminal station, and;

c.) at least one network interactive with a network earth terminal station, containing a network management system for controlling said network and routing said communication traffic to, from and among subscriber units and having a network location register for subscriber units within the network for facilitating single hop, non-intra cell communication for subscriber units by means of said communication satellite interconnect backbone system.

21. The system as set out in claim 20 wherein said routing established by use of a network management system is accomplished by use of a communication satellite interconnect backbone system born open signaling channel.

22. The system as set out in claim 20 wherein said functional cell management system has demand assigned multiple access functionality.

23. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein said cell is selected from a cellular or cordless phone system.

24. The system as set out in claim 23, wherein said cell is cellular.

25. The system as set out in claim 24, wherein said cellular cell is selected from the group consisting of a global system for mobile communications, code division multiple access, advanced mobile phone system, extended total access communications system and combinations thereof.

26. The system as set out in claim 23, wherein said cell is a cordless phone system.

27. The system as set out in claim 26, wherein said cordless phone systems is selected from the group consisting of digital European cordless telephone, personal handyphone system and combinations thereof.

28. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein said cell location register of subscriber units within the cell comprises a cell location register of cell subscribers and a cell visitor location register of cell visitors.

29. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein said network location register of subscriber units within the network comprises a network location register of network subscribers and a network visitor location register of network visitors.

30. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein said cell management system further includes the cell management system function, a call processing function and switching capability integrated with the satellite earth terminal station.

31. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein said cell management system further comprises radio base transceiver processing, base station control, call processing switching, and cell location registry.

32. The system as set out in claim 30, wherein said cell management system provides protocol between said network cell subscriber units and said communication satellite interconnect backbone system.

33. The system as set out in claim 31, wherein said base transceiver processing provides layers 1 and 2 of the radio interface.

34. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein said network management system contains a functional network management system.

35. The system as set out in claim 34, wherein said functional network management system is a digital European cordless telephone cell network management system.

36. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein said network management system is combined with a gateway.

37. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein said satellite earth terminal station is selected from the group consisting of single channel ultra-small aperture terminals, small aperture terminals, very small aperture terminals, and large earth terminals.

38. The system as set out in claim 37, wherein said single channel ultra-small aperture terminals is selected from the group consisting of a subscriber earth terminal station and a free standing public phone earth station.

39. The system as set out in claim 37, wherein said very small aperture terminal is located at a cell site.

40. The system as set out in claim 37, wherein said large sized earth terminal stations are utilized for non-network gateway connections to the public switched telephone network.

41. The system as set out in claim 20, wherein said network management system provides protocol between said network cell subscriber units and said public switched telephone network.

42. A method for establishing communications between subscriber units using distributed call processing and flexible call routing interconnect network by means of network earth terminal stations and a full mesh, non-processing satellite interconnect backbone system wherein said network is controlled by a network management system containing a network location register and has at least one network cell with a cell management system containing a cell location register and having at least one subscriber comprising the steps of:

a.) requesting a communication connection from an initiating subscriber unit having a unique identifier by entering the destination subscriber unit unique identifier into said system;

b.) managing said network cell such that if the initiating subscriber unit identifier and the destination subscriber unit identifier are in the network cell location register the connection is made intra cell;

c.) managing said network cell such that if the initiating subscriber unit identifier and the destination subscriber unit identifier are not in the network cell location register the management function is transferred by means of said satellite interconnect backbone to said network management system;

d.) managing said network such that if the initiating subscriber unit identifier and the destination subscriber unit identifier are in said network location register the connection is made via said satellite interconnect backbone inter cell;

e.) managing said network such that if the initiating subscriber unit identifier and the destination subscriber unit identifier are not in said network location register the connection is made through said satellite interconnect backbone between one of a network cell and the public switched telephone network, and the public switched telephone network and a network cell, a public switched telephone network and another in the public switched telephone network.

43. The method as set out in claim 42, wherein said routing is accomplished via the satellite interconnect backbone system by use of an open signaling channel.

44. The method as set out in claim 42, wherein said cell management system has demand assigned multiple access functionality.

45. The method as set out in claim 42, wherein said cell manager provides protocol between said network cell subscriber units and said communication satellite interconnect backbone system.

46. The method as set out in claim 42, wherein said cell is a selected from a cellular or cordless phone system.

47. The method as set out in claim 46, wherein said cellular system is selected from the group consisting of a global system for mobile communications, code division multiple access, advanced mobile phone system, extended total access communications system and combinations thereof.

48. The method as set out in claim 46, wherein said cordless phone systems is selected from the group consisting of digital European cordless telephone, personal handyphone system and combinations thereof.

49. The method as set out in claim 46, wherein said cell is a subscriber earth terminal station having one subscriber unit.

50. The method as set out in claim 46, wherein said cell location register comprises a cell home location register and a cell visitor location register of cell visitors.

51. The method as set out in claim 42, wherein said network location register of subscriber units within the network comprises a network location register of network subscribers and a network visitor location register of network visitors.

52. The method as set out in claim 42, wherein said earth terminal station is selected from the group consisting of single channel ultra-small aperture terminals, small aperture terminals, very small aperture terminals, and large earth terminals.

53. The system as set out in claim 52, wherein said single channel ultra-small aperture terminals is selected from the group consisting of a subscriber earth terminal station and a free standing public phone earth station.

54. The method as set out in claim 52, wherein said very small aperture terminal is located at a cell site.

55. The method as set out in claim 52, wherein said large sized earth terminal stations are utilized for non-network gateway connections to the public switching telephone network.

56. The method as set out in claim 42, wherein said network management system provides protocol between said network cell subscriber units and said public switched telephone network.