Global mobile paging system

Claim 2

A communications system, comprising: a satellite system component that includes at least one satellite; and at least one terrestrial gateway that comprises a transmitter and a receiver for being bidirectionally coupled to said at least one satellite; said communications system further comprising at least one terrestrial paging system; and at least one user unit for being wirelessly coupled to said at least one terrestrial gateway, through said at least one satellite, or to said at least one terrestrial paging system; wherein said at least one gateway comprises a paging system for receiving a page message for said at least one user unit, for storing said received page message, and for attempting to selectively deliver said received page message to said user unit through one of said at least one satellite or through said terrestrial paging system; and further comprising at least one virtual gateway that is bidirectionally coupled to said terrestrial paging system and to said at least one gateway through said at least one satellite, said virtual gateway being responsive to an assignment of satellite system component resources from said at least one gateway through said at least one satellite for using the assigned satellite system component resources for receiving a page message for said at least one user unit, and for inputting the received page message into said terrestrial paging system.

Claim 3

A communications system as in claim 1, wherein said at least one gateway is bidirectionally coupled to said at least one terrestrial paging system through said at least one satellite, said virtual gateway, and a pager interface unit.

Claim 4

A communications system as in claim 2, wherein said pager interface unit is comprised of a pager message and retrieval system for storing a page message until it is determined that the page message can be one of successfully delivered or not successfully delivered to the user unit via the terrestrial paging system.

Claim 5

A communications system as in claim 2, wherein said pager interface unit is further comprised of means, responsive to an acknowledgement of page message delivery through said at least one terrestrial paging system, for storing an indication of the delivery of the page message and for transmitting the stored indication to said at least one gateway through said virtual gateway and said at least one satellite.

Claim 6

A communications system as in claim 1, wherein said at least one gateway selectively delivers said received page message based on a content of at least one of a Home Location Register or a Visitor Location Register.

Claim 7

A communications system as in claim 1, wherein said at least one gateway selectively delivers said stored page message using at least one retry through an originally selected page message delivery route or through an alternate page message delivery route.

Claim 8

A communications system as in claim 1, wherein said system is further comprised of means, responsive to an acknowledgement of page message delivery, for recording the delivery of the page message for billing purposes.

Claim 9

A communications system as in claim 1, wherein said system is responsive to a case where the attempted delivery of the page message is unsuccessful for, at some future time, informing a user of the user unit of the existence of the stored page message and, in response to a request from the user, retrieving and delivering the stored page message.

Claim 10

A communications system, comprising: a satellite system component comprised of at least one satellite; and at least one terrestrial gateway that comprises a transmitter and a receiver for being bidirectionally coupled to said at least one satellite; said communications system further comprising at least one terrestrial paging system; and at least one user unit for being wirelessly coupled to said at least one terrestrial paging system; wherein said at least one gateway comprises a paging system for receiving a page message for said at least one user unit, for storing said received page message, and for delivering said received page message to said user unit through said terrestrial paging system through said at least one satellite, a virtual gateway, and a pager interface unit; and wherein said virtual gateway is bidirectionally coupled to said terrestrial paging system and to said at least one gateway through said at least one satellite, said virtual gateway being responsive to an assignment of satellite system component resources from said at least one gateway through said at least one satellite for using the assigned satellite system component resources for receiving a page message for said at least one user unit, and for inputting the received page message into said terrestrial paging system.

Claim 11

A communications system, comprising: a satellite system component comprised of at least one satellite; and at least one terrestrial gateway that comprises a transmitter and a receiver for being bidirectionally coupled to said at least one satellite; said communications system further comprising at least one terrestrial paging system; and at least one user unit for being wirelessly coupled to said at least one terrestrial paging system; wherein said at least one gateway comprises a paging system for receiving a page message for said at least one user unit, for storing said received page message, and for delivering said received page message to said user unit through said terrestrial paging system through said at least one satellite, a virtual gateway, and a pager interface unit; and wherein said virtual gateway is bidirectionally coupled to said terrestrial paging system and to said at least one gateway through said at least one satellite, said virtual gateway being responsive to an assignment of satellite system component resources from said at least one gateway through said at least one satellite for using the assigned satellite system component resources for receiving a page message for said at least one user unit, and for inputting the received page message into said terrestrial paging system.

Claim 12

A communications system as in claim 9, wherein said pager interface unit is comprised of a pager message and retrieval system for storing a page message until it is determined that the page message can be one of successfully delivered or not successfully delivered to the user unit via the terrestrial paging system.

Claim 13

A communications system as in claim 9, wherein said at least one gateway selects a virtual gateway and terrestrial paging system based on a content of at least one of a Home Location Register or a Visitor Location Register.

Claim 14

A communications system as in claim 9, wherein said system is further comprised of means, responsive to an acknowledgement of page message delivery, for recording the delivery of the page message for billing purposes.

