Method and apparatus for considering user terminal transmitted power during operation in a plurality of different communication systems

A method for operating a communications system, comprising the steps of:

• establishing a wireless connection with a user terminal through a forward link and a return link;
• determining, during the connection, if an averaged transmitted power density associated with an antenna of the user terminal will equal or exceed, relative to a user of the terminal, at least one of a predetermined threshold level within a specified unit of time, and an absolute threshold level;
• and
• taking action to reduce or eliminate the transmitted power of the user terminal at a time prior to or when the averaged transmitted power density level equals or exceeds the threshold level;
• wherein
• the step of determining includes a step of considering an amount of power radiated by the user terminal in a satellite communications system as well as in another communications system;
• and
• wherein the step of establishing a wireless connection includes a step of assigning at least one communications system parameter to the user terminal based at least in part on a historical record of how quickly the user terminal approaches the threshold.

A method for operating a communications system, comprising the steps of:

• establishing a wireless connection with a user terminal through a forward link and a return link;
• determining, during the connection, if an averaged transmitted power density associated with an antenna of the user terminal will equal or exceed, relative to a user of the terminal, at least one of a predetermined threshold level, within a specified unit of time, and an absolute threshold level;
• and
• taking action to reduce or eliminate the transmitted power of the user terminal at a time prior to or when the averaged transmitted power density level equals or exceeds the threshold level;
• wherein
• the step of determining includes a step of considering an amount of power radiated by the user terminal in a satellite communications system as well as in another communications system;
• and
• wherein the step of determining includes a preliminary step of receiving information from the other communications system for indicating an amount of transmitted power radiated by the user terminal in the other communications system, and wherein the step of determining weights the information received from the other communications system differently than information that is derived by a system that performs the step of determining.

A method for operating a communications system, comprising the steps of:

• establishing a wireless connection with a user terminal through a forward link and a return link;
• determining, during the connection, if an averaged transmitted power density associated with an antenna of the user terminal will equal or exceed, relative to a user of the terminal, at least one of a predetermined threshold level, within a specified unit of time, and an absolute threshold level;
• and
• taking action to reduce or eliminate the transmitted power of the user terminal at a time prior to or when the averaged transmitted power density level equals or exceeds the threshold level;
• wherein
• the step of determining includes a step of considering an amount of power radiated by the user terminal in a satellite communications system as well as in another communications system;
• and
• wherein the step of determining includes a preliminary step of receiving information from the other communications system, via the user terminal, for indicating an amount of power radiated by the user terminal when operating in the other communications system.

A communication system, comprising:

• a satellite communication system comprising at least one gateway and at least one earth orbiting satellite;
• a terrestrial communication system comprising at least one base station;
• at least one user terminal comprising circuitry for communicating with either said satellite communication system or with said terrestrial communication system;
• said at least one gateway and said at least one base station each comprising means for establishing and conveying a bidirectional, power controlled RF communication connection between one or more terrestrial telecommunications systems and said at least one user terminal;
• and
• a controller for determining, based at least in part on information derived from user terminal power control information in said satellite communications system as well as in said terrestrial communications system, if an averaged transmitted power density associated with an antenna of said user terminal will equal or exceed, relative to a user of said user terminal, at least one of a predetermined threshold level, within a specified unit of time, or an absolute threshold level, said controller being operable for taking action to reduce or eliminate an amount of user terminal transmitted power at a time prior to or when the averaged transmitted power density level equals or exceeds the threshold level;
• wherein said controller is coupled to a controller of said terrestrial communication system, via a communications networks, for receiving information from said controller of said terrestrial communication system, the information indicating an amount of transmitted power radiated by the user terminal when operating in said terrestrial communications system.

A communication system, comprising:

• a satellite communication system comprising at least one gateway and at least one earth orbiting satellite;
• a terrestrial communication system comprising at least one base station;
• at least one user terminal comprising circuitry for communicating with either said satellite communication system or with said terrestrial communication system;
• said at least one gateway and said at least one base station each comprising means for establishing and conveying a bidirectional, power controlled RF communication connection between one or more terrestrial telecommunications systems and said at least one user terminal;
• and
• a controller associated with one of said satellite communication system or said terrestrial communication system, said controller operating for determining, based at least in part on information derived from user terminal power control information in said satellite communications system as well as in said terrestrial
• communications system, if an averaged transmitted power density associated with an antenna of said user terminal will equal or exceed, relative to a user of said user terminal, at least one of a predetermined threshold level, within a specified unit of time, or an absolute threshold level, said controller being operable for taking action to reduce or eliminate an amount of user terminal transmitted power at a time prior to or when the averaged transmitted power density level equals or exceeds the threshold level;
• wherein said controller associated with said one of said satellite communication system or said terrestrial communication system is coupled to a controller of the other communication system, via said user terminal, for receiving information from the other controller, the information indicating an amount of transmitted power radiated by the user terminal when operating in the other communications system.

