Mobile earth terminal with roaming capability

• US 6,278,861 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1998
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Motient Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Churan, Gary G., Ross, David J., Ward, Michael K., Tisdale, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Application Number:
  US09/124,254
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 455/467, 455/428, 455/430, 455/12.1, 455/426, 455/550, 455/552, 455/553, 455/557, 455/13.1
• US Class Current: 455/13.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18567 Arrangements for providing additional services to the basic mobile satellite telephony service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18571 for satellites; for fixed or mobile stations

Abstract

In a mobile satellite system, a mobile communication system includes a user interface system, an antenna system, a transceiver system, a logic and signaling system. The logic and signaling system provides a communication function permitting the mobile communication system to roam between the mobile satellite system and a terrestrial based communication system responsive to the user selection of a primary service and an alternate service. The mobile communication system also includes a digital terminal equipment unit initiating setup and release for a data call, and a facsimile interface unit initiating setup and release for a facsimile call. The facsimile interface unit generates a line control packet responsive to a line state transition indicating transmission of information associated with a new line state over a communication channel. The facsimile interface unit includes a look ahead buffer to perform early line control packet detection by looking ahead a predetermined time interval into a received satellite data stream and identifying a valid idle line control packet.

Claims

1. In a mobile satellite system, a mobile communication system comprising:

a user interface system providing a user interface through which a user has access to services supported by the mobile satellite system;

an interface system providing an interface between the mobile communication system and the mobile satellite system, receiving a first satellite message from the mobile satellite system and converting the first satellite message into at least one of voice, data, fax and signaling signals for transmitting to the user interface system;

a logic and signaling system, operatively connected to said interface system, configuring said interface system for reception and transmission of the at least one of voice, data, fax and signaling messages,

said logic and signaling system providing a communication function permitting the mobile communication system to alternately communicate between the mobile satellite system and a terrestrial based communication system responsive to predetermined selection of a primary service and an alternate service, wherein upon the loss of the primary service, the mobile communication system attempts to communicate with the alternate service in accordance with predetermined criteria; and

a digital terminal equipment unit. operatively connected to said logic and signaling system, initiating a call release for said mobile communication system by issuing a release command to said logic signaling system. and when the call release is initiated by a public switched telephone network, said logic and signaling system issues a no carrier indication to said digital terminal equipment, and continuously transmits an on hook status until at least one of receiving an on-hook acknowledgment and expiration of a predetermined time interval.

2. The mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria are at least one of user definable and system definable.

3. In a mobile satellite system, a method of providing alternate communication between the mobile satellite system and a terrestrial based communication system using a mobile communication system responsive to selection of a primary service and an alternate service, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether the mobile communication system is communicable with the primary service;

(b) when the mobile communication system, is not communicable with the primary service, attempting by the mobile communication system to communicate with the alternate service; and

(c) when the mobile communication system is not communicable with either of the primary and alternate services, monitoring the primary and alternate services, and attempting to communicate on one of the primary and alternate services that is satisfactorily available; and

(d) initiating a call release for said mobile communication system by issuing a release command, and when the call release is initiated by a public switched telephone network, issuing a no carrier indication, and continuously transmitting an on hook status until at least one of receiving an on-hook acknowledgment and expiration of a predetermined time interval.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the selection of the primary and alternate services is at least one of user definable and system definable.

5. In a mobile satellite system, a mobile communication system comprising:

a user interface system providing a user interface through which a user has access to services supported by the mobile satellite system;

an interface system providing an interface between the mobile communication system and the mobile satellite system;

a logic and signaling system, operatively connected to said interface, using an outbound signaling channel and configuring said interface system for reception and transmission of at least one of voice, data, fax and signaling messages,

said logic and signaling system providing a roam function permitting the mobile communication system to roam between the mobile satellite system and a terrestrial based communication system responsive to predetermined selection of a primary service and an alternate service,

wherein upon the loss of the primary service the mobile communication system attempts to register in the alternate service in accordance with predetermined criteria; and

a digital terminal equipment unit. operatively connected to said logic and signaling system, initiating a call release for said mobile communication system by issuing a release command to said logic signaling system, and when the call release is initiated by a public switched telephone network, said logic and signaling system issues a no carrier indication to said digital terminal equipment, and continuously transmits an on hook status until at least one of receiving an on-hook acknowledgment and expiration of a predetermined time interval.

