Integrated cellular communications system

Claim 2

A cellular communications system comprising: at least one space node having a multiple beam antenna positioned so to establish a first set of cells, each space node including means for transmitting and receiving different predetermined sets of code division multiple access coded, spread spectrum waveforms digitally modulated and incorporating forward error correction coding with the waveforms being located in a predetermined frequency band common to all space nodes; at least one surface node positioned so to establish a second set of cells, each surface node including means for transmitting and receiving the predetermined sets of code division multiple access coded, spread spectrum waveforms in the predetermined frequency band; a plurality of user units within the cells, each unit including means for communicating with said at least one space node and with said at least one surface node and being operatively responsive to a predetermined one of the sets of code division multiple access coded waveforms to thereby establish selective communication with at least one of the nodes; and a network controller operationally connected with said at least one space node and with said at least one surface node to selectively allocate communications with said user units among said space and surface nodes.

Claim 3

The cellular communications system of claim 1 further comprising position means for determining which cell a selected user unit is in and for indicating the location of the cell.

Claim 4

The cellular communications system of claim 1 further comprising position means for determining the position of a selected user unit by providing a selective polling signal to the user unit from two or more nodes, measuring the response times of the user unit to the polling signals, comparing the response times and determining the position of the user unit based on the comparison.

Claim 5

The cellular communications system of claim 1 wherein the user unit comprises level control means for adjusting the output power of the user unit such that the signal received from the user unit by a selected node is substantially equal to a reference level.

Claim 6

The cellular communications system of claim 4 wherein the level control means measures the signal received at the user unit from a selected node and compares the level of the received signal to a reference level and adjusts the output power of the user unit based on the comparison.

Claim 7

The cellular communications system of claim 1: wherein the waveforms comprise segments of bits; and further comprising interleaving means for time-spreading adjacent bits in each segment.

Claim 8

The cellular communications system of claim 1 wherein the user unit comprises a hand-held, portable transceiver having a substantially non-directional antenna for communicating with the nodes.

Claim 9

The cellular communications system of claim 7 wherein the network controller controls the user unit to communicate with the space node of the cell that the user unit is in or with the surface node of the cell it is in based on a predetermined allocation of communication resources.

Claim 10

The cellular communications system of claim 1 wherein the multi-beam antenna of the space node provides beams of relatively narrow beamwidth.

Claim 11

The cellular communications system of claim 1 wherein the network controller controls the user unit to communicate with the space node of the cell it is within or with the surface node of the cell it is within.

Claim 12

The cellular communications system of claim 10 wherein the network controller controls the user unit to communicate with the space node of the cell that the unit is in or with the surface node of the cell it is in based on the quality of the signal received from the user unit at each such node.

Claim 13

The cellular communications system of claim 10 wherein the network controller controls the user unit to communicate with the space node of the cell that the unit is in or with the surface node of the cell it is in based on the location of the party with which the user unit desires to communicate.

Claim 14

The cellular communications system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined frequency band is divided into a plurality of sub-bands and communications with each space node are conducted in a first sub-band and communicatuons with each surface node are conducted in a second sub-band.

Claim 15

The cellular communications system of claim 1 wherein the user is mobile and may move from cell to cell at random.

Claim 16

A cellular communications system comprising: at least one space node having a multiple beam antenna positioned so to establish a first set of cells, each space node including means for transmitting and receiving different predetermined sets of code division multiple access coded, spread spectrum waveforms digitally modulated and incorporating forward error correction coding with the waveforms being located in a predetermined frequency band common to all space nodes; at least one surface node positioned so to establish a second set of cells, each surface node including means for transmitting and receiving the predetermined sets of code division multiple access coded, spread spectrum waveforms in the predetermined frequency band; a plurality of user units within the cells, each user unit comprising a hand-held, portable transceiver having a substantially non-directional antenna and including means for communicating with said at least one space node and with said at least one surface node and being operatively responsive to a predetermined one of the sets of code division multiple access coded waveforms to thereby establish selective communication with at least one of the nodes; and a network controller operationally connected with said at least one space node and with said at least one surface node to selectively allocate communications with said user units among said space and surface nodes.