Claim 15

A communications system as in claim 9, wherein said pager interface unit is further comprised of means, responsive to an acknowledgement of page message delivery through said at least one terrestrial paging system, for storing an indication of the delivery of the page message and for transmitting the stored indication to said at least one gateway through said virtual gateway and said at least one satellite.

Claim 18

A method as in claim 14, wherein if the attempted delivery is not successful using the selected method, further comprising the step of attempting to deliver the page message using the other method.

Claim 19

A method as in claim 14, and further comprising a step of transmitting a page message delivered acknowledgement signal to a home gateway of the user unit.

Claim 20

A method as in claim 16, wherein the page message delivered acknowledgement signal originates at the user unit.

Claim 21

A method as in claim 16, wherein the page message delivered acknowledgement signal originates at the terrestrial paging system.

Claim 22

A method as in claim 16, wherein the page message delivered acknowledgement signal originates at the gateway.

Claim 23

A method as in claim 14, and for a case where the attempted delivery of the page message is unsuccessful, further comprising steps of: at some future time, informing a user of the user unit of the existence of the stored page message; and in response to a request from the user, retrieving and delivering the stored page message.

Claim 24

A method as in claim 14, wherein the page message is first received at a first gateway, and is routed to a second gateway for delivery to the user unit.

Claim 25

A method as in claim 21, wherein the page message is routed at least partially through a terrestrial communications network.

Claim 26

A method as in claim 21, wherein the page message is routed at least partially through a satellite communications network.

Claim 27

A method as in claim 23, wherein the page message is temporarily stored aboard at least one satellite when being routed at least partially through the satellite communications network.

Claim 30

A method as in claim 25, wherein if the attempted delivery is not successful using the selected method, further comprising the step of attempting to deliver the page message using the other method.

Claim 31

A method as in claim 25, and further comprising a step of transmitting a page message delivered acknowledgement signal to the first terrestrial gateway.

Claim 32

A method as in claim 27, wherein the page message delivered acknowledgement signal originates at the user unit.

Claim 33

A method as in claim 27, wherein the page message delivered acknowledgement signal originates at the terrestrial paging system.

Claim 34

A method as in claim 27, wherein the page message delivered acknowledgement signal originates at the second terrestrial gateway.

Claim 35

A method as in claim 25, and for a case where the attempted delivery of the page message is unsuccessful, further comprising steps of: at some future time, informing a user of the user unit of the existence of the stored page message; and in response to a request from the user, retrieving and delivering the stored page message.

Claim 36

A method as in claim 25, wherein the step of routing occurs at least partially through a terrestrial communications network.

Claim 37

A method as in claim 25, wherein the step of routing occurs at least partially through a satellite communications network.

Claim 38

A method as in claim 33, wherein the page message is temporarily stored aboard at least one satellite when being routed at least partially through the satellite communications network.

Claim 39

A communications system, comprising: a non-geosynchronous constellation of satellites disposed in a Walker orbital configuration; at least one terrestrial gateway comprising at least one first RF transceiver for bidirectionally coupling said gateway to at least one satellite of said constellation of satellites, said gateway also being bidirectionally coupled to a terrestrial telecommunications system; and a plurality of user terminals each comprising at least one second RF transceiver for being wirelessly coupled to said at least one terrestrial gateway, through said at least one satellite, or to a terrestrial paging system; wherein said at least one gateway comprises a paging system for receiving page messages for individual ones of said plurality of user terminals and for attempting to selectively deliver received page messages to appropriate ones of said plurality of user terminals through said constellation of satellites or through said terrestrial paging system; and further comprising at least one virtual gateway that is bidirectionally coupled to said terrestrial paging system and also to said at least one gateway through said at least one satellite, said virtual gateway being responsive to an assignment of at least one satellite channel from said at least one gateway for using the assigned satellite channel for receiving a page message for one of said user terminals, and for forwarding the received page message to said terrestrial paging system.

Claim 40

A communications system, comprising: a non-geosynchronous constellation of satellites disposed in a Walker orbital configuration; at least one terrestrial gateway comprising at least one first RF transceiver for bidirectionally coupling said gateway to at least one satellite of said constellation of satellites, said gateway also being bidirectionally coupled to a terrestrial telecommunications system; and a plurality of user terminals each comprising at least one second RF transceiver for being wirelessly coupled to said at least one terrestrial gateway, through said at least one satellite, or to a terrestrial paging system; wherein said at least one gateway comprises a paging system for receiving page messages for individual ones of said plurality of user terminals and for attempting to selectively deliver received page messages to appropriate ones of said plurality of user terminals through said constellation of satellites or through said terrestrial paging system; and further comprising at least one virtual gateway that is bidirectionally coupled to said terrestrial paging system and also to said at least one gateway through said at least one satellite, said virtual gateway being responsive to an assignment of at least one satellite channel from said at least one gateway for using the assigned satellite channel for receiving a page message for one of said user terminals, and for forwarding the received page message to said terrestrial paging system.