System for determining and registering location of mobile terminal for communication system with non-geosynchronous satellites

Claim 1

A system for determining and registering the location of a mobile terminal for a communication system with non-geosynchronous satellites wherein: a plurality of non-geosynchronous satellites are disposed and a plurality of land earth stations are disposed on the earth; each of said satellites irradiates a spot beam to its satellite coverage area on the earth where mobile terminals can communicate with the satellite, or each of said satellites irradiates a spot beam to each of a plurality of smaller areas into which said satellite coverage areas is divided, through which spot beams said satellite can communicate with said mobile terminals in said satellite coverage area; identification information given to each of said spot beams is transmitted through each of said spot beams; said mobile terminal, when registering its location, receives said spot beam identification information at a plurality of moments in time, said mobile terminal transmits, via said satellite, at a plurality of sets of information including received spot beam identification information and information on reception time of each spot beam identification information; and an overlapped area of a plurality of spot beam coverage areas at the time when each of said spot beam identification information is received at said mobile terminal, is used as the location information of said mobile terminal.

Claim 2

A system for determining and registering the location of a mobile terminal for a communication system with non-geosynchronous satellites wherein: a plurality of non-geosynchronous satellites are disposed and a plurality of land earth stations are disposed on the earth; each of said satellites irradiates a spot beam to its satellite coverage area on the earth where mobile terminals can communicate with the satellite, or each of said satellites irradiates a spot beam to each of a plurality of smaller areas into which said satellite coverage areas is divided, through which spot beams said satellite can communicate with said mobile terminals in said satellite coverage area; identification information given to each of said spot beams is transmitted through each of said spot beams; said mobile terminal, when registering its location, receives said spot beam identification information at a plurality of moments in time, said mobile terminal transmits, via said satellite, at a plurality of sets of information including received spot beam identification information and information on reception time of each spot beam identification information; and an overlapped area of a plurality of spot beam coverage areas at the time when each of said spot beam identification information is received at said mobile terminal, is used as the location information of said mobile terminal.

Claim 3

A system for determining and registering the location of a mobile terminal for a communication system with non-geosynchronous orbiting satellites wherein: a plurality of non-geosynchronous satellites are disposed and a plurality of land earth stations are disposed on the earth; each of said satellites irradiates a spot beam to its satellite coverage area on the earth where mobile terminals can communicate with the satellite, or each of said satellites irradiates a spot beam to each of a plurality of smaller areas into which said satellite coverage area is divided, through which spot beams said satellite can communicate with said mobile terminals in said satellite coverage area; identification information given to each of said spot beams is transmitted through each of said spot beams; said mobile terminal, when registering its location, receives a plurality of said spot beam identification information at the same time, and transmits, via said satellite, said received spot beam identification information and information on time when said mobile terminal received said spot beam identification information; and an overlapped area of a plurality of spot beam coverage areas at the time when a plurality of sets of spot beam identification information are received at said mobile terminal, is used as the location information of said mobile terminal.

Claim 4

A system for determining and registering the location of a mobile terminal for a communication system with non-geosynchronous orbiting satellites wherein: a plurality of non-geosynchronous satellites are disposed and a plurality of land earth stations are disposed on the earth; each of said satellites irradiates a spot beam to its satellite coverage area on the earth where mobile terminals can communicate with the satellite, or each of said satellites irradiates a spot beam to each of a plurality of smaller areas into which said satellite coverage area is divided, through which spot beams said satellite can communicate with said mobile terminals in said satellite coverage area; identification information given to each of said spot beams is transmitted through each of said spot beams; said mobile terminal, when registering its location, receives a plurality of said spot beam identification information at the same time, and transmits, via said satellite, said received spot beam identification information and information on time when said mobile terminal received said spot beam identification information; and an overlapped area of a plurality of spot beam coverage areas at the time when a plurality of sets of spot beam identification information are received at said mobile terminal, is used as the location information of said mobile terminal.