Apparatus and method for self synchronization in a digital data wireless communication system

A method for providing wireless communication, the method comprising the steps of:

• acquiring a position signal from a receiving station, the position signal indicating a geographic location of the receiving station relative to a universal positioning system;
• obtaining a time slot within a multiple access communication channel for communicating with the receiving station;
• determining a time delay that indicates a propagation delay in transmitting to the receiving station, the time delay based on the position signal;
• and
• transmitting data to the receiving station prior to a start of the time slot by an amount of time indicated in the time delay.

A method for time slot synchronization in a multiple access communication network having a transmitting station and a receiving station, the method comprising the steps of:

• obtaining a Global Positioning System (GPS) position of the receiving station;
• acquiring a first time slot temporal position associated with a first communication channel;
• determining a first time delay representing a delay in transmission from the transmitting station to the receiving station, the first time delay based on the GPS position of the receiving station;
• and
• advancing transmission of data to the receiving station before the first time slot temporal position by an amount of time indicated by the first time delay so that the transmission coincides with a start of the first time slot temporal position.

A wireless communication system, said system comprising:

• a satellite communication system that emits one or more position signals;
• a multiple access radio communication link that enables communication between a mobile station and a base station;
• a base station, including:
• a first receiver that receives a first one of the position signals;
• a first transmitter/receiver that enables communication through the multiplex access radio communication link;
• and
• a first processing unit that receives the first position signal and determines a geographic location of the base station based on the first position signal, that transmits the geographic location to a mobile station, and that assigns time slots for application on the multiplex access radio communication link;
• and
• at least one mobile station, including:
• a second transmitter/receiver that enables communication through the multiplex access radio communication link;
• and
• a second processing unit that receives a first time slot for communication with the base station, that receives the geographic location of the base station, and that advances transmissions to the base station before the first assigned time slot by a time delay that is based on the geographic location of the base station so that the transmission coincides with a start of the first time slot.