US5664006A — Method for accounting for user terminal connectio…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 157 words

A method for operating a satellite communications system, comprising the steps of: establishing a wireless connection with a user terminal from a gateway that is coupled to the user terminal through at least one satellite via a forward link and a return link; during the connection, repetitively determining at the gateway an amount of satellite system resources that are being used to maintain the wireless connection with the user terminal; after a termination of the wireless connection, outputting system usage data from the gateway, the system usage data indicating at least an amount of satellite system resources that were required to provide the wireless connection with the user terminal; processing the system usage data from a plurality of gateways to derive a historical record of the satellite system usage; employing the historical record to predict a future system usage; and allocating satellite system resources amongst the plurality of gateways in accordance with the predicted future system usage.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 157 words

A method for operating a satellite communications system, comprising the steps of: establishing a wireless connection with a user terminal from a gateway that is coupled to the user terminal through at least one satellite via a forward link and a return link; during the connection, repetitively determining at the gateway an amount of satellite system resources that are being used to maintain the wireless connection with the user terminal; after a termination of the wireless connection, outputting system usage data from the gateway, the system usage data indicating at least an amount of satellite system resources that were required to provide the wireless connection with the user terminal; processing the system usage data from a plurality of gateways to derive a historical record of the satellite system usage; employing the historical record to predict a future system usage; and allocating satellite system resources amongst the plurality of gateways in accordance with the predicted future system usage.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein each step of determining includes a step of: determining an amount of forward link power being used to maintain the wireless connection.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein each step of determining includes a step of: determining an amount of return link power being used to maintain the wireless connection.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 23 words

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein each step of determining includes a step of: determining a current gateway transmission rate.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein each step of determining includes a step of: determining a current user terminal transmission rate.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein each step of determining includes a step of: determining a current number of satellites through which the wireless connection is being maintained.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein each step of determining includes a step of: determining a number of spreading codes that are in use on the forward link.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein each step of determining includes a step of: determining a number of spreading codes that are in use on the reverse link.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method as set forth in claim 1, and including a step of determining a location of the user terminal.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 19 words

A method as set forth in claim 1, and including a step of determining a type of user terminal.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 41 words

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gateway includes a vocoder for processing speech at a predetermined frame rate, and wherein each step of determining is performed at the frame rate or a multiple of the frame rate.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 166 words

A satellite communications system having at least one user terminal adapted for bidirectional wireless communication with a gateway through at least one satellite, comprising: means in said gateway for establishing a wireless connection with a user terminal through at least one satellite via a forward link and a return link; means in said gateway for determining, during the wireless connection, an amount of satellite system resources that are in use for maintaining the wireless connection with the user terminal; means in said gateway, responsive to a termination of the wireless connection, for outputting system usage data that indicates an amount of satellite system resources that were required to provide the wireless connection with the user terminal; and means, coupled to said gateway, for processing the system usage data to derive a historical record of the satellite system usage, for employing the historical record to predict a future system usage, and for allocating satellite system resources to said gateway in accordance with the predicted future system usage.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 166 words

A satellite communications system having at least one user terminal adapted for bidirectional wireless communication with a gateway through at least one satellite, comprising: means in said gateway for establishing a wireless connection with a user terminal through at least one satellite via a forward link and a return link; means in said gateway for determining, during the wireless connection, an amount of satellite system resources that are in use for maintaining the wireless connection with the user terminal; means in said gateway, responsive to a termination of the wireless connection, for outputting system usage data that indicates an amount of satellite system resources that were required to provide the wireless connection with the user terminal; and means, coupled to said gateway, for processing the system usage data to derive a historical record of the satellite system usage, for employing the historical record to predict a future system usage, and for allocating satellite system resources to said gateway in accordance with the predicted future system usage.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 39 words

A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said determining means includes means for determining at least one of an amount of forward link power and an amount of reverse link power used to maintain the wireless connection.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 31 words

A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said determining means includes means for determining at least one of a forward link transmission rate and a reverse link transmission rate.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 27 words

A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said determining means includes means for determining a number of satellites through which the wireless connection is maintained.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 67 words