Claim 17

A cellular communications system comprising: at least one space node having a multiple beam antenna positioned so to establish a first set of cells, each space node including means for transmitting and receiving different predetermined sets of code division multiple access coded, spread spectrum waveforms digitally modulated and incorporating forward error correction coding with the waveforms being located in a predetermined frequency band common to all space nodes; at least one surface node positioned so to establish a second set of cells, each surface node including means for transmitting and receiving the predetermined sets of code division multiple access coded, spread spectrum waveforms in the predetermined frequency band; a plurality of user units within the cells, each user unit comprising a hand-held, portable transceiver having a substantially non-directional antenna and including means for communicating with said at least one space node and with said at least one surface node and being operatively responsive to a predetermined one of the sets of code division multiple access coded waveforms to thereby establish selective communication with at least one of the nodes; and a network controller operationally connected with said at least one space node and with said at least one surface node to selectively allocate communications with said user units among said space and surface nodes.

Claim 18

The cellular communications system of claim 15 wherein each user unit comprises level control means for adjusting the output power of the user unit such that the signal received from the user unit by a selected node is substantially equal to a reference level.

Claim 19

A cellular communications system comprising: at least one space node having a multiple beam antenna positioned so to establish a first set of cells, each space node including means for transmitting and receiving different predetermined sets of code division multiple access coded, spread spectrum waveforms digitally modulated and incorporating forward error correction coding in all cells with the waveforms being located in a predetermined frequency band common to all space nodes; at least one surface node positioned so to establish a second set of cells, each surface node including means for transmitting and receiving the predetermined sets of code division multiple access coded, spread spectrum waveforms in the predetermined frequency band in all cells; a plurality of user units within the cells, each user unit comprising a hand-held, portable transceiver having a substantially non-directional antenna and including means for communicating with at least one space node and with said at least one surface node and being operatively responsive to a predetermined one of the sets of code division multiple access coded waveforms to thereby establish selective communication with at least one of the nodes, each user unit comprising level control means for adjusting the output power of the user unit such that the signal received from the user unit by a selected node is substantially equal to a reference level; and a network controller operationally connected with said at least one space node and with said at least one surface node to selectively allocate communications with said user units among said space and surface nodes.

Claim 20

A cellular communications system comprising: at least one space node having a multiple beam antenna positioned so to establish a first set of cells, each space node including means for transmitting and receiving different predetermined sets of code division multiple access coded, spread spectrum waveforms digitally modulated and incorporating forward error correction coding in all cells with the waveforms being located in a predetermined frequency band common to all space nodes; at least one surface node positioned so to establish a second set of cells, each surface node including means for transmitting and receiving the predetermined sets of code division multiple access coded, spread spectrum waveforms in the predetermined frequency band in all cells; a plurality of user units within the cells, each user unit comprising a hand-held, portable transceiver having a substantially non-directional antenna and including means for communicating with at least one space node and with said at least one surface node and being operatively responsive to a predetermined one of the sets of code division multiple access coded waveforms to thereby establish selective communication with at least one of the nodes, each user unit comprising level control means for adjusting the output power of the user unit such that the signal received from the user unit by a selected node is substantially equal to a reference level; and a network controller operationally connected with said at least one space node and with said at least one surface node to selectively allocate communications with said user units among said space and surface nodes.

Claim 21

The cellular communications system of claim 17 further comprising position means for determining which cell a selected user unit is in and for indicating the location of the cell.

Claim 22

The cellular communications system of claim 17 wherein the network controller controls the user unit to communicate with the space node of the cell that the unit is in or with the surface node of the cell it is in.

Claim 23

The cellular communications system of claim 17 wherein the user unit comprises means for indicating to the network controller the user-preferred node for communication.