Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for communications hand-off between multiple satellite systems

US5920804A · kind A · utility

38Cited by

9References

5Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Motorola, Inc. · US

Inventors

Peter J. Armbruster · Chandler, US
Kenneth Lee Sowles · Chandler, US
Daniel R. Tayloe · Phoenix, US

Key dates

Filing date	Apr 2, 1996
Grant date	Jul 6, 1999
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Apr 2, 2016

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH04B7/195
WIPO fieldTelecommunications
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for handing off communications between a primary satellite system (500) and an alternate satellite system (550) determines (602) when a hand-off condition for the primary satellite system (500) exists. An alternate satellite (552) is determined (604, 904) which has a coverage area (554) which is positioned such that the alternate satellite (552) can provide an alternate communication link (556). A hand-off between the primary satellite system (500) and the alternate satellite system (550) is then performed (606). When the hand-off condition is alleviated (610), a hand-off back to the primary satellite system (550) is performed and normal operations are resumed (600).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.