Abstract A wireless telephone system (10) capable of servicing a roaming wireless telephone user (30) includes a satellite (22) communications system consisting of at least one orbiting satellite (22); at least one terrestrial-based gateway (12, 14, 16, 18) having access to a database (20) of users, destination codes (telephone numbers); at least one network coordinating gateway (28) within at least one satellite service area (24); a single network control center (25); and a plurality of terrestrial communications links (e.g. 101). The system (10) operates by effecting communication between a terrestrial wireless telephone end user transceiver apparatus (e.g. 501) and a terrestrial communications link (e.g. 101) via a single relay through a single satellite (22) or a succession of single relay satellites (22) wherein the relay station may be in motion relative to the end user transceiver apparatus (501) and the terrestrial communications link (101). The ground-based gateway (28) effects the ultimate decision on linking in cooperation with the network database to effect hand-off from a first orbiting satellite (22) to a second orbiting satellite (22). The single satellite (22) or preferably a constellation of satellites (22) orbiting near the earth need only translate signals from the gateways (12, 14, 16, 18) to the users (30) and from the users (30) to the gateways (12, 14, 16, 18), without satellite-based control. The gateways (12, 14, 16, 18) are capable of decoding the calls, switching, processing call requests from the end users (30), processing call requests to the end users (30), processing call set-ups, handing off of calls to other satellites (22), and updating databases (20) of users (30) based on information provided by network control (25) and requests from end users (30).
A satellite telephone comprising: a terrestrial telephone; coupled to the terrestrial telephone, a terrestrial antenna for communicating with an existing terrestrial telephone system; coupled to the terrestrial telephone, a satellite control unit; coupled to the terrestrial telephone and to the satellite control unit, a satellite RF unit; and coupled to the satellite RF unit, a satellite antenna for communicating with a satellite; wherein the satellite control unit comprises: a request/acknowledge generator coupled to the terrestrial telephone; a user request unit coupled to the request/acknowledge generator; coupled to the request/acknowledge generator, means for providing a user number; and a retry generator coupled to the request/acknowledge generator; wherein the satellite RF unit comprises an encoder coupled to the request/acknowledge generator and to the terrestrial telephone; a decoder coupled to the request/acknowledge generator, to the retry generator, and to the terrestrial telephone; a modem coupled to the encoder and to the decoder; and a satellite RF converter coupled to the modem; wherein the satellite antenna is coupled to the satellite RF converter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
169 words
A satellite telephone comprising: a terrestrial telephone; coupled to the terrestrial telephone, a terrestrial antenna for communicating with an existing terrestrial telephone system; coupled to the terrestrial telephone, a satellite control unit; coupled to the terrestrial telephone and to the satellite control unit, a satellite RF unit; and coupled to the satellite RF unit, a satellite antenna for communicating with a satellite; wherein the satellite control unit comprises: a request/acknowledge generator coupled to the terrestrial telephone; a user request unit coupled to the request/acknowledge generator; coupled to the request/acknowledge generator, means for providing a user number; and a retry generator coupled to the request/acknowledge generator; wherein the satellite RF unit comprises an encoder coupled to the request/acknowledge generator and to the terrestrial telephone; a decoder coupled to the request/acknowledge generator, to the retry generator, and to the terrestrial telephone; a modem coupled to the encoder and to the decoder; and a satellite RF converter coupled to the modem; wherein the satellite antenna is coupled to the satellite RF converter.