Method and apparatus for increasing call-handling capacity using a multi-tier satellite network

A low earth orbit (LEO) satellite of a communication system, the LEO satellite comprising:

• a crosslink transceiver comprising means for establishing a space-based LEO crosslink with at least one other LEO satellite;
• an uplink transceiver comprising means for establishing a space-based LEO-GEO link with a geosynchronous (GEO) satellite;
• a downlink transceiver comprising means for establishing a link with a ground device, the transceivers for receiving and transmitting data packets;
• and
• a processor, coupled to the transceivers, comprising means for evaluating routing information contained within the data packets, wherein when the routing information indicates that a data packet is a non delay-sensitive data packet, the processor routes the data packet to a GEO satellite of the communication system using the space-based LEO-GEO link, at least one LEO-GEO link being used for routing non delay-sensitive data packets between LEO satellites, and wherein when the routing information indicates that the data packet is a delay-sensitive data packet, the processor routes the data packet to another LEO satellite of the communication system using the crosslink transceiver, at least one LEO crosslink being used for routing delay-sensitive data packets between the LEO satellites.

A geosynchronous (GEO) satellite of a communication system, the GEO satellite comprising:

• a crosslink transceiver comprising means for establishing a space-based GEO crosslink with at least one other GEO satellite;
• a downlink transceiver comprising means for establishing a space-based LEO-GEO link with a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, the transceivers for receiving and transmitting data packets, wherein the GEO satellite is dedicated to routing non delay-sensitive data packets;
• and
• a processor, coupled to the transceivers, comprising means for identifying a destination of a non delay-sensitive data packet, and processing the non delay-sensitive data packet according to the destination, wherein the processor routes the non delay-sensitive data packet to another GEO satellite using the GEO crosslink or to a LEO satellite using the LEO-GEO link.

A method for registering a communication unit of a satellite communication system, the satellite communication system including at least one geosynchronous (GEO) satellite tier and at least one non-geosynchronous (NGEO) satellite tier, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving registration information by a NGEO satellite when the communication unit initiates a registration procedure;
• identifying, by the NGEO satellite, the registration information as non delay-sensitive data;
• sending, by the NGEO satellite, the registration information to a GEO satellite via a space-based NGEO-GEO link which is dedicated to routing non delay-sensitive data;
• receiving, by the GEO satellite, the registration information from the NGEO satellite via the space-based NGEO-GEO link between the NGEO satellite and the GEO satellite;
• and
• routing, by the GEO satellite, the registration information to a ground based facility through a LEO satellite, thereby enabling the communication unit to be registered with the satellite communication system.