Method and system for time division multiple access satellite telecommunications
AssigneeAlcatel Espace
InventorSylvain Fontanes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A frame (T) is sub-divided into identical time slots (61, 62, . . . , 6N) of fixed duration, each of which is capable of containing at least one lowest data rate telephone channel. These time slots are assigned on demand so that a new call is spread over one or more bursts (81, 82, 83, 84) which are located in available ones of said time slots, or else in space which may be left available in time slots which are already partially occupied by other, low data rate calls.
Claims5
A TDMA satellite communications method in which plural orginating stations transmit data over respective channels in the form of bursts at different corresponding data rates, comprising the steps of:
- establishing a common transmission frame for plural ones of said channels, said frame being divided into indentical time slots of fixed duration, said fixed duration corresponding to a length of a single burst of a lowest data rate plus guard gaps;
- at each said station originating a new call, assigning to itself for said new call at least one time slot left available by other calls in progress without reassigning any of said time slots among said calls in progress, a number of said time slots assigned to each call being dependent upon the data rate of the call, no more than a single time slot being assigned to a call at said lowest data rate;
- and
- terminating a call by interrupting transmission in said time slot assigned thereto.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.