# US 11,121,764 B2 · Network access management > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,121,764 B2 - Document ID: US11121764B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/072,985 - Filed: 2020-10-16 - Published: 2021-04-22 - Granted: 2021-09-14 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-18 - Assignees: AST & Science, LLC - Applicants: AST & Science, LLC - Inventors: Huiwen Yao; Abel Avellan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11121764B2 ## CPC - H04B 7/18513: {Transmission in a satellite or space-based system} - H01Q 3/2605: {Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays} - H01Q 5/50: Feeding or matching arrangements for broad-band or multi-band operation - H01Q 25/00: Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns (arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00) - H04B 7/10: Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity - H04B 7/1851: {Systems using a satellite or space-based relay (H04B7/18508, H04B7/18521 take precedence; providing specific services H04B7/18523 - H04B7/18576)} - H04B 7/18517: {Transmission equipment in earth stations} - H04B 7/18523: {Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service (arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20)} - H04B 7/18539: {Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection} - H04B 7/18578: {Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations (for selecting H04W; provisions for broadband connection, H04Q11/0478)} - H04B 7/2041: {Spot beam multiple access} - H04W 16/28: using beam steering - H04W 48/20: Selecting an access point - H04W 76/10: Connection setup - H04W 84/06: Airborne or Satellite Networks (space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Within a satellite communications system, a base station communicates with standard compliant user equipment (UE) via a satellite having a field of view. The base station has a processor that instructs the satellite to generate a wide beam signal covering a plurality of cells in the field of view, and detects an access request from a user equipment within the plurality of cells over the wide beam signal. The base station, comprising a processing device such as an eNodeB, then generates one or more network broadcast/access signals that is uplink to a satellite and broadcasted via one or more nominal beams generated by the satellite, covering all the inactive cells, one of the plurality of cells having the access request. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A satellite communications system comprising: a base station communicating with standard compliant user equipment (UE) via a satellite having a field of view, said base station comprising a processing device via the satellite generating a network broadcasting signal over a wide beam signal covering a plurality of cells in the field of view, detecting an access request from a user equipment within the plurality of cells over the wide beam signal; and generating, in response to detecting an access request from a user equipment within the wide beam signal, a network broadcasting signal over one or more nominal beam signals each covering one of the plurality of cells, and determining, via the one or more nominal beam signals, which one of the plurality of cells has the detected access request. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The satellite system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of wide beam signals, each covering a different respective plurality of cells. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The satellite system of claim 1, the one or more nominal beam signals establishing a connection with the user equipment over a new nominal beam signal to conduct communications with the user equipment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The satellite system of claim 3, wherein said processing device is configured to maintain a list of active user equipment connections and include the established connection in the list of active user equipment connections. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The satellite system of claim 1, further comprising detecting a plurality of access requests and generating respective nominal beam signals for each one of the plurality of cells having at least one connect request. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The satellite system of claim 1, wherein said processing device minimizes the total bandwidth usage related to network broadcast for forward beams and access request for return beams over the cells without existing connected UEs, wherein the forward beams are from the satellite to the cells, and the return beams are from the cells to the satellite. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The satellite system of claim 1, wherein said user equipment comprises standard cellular phones. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The satellite system of claim 1, wherein the one or more nominal beam signals each cover one of the plurality of cells having no previously connected UE. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The satellite system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cells include an active cell having one or more connected UE and an inactive cell having no connected UEs, said processing device generating an active nominal beam signal covering each active cell and determining which one of the inactive cells of the plurality of cells has the detected access request. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The satellite system of claim 1, wherein the wide beam signal has a different frequency than the one or more nominal beam signals. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The satellite system of claim 1, wherein the wide beam signal has a same frequency as the one or more nominal beam signals. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The satellite system of claim 1, wherein said base station, via the satellite, allows the user equipment to attach to the network via a nominal beam signal corresponding to the determined one of the plurality of cells that has the detected access request. ### Claim 13 A base station communicating with standard compliant user equipment (UE) via a satellite having a field of view, said base station comprising a processing device via the satellite generating a network broadcasting signal over a wide beam signal covering a plurality of cells in the field of view, detecting an access request from a user equipment within the plurality of cells over the wide beam signal, generating in response to detecting an access request from a user equipment within the wide beam signal, a network broadcasting signal over one or more nominal beam signals each covering one of the plurality of cells, and determining, via the one or more nominal beam signals, which one of the plurality of cells has the detected access request. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The base station of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of wide beam signals, each covering a different respective plurality of cells. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The base station of claim 13, the one or more nominal beam signals establishing a connection with the user equipment to conduct communications with the user equipment. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The base station of claim 14, said processing device is configured to maintain a list of active user equipment connections and include the established connection in the list of active user equipment connections. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The base station of claim 13, further comprising detecting a plurality of access requests and generating respective nominal beam signals for each one of the plurality of cells having at least one connect request. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The base station of claim 13, wherein said processing device minimizes the total bandwidth usage related to network broadcast for forward beams and access request for return beams over the cells without existing connected UEs, wherein the forward beams are from the satellite to the cells, and the return beams are from the cells to the satellite. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The base station of claim 13, wherein said user equipment comprises standard cellular phones. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The base station of claim 13, wherein the one or more nominal beam signals each cover one of the plurality of cells having no previously connected UE. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The base station of claim 13, wherein the plurality of cells include an active cell having one or more connected UE and an inactive cell having no connected UEs, said processing device generating an active nominal beam signal covering each active cell and determining which one of the inactive cells of the plurality of cells has the detected access request. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The base station of claim 13, wherein the wide beam signal has a different frequency than the one or more nominal beam signals. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The base station of claim 13, wherein the wide beam signal has same frequency as the one or more nominal beam signals. ### Claim 24 A method for satellite communication: generating at a base station processing device, a first network broadcasting signal over a wide beam signal covering a plurality of cells in a field of view; detecting at the base station processing device, a first access request from a user equipment within the plurality of cells over the wide beam signal; generating at the base station processing device, in response to detecting an access request from a user equipment within the wide beam signal, a second network broadcasting signal over one or more nominal beam signals each covering one of the plurality of cells; and detecting at the base station processing device, a second access request from a user equipment within the one or more nominal beam signals to determine a cell from amongst the plurality of cells at which the UE is located. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein generating the first network broadcasting signal, detecting the access request, generating the second network broadcasting signal, and detecting the second access request are via one or more satellites. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising a step of establishing at the base station processing device, a communication link with the UE at the determined cell over a new nominal beam signal. ### Claim 27 (depends on 13) The base station of claim 13, further configured to, via the satellite, allow the user equipment to attach to the network via a nominal beam signal corresponding to the determined one of the plurality of cells that has the detected access request.