US 6,643,273 B2 · Satellite communication system

Abstract

A communication system for multimedia having a plurality of mobile and fixed terminals. The system links terrestrial communication systems together through a network of non-geostationary satellites. The terrestrial communication systems include fixed location, mobile, and portable communication systems. The satellites communicate with a communication protocol similar to terrestrial communication protocols. This reduces protocol conversion. The source and destination addressing uses static terrestrial cells for the uplink and the downlink. Terminal data stream is segmented into communication packets at the terrestrial gateway based on the uplink satellite's determination of system parameters. The non-geostationary satellites route the communication packets the satellites. The control satellite dynamically balances up-links and down-links in the terrestrial areas with over-lapping satellite coverage.

Claims73

Dependent claims

A method of providing satellite communication among a source terminal, a plurality of communication satellites and a destination terminal, the method comprising:

determining an optimal packet length;
creating packets having the optimal length;
determining an optimal route for each packet among the communication satellites from the source terminal to the destination terminal;
transmitting at least one of the created packets from the source terminal to a source gateway utilizing a structured communication protocol;
transmitting at least one of the created packets from the source gateway to a first of the communications satellites, among the communications satellites, and to a destination gateway utilizing a satellite communication protocol substantially similar to the structured communication protocol;
and
transmitting at least one of the created packets from the destination gateway to the destination terminal utilizing the structured communication protocol.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Satellite communication system

Life of this patent

Satellite communication system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims73