Apparatus and method for providing a transparent interface across a satellite communications link

Claim 1

In an integrated communications network including a transmitting terrestrial portion for transmitting messages delineated by framing characters and having a first bit timing cycle, a satellite communications portion with a first ground station serially connected to said transmitting terrestrial portion, for receiving said messages from said transmitting terrestrial portion and retransmitting them with a universal timing cycle characterized by a periodic universal clock pulse over a satellite link to a second ground station and a receiving terrestrial portion serially connected to said second ground station of said satellite communications portion, for receiving said messages from said second ground station and retransmitting them, a system for synchronizing said receiving terrestrial portion with said transmitting terrestrial portion so that said messages transmitted by said receiving terrestrial portion are delineated by said framing characters and have said first bit timing cycle, comprising: a first counter in said first ground station, connected to said transmitting terrestrial portion, for generating a first periodic signal characterizing said first bit timing cycle; a second counter in said first ground station, connected to a clock source for said universal timing cycle, for accumulating clock pulses from said universal timing cycle; a difference means connected between said first counter and said second counter and having control input connected to a source of said universal clock pulse, for outputting a difference value between the accumulated count in said second counter at the instant of occurrence of said first periodic signal, and the accumulated count in said second counter at the instant of occurrence of said universal clock pulse, said difference value characterizing the degree of bit synchronization between said transmitting terrestrial portion and said satellite communication portion; a transmitting means connected to said transmitting terrestrial portion and including a transmit memory, a write pointer, and a read pointer, for sequentially storing at a location corresponding to said write pointer, consecutive messages received from said transmitting terrestrial portion and for sequentially transmitting messages from locations addressed by said address pointer, said transmitting means including a control input connected to said difference means; said transmitting means transmitting a first control word having a first code indicating that messages are accumulating in said transmit memory and that an extra message will be transmitted to compensate for said accumulation, in response to said difference means indicating that said first bit timing cycle is relatively fast; said transmitting means transmitting said first control word having a second code indicating that the number of messages in said transmit memory is depleting and that a message will be omitted in transmission to compensate for said depleting, in response to said difference means indicating that said first bit timing cycle is relatively slow; means at said second ground station to receive said first control word and in response thereto, to anticipate the receipt of an extra message if said first control word has said first code and alternately to anticipate the omission of the receipt of a message if said first control word has said second code; a framing character detector in said first ground station, connected to said transmitting terrestrial portion, for detecting the occurrence of a framing character delineating a message; said difference means including an input connected to said write pointer and an input connected to said read pointer and having a second control input connected to said framing character detector, for outputting a second difference value between the address stored in said write pointer at the instant of occurrence of said first periodic signal and the address stored in said read pointer at the instant of occurrence of said universal clock pulse, said second difference value characterizing the relative position of said frame character with respect to said universal clock pulse; said transmitting means transmitting a second control word characterizing said second difference value; means at said second ground station for receiving said second control word and in response thereto, adjusting the position of said framing character with respect to said universal clock pulse; whereby said messages at said receiving terrestrial portion are delineated by said framing characters and are synchronized with said first bit timing cycle.