Satellite communications system having distributed user assignment and resource assignment with terrestrial gateways

A satellite communications system, comprising:

• at least one user terminal comprising a first transceiver for transmitting signals, including a request for service signal, to a first RF link and for receiving signals from said first RF link;
• at least one satellite comprising means for receiving signals from and for transmitting signals to said first Rf link and for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from a second RF link;
• and
• at least one gateway, said at least one gateway having at least one service area associated therewith and comprising a second transceiver for transmitting signals to and for receiving signals from said second RF link, said second transceiver being bidirectionally coupled to at least one terrestrial communication network for forwarding a communication signal for said at least one user terminal from said at least one communication network to said second RF link and for forwarding a communication signal from said at least one user terminal from said second RF link to said at least one communication network, said at least one gateway further comprising decision means having an input for receiving, from said second RF link, a request for service signal from said at least one user terminal, said decision means operating to determine whether to accept or not accept the request for service from a requesting user terminal in accordance with at least one criterion, wherein said decision means of said at least one gateway makes a decision as to whether to accept a requesting user terminal or to not accept a requesting user terminal based on said least one criterion being fulfilled and without requiring decision making assistance from said at least one satellite.

A method for operating a telecommunications system having at least one earth orbiting satellite for conveying signals between a user terminal and one of a plurality of gateways, at least one of the gateways being coupled to a terrestrial telecommunications system, comprising the steps of:

• in the user terminal, attempting to receive a signal from a last-used gateway;
• if successful, transmitting an access request to the last-used gateway;
• if unsuccessful, attempting to receive a predetermined communications channel;
• if successful, obtaining a list of gateways from a gateway transmitting the predetermined communications channel and storing the list of gateways within the user terminal;
• determining if a predetermined gateway is included within the list of gateways and, if yes, transmitting an access request from the user terminal to the predetermined gateway;
• if the predetermined gateway is determined to not be included within the list, selecting one of the gateways from the list and transmitting the access request to the selected gateway;
• and
• in a gateway receiving the transmitted access request through said at least one satellite, making a decision as to whether to accept the user terminal that transmitted the access request or to not accept the user terminal based on at least one criterion being fulfilled and without requiring decision making assistance from the at least one satellite.

A method for operating a telecommunications system having at least one earth orbiting satellite for conveying signals between a user terminal and one of a plurality of gateways, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a service request that is transmitted from the user terminal, the service request being received at a first gateway and indicating a destination telephone number to which a call is to be placed;
• determining in the first gateway if the first gateway is capable of serving the destination telephone number;
• and, if not,
• transmitting a message to the user terminal, the message rejecting the service request and including an indication of another gateway that is capable of serving the destination telephone number.

A method for operating a telecommunications system having at least one earth orbiting satellite for conveying signals between a user terminal and one of a plurality of gateways, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a service request that is transmitted from the user terminal, the service request being received at a first gateway and indicating a destination telephone number to which a call is to be placed;
• determining in the first gateway if the first gateway can connect the call to the destination telephone number at less expense than another gateway can connect the call to the destination telephone number;
• and, if not,
• transmitting a message to the user terminal from the first gateway, the message rejecting the service request and including an indication of at least one other gateway that is determined to be capable of connecting the call with less expense than the first gateway.