6. A mobile communication system according to claim 5, further comprising a facsimile interface unit, operatively connected to said logic and signaling system, said facsimile interface unit generating a line control packet responsive to a line state transition indicating transmission of information associated with a new line state over a communication channel.

7. In a mobile satellite system, a mobile communication system comprising:

a user interface system providing a user interface through which a user has access to services supported by the mobile satellite system;

an antenna system providing an interface between the mobile communication system and the mobile satellite system via the satellite interface system, and receiving a first satellite message from the satellite and transmitting a second satellite message to the satellite,

a transceiver system, operatively connected to said antenna system, including a receiver and a transmitter,

the transmitter converting the second satellite message including at least one of voice, data, fax and signaling signals into a modulated signal, transmitting the modulated signal to said antenna system,

the receiver accepting the first satellite message from the antenna system and converting the first satellite message into at least one of voice, data, fax and signaling signals, at least one of the voice, data and fax signals routed to the user interface system;

a logic and signaling system, operatively connected to said transceiver, controlling initialization of the mobile communication system, obtaining an assigned outbound signaling channel from which updated system information and commands and messages are received, said logic and signaling system configuring said transceiver for reception and transmission of at least one of voice, data, fax and signaling messages, and controlling protocols between the mobile communication system and the mobile satellite system,

said logic and signaling system providing a communication function permitting the mobile communication system to at least alternately communicate between the mobile satellite system and a terrestrial based communication system responsive to the user selection of a primary service and an alternate service, wherein upon the loss of the primary service the mobile communication system attempts to communicate with the alternate service; and

an optional digital terminal equipment unit, operatively connected to said logic and signaling system, said optional digital terminal equipment unit initiating a call release for said mobile communication system by issuing a release command to said logic signaling system, and when the call release is initiated by a public switched telephone network, said logic and signaling system issues a no carrier indication to said optional digital terminal equipment, and continuously transmits an on hook status until at least one of receiving an on-hook acknowledgment and expiration of a predetermined time interval.

8. In a mobile satellite system, a mobile communication system comprising:

a user interface system providing a user interface through which a user has access to services supported by the mobile satellite system;

an antenna system providing an interface between the mobile communication system and the mobile satellite system via the satellite interface system, and receiving a first satellite message from the satellite and transmitting a second satellite message to the satellite,

a transceiver system, operatively connected to said antenna system, including a receiver and a transmitter,

the transmitter converting the second satellite message including at least one of voice, data, fax and signaling signals into a modulated signal, transmitting the modulated signal to said antenna system,

the receiver accepting the first satellite message from the antenna system and converting the first satellite message into at least one of voice, data, fax and signaling signals, at least one of the voice, data and fax signals routed to the user interface system;

a logic and signaling system, operatively connected to said transceiver, controlling initialization of the mobile communication system, obtaining an assigned outbound signaling channel from which updated system information and commands and messages are received, said logic and signaling system configuring said transceiver for reception and transmission of at least one of voice, data, fax and signaling messages, and controlling protocols between the mobile communication system and the mobile satellite system,

said logic and signaling system providing a communication function permitting the mobile communication system to at least alternately communicate between the mobile satellite system and a terrestrial based communication system responsive to the user selection of a primary service and an alternate service, wherein upon the loss of the primary service the mobile communication system attempts to communicate with the alternate service;

an optional digital terminal equipment unit, operatively connected to said logic and signaling system, said optional digital terminal equipment unit initiating a call release for said mobile communication system by issuing a release command to said logic signaling system, and when the call release is initiated by a public switched telephone network, said logic and signaling system issues a no carrier indication to said optional digital terminal equipment, and continuously transmits an on hook status until at least one of receiving an on-hook acknowledgment and expiration of a predetermined time interval; and

an optional facsimile interface unit operatively connected to said logic and signaling system, generating a line control packet responsive to a line state transition indicating transmission of information associated with a new line state over a communication channel, said optional facsimile interface unit comprising a look ahead buffer to perform line control packet detection by looking ahead a predetermined time interval into a received data stream and identifying a valid idle line control packet.