A communication system, comprising:

• a satellite communication system comprising at least one gateway and at least one earth orbiting satellite;
• a terrestrial communication system comprising at least one base station;
• at least one user terminal comprising circuitry for communicating with either said satellite communication system or with said terrestrial communication system;
• said at least one gateway and said at least one base station each comprising means for establishing and conveying a bidirectional, power controlled RF communication connection between one or more terrestrial telecommunications systems and said at least one user terminal;
• and
• a controller for determining, based at least in part on information derived from user terminal power control information in said satellite communications system as well as in said terrestrial communications system, if an averaged transmitted power density associated with an antenna of said user terminal will equal or exceed, relative to a user of said user terminal, at least one of a predetermined threshold level, within a specified unit of time, or an absolute threshold level, said controller being operable for taking action to reduce or eliminate an amount of user terminal transmitted power at a time prior to or when the averaged transmitted power density level equals or exceeds the threshold level;
• wherein said controller takes action to reduce the transmitted power of said user terminal by at least one of assigning said user terminal to another frequency channel, assigning said user terminal to another time slot, changing a number of satellites through which said user terminal is communicating, or by changing a data rate at which said user terminal is transmitting.

A communication system, comprising:

• a satellite communication system comprising at least one gateway and at least one earth orbiting satellite;
• a terrestrial communication system comprising at least one base station;
• at least one user terminal comprising circuitry for communicating with either said satellite communication system or with said terrestrial communication system;
• said at least one gateway and said at least one base station each comprising means for establishing and conveying a bidirectional, power controlled RF communication connection between one or more terrestrial telecommunications systems and said at least one user terminal;
• and
• a controller for determining, based at least in part on information derived from user terminal power control information in said satellite communications system as well as in said terrestrial communications system, if an averaged transmitted power density associated with an antenna of said user terminal will equal or exceed, relative to a user of said user terminal, at least one of a predetermined threshold level, within a specified unit of time, or an absolute threshold level, said controller being operable for taking action to reduce or eliminate an amount of user terminal transmitted power at a time prior to or when the averaged transmitted power density level equals or exceeds the threshold level;
• wherein said controller establishes a wireless connection with said user terminal by assigning at least one communications system parameter to said user terminal based at least in part on a historical record of how quickly said user terminal approaches the threshold.

A communication system, comprising:

• a satellite communication system comprising at least one gateway and at least one earth orbiting satellite;
• a terrestrial communication system comprising at least one base station;
• at least one user terminal comprising circuitry for communicating with either said satellite communication system or with said terrestrial communication system;
• said at least one gateway and said at least one base station each comprising means for establishing and conveying a bidirectional, power controlled RF communication connection between one or more terrestrial telecommunications systems and said at least one user terminal;
• and
• a controller associated with one of said satellite communication system or said terrestrial communication system, said controller operating for determining, based at least in part on information derived from user terminal power control information in said satellite communications system as well as in said terrestrial communications system, if an averaged transmitted power density associated with an antenna of said user terminal will equal or exceed, relative to a user of said user terminal, at least one of a predetermined threshold level, within a specified unit of time, or an absolute threshold level, said controller being operable for taking action to reduce or eliminate an amount of user terminal transmitted power at a time prior to or when the averaged transmitted power density level equals or exceeds the threshold level;
• wherein said controller associated with said one of said satellite communication system or said terrestrial communication system receives and stores information from the other communication system for indicating an amount of transmitted power radiated by the user terminal in the other communications system, and weights the information received from the other communication system differently than information derived by the controller.

A method for conducting wireless communications, comprising the steps of:

• establishing a wireless connection with a user terminal through a forward link and
• a return link;
• determining, during the connection, if an averaged transmitted power density associated with an antenna of the user terminal will equal or exceed, relative to a user of the terminal, at least one of a predetermined threshold level, within a specified unit of time, and an absolute threshold level;
• and
• taking action to reduce or eliminate the transmitted power of the user terminal at a time prior to or when the averaged transmitted power density level equals or exceeds the threshold level;
• wherein
• the step of determining includes a step of considering an amount of power radiated by the user terminal in a first wireless communications system with which the user terminal currently has an established wireless connection, as well as power radiated by the user terminal in a second wireless communications system with which the user terminal previously had an established wireless connection, the step of determining including a step of sending, from the second wireless communication system to the first wireless communication system, information that is descriptive of an amount of power that was radiated by the user terminal when the user terminal previously had an established wireless connection with the second wireless communication system.