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 Title: |
US6052587:
Signal assessed user terminal system access in satellite communication systems
[ Derwent Title ]
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| Country: |
US United States of America
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| Inventor: |
Moraes, Jose Luiz Albuquerque; Middlesex, United Kingdom
Lu, Sze-Ching; Surrey, United Kingdom
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| Assignee: |
ICO Services Ltd., London, United Kingdom
other patents from ICO SERVICES LTD. (762886) (approx. 19)
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| Published / Filed: |
2000-04-18
/ 1997-08-22
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| Application Number: |
US1997000916334
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| IPC Code: |
Advanced:
H04B 7/15;
H04B 7/185;
H04B 7/26;
H04B 17/00;
H04H 1/00;
IPC-7:
H04Q 7/38;
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| ECLA Code: |
H04B7/185M6;
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| U.S. Class: |
Current:
455/430;
455/013.1;
Original:
455/430;
455/013.1;
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| Field of Search: |
455/12.1,13.1,427,430,450,436,437,438,439
370/310,329,341
342/357
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| Priority Number: |
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| Abstract: |
A satellite communications system comprises satellites 9A-C, earth stations 7A-E, user terminals 11 and controlling gateways 3 in the form of mobile satellite switching centers 5A-E. Access to and from a user terminal 11 may be gained from and to a terrestrial telephone system 1 by earth stations 7A-E contacting the satellites 9A-C and by the satellites contacting the user terminals 11. The satellites 9A-C periodically broadcast messages indicative of the earth station 7A-E with which they are instantly in contact. The user terminal 11 listens to these broadcasts, assesses the quality of the received signal, and keeps a league table based on an accumulated score allocated to each earth station 7A-E which can be heard. When calling into the system, the user terminal pages earth stations in descending order of score in the league table. When in contact, the user terminal 11 sends the league table to the system. When subsequently trying to contact the user terminal 11, the system uses earth stations in descending order of score in the league table, last received from the user terminal.
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| Attorney, Agent or Firm: |
McDermott, Will & Emery ;
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| Primary / Asst. Examiners: |
Trost, William G.; Gelin, Jean A.
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| INPADOC Legal Status: |
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Family Legal Status Report
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| Designated Country: |
AT BE CH DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE DE FI FR GB NL SE
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| Family: |
Show 7 known family members
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First Claim:
Show all 27 claims |
We claim:
1. A satellite communication system wherein a user terminal is operative to communicate with one or more out of a plurality of satellites; wherein each of said plurality of satellites is operative to communicate with one or more out of a plurality of earth stations to provide communication between said user terminal and at least one of said earth stations; where each of said earth stations is operative, periodically, to provide a broadcast message, via said satellites, which can be received by said user terminal, said broadcast message identifying that earth station from which it originated; and wherein said user terminal is operative to monitor said broadcasts: said system being characterised by said user terminal being operative to perform an assessment of the quality of the signal in each broadcast message received; by said user terminal being operative to establish and maintain a league table based on the assessed quality of the signal in said broadcast messages received from each of said plurality of earth stations whose broadcast messages are audible to said user terminal; and by said user terminal being operative, when making a request for service from said system, to direct said request to that one out of said plurality of earth stations which is top of said league table.
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| Background / Summary: |
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| Drawing Descriptions: |
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| Description: |
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