A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein user terminal and gateway wireless communications are modulated with spreading codes, and wherein said determining means includes means for determining at least one of a number of spreading codes that are in use on the forward link and a number of spreading codes that are in use on the reverse link between said user terminal and said gateway.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 22 words

A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said determining means includes means for determining a location of the user terminal.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 21 words

A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said determining means includes means for determining a type of user terminal.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 65 words

A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the gateway includes at least one of a voice coder and a data coder operating at a predetermined frame rate, and wherein said determining means samples an amount of satellite system resources that are in use for maintaining the wireless connection with the user terminal at the frame rate or a multiple of the frame rate.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 211 words

A satellite communication system, comprising: a constellation of earth orbiting satellites; at least one terrestrially located user terminal; at least one terrestrially located gateway, said gateway including means for establishing a bidirectional spread spectrum, power controlled wireless communication connection between a terrestrial communications system and said at least one user terminal through at least one of said satellites; at least one terrestrially located control center; a terrestrially located data network coupling said at least one gateway to said at least one control center; wherein, said at least one gateway includes means for periodically recording data during a wireless bidirectional communication connection with a user terminal, said data being expressive at least of an identity of the user terminal and an amount of satellite communication system resources that are consumed in order to provide the wireless bidirectional communication connection, and wherein said gateway includes means for outputting said recorded data to said data network for reception by said control center; and said control center includes means for processing the system usage data to derive a historical record of the system usage, for employing the historical record to predict a future system usage, and for allocating satellite system resources to said at least one gateway in accordance with the predicted future system usage.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 211 words

A satellite communication system, comprising: a constellation of earth orbiting satellites; at least one terrestrially located user terminal; at least one terrestrially located gateway, said gateway including means for establishing a bidirectional spread spectrum, power controlled wireless communication connection between a terrestrial communications system and said at least one user terminal through at least one of said satellites; at least one terrestrially located control center; a terrestrially located data network coupling said at least one gateway to said at least one control center; wherein, said at least one gateway includes means for periodically recording data during a wireless bidirectional communication connection with a user terminal, said data being expressive at least of an identity of the user terminal and an amount of satellite communication system resources that are consumed in order to provide the wireless bidirectional communication connection, and wherein said gateway includes means for outputting said recorded data to said data network for reception by said control center; and said control center includes means for processing the system usage data to derive a historical record of the system usage, for employing the historical record to predict a future system usage, and for allocating satellite system resources to said at least one gateway in accordance with the predicted future system usage.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 50 words

A system as set forth in claim 20, wherein said recorded data is expressive of an amount of forward link power and an amount of reverse link power used to maintain the wireless bidirectional communication connection, and one of a forward link transmission rate and a reverse link transmission rate.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 28 words

A system as set forth in claim 20, wherein said recorded data is expressive of a number of satellites through which the wireless bidirectional communication connection is maintained.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 42 words

A system as set forth in claim 20, wherein said recorded data is expressive of a number of spreading codes that are in use on the forward link and a number of spreading codes that are in use on the reverse link.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 46 words

A system as set forth in claim 20, wherein the gateway includes at least one of a voice coder and a data coder operating at a predetermined frame rate, and wherein the data is recorded at the frame rate or a multiple of the frame rate.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 23 words

A system as set forth in claim 20, wherein said constellation of earth orbiting satellites comprise a constellation of low earth orbiting satellites.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 31 words

A system as set forth in claim 20, wherein said constellation of earth orbiting satellites comprise a plurality of satellites distributed in n orbital planes with m equally-spaced satellites per plane.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 21 words

A system as set forth in claim 26, wherein n is equal to eight and wherein m is equal to six.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 34 words

A system as set forth in claim 26, wherein the orbital planes are inclined at approximately 52 degrees with respect to the equator, and wherein each satellite completes an orbit in approximately 114 minutes.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 20 words

A system as set forth in claim 20, wherein said recorded data is employed to modify a fixed connection rate.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2000-09-01	2001-03-03	2001-09-02	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2004-09-01	2005-03-03	2005-09-02	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2008-09-01	2009-03-03	2009-09-02	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method for accounting for user terminal connection to a satellite communications system

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