Patent · US Expired

Non-geostationary satellite communication systems, and station and terminal thereof

US6128488A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
4References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 11, 1996
Grant dateOct 3, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 11, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04B7/18541
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A communication system comprising a set of non-geostationary satellites provides communication links between ground stations and terminals, a communication link from a particular station via a satellite terminating at associated terminals in a limited geographical area including the station and providing a communication channel to at least some of the associated terminals. The communication link is switched to another satellite during the process of communication link handover. A communication link between a particular station and its associated terminals includes an additional communication channel which enables advance data to be transmitted between the particular station and a terminal before the latter executes a communication link handover. This data masks any interruption of communication caused by the communication link handover.

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