Patent · US Expired

Terrestrial and satellite cellular network interoperability

US6157834A · kind A · utility

165Cited by

18References

10Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Motorola, Inc. · US

Inventors

Jim E. Helm · Gilbert, US
Steve Magee · Scottsdale, US
James William Bishop, Jr. · Chandler, US

Key dates

Filing date	Dec 29, 1997
Grant date	Dec 5, 2000
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Dec 29, 2017

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH04B7/18563
WIPO fieldTelecommunications
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Interoperability between terrestrial cellular systems and satellite based cellular systems allows handoffs between different cellular systems. A call in progress by a subscriber unit (101) over a terrestrial based cellular system (100) which includes a mobile switching center (MSC) (105a) and a plurality of base stations (103a-d) is handed off to a satellite based cellular system (1000) comprising a satellite network (100a, 1001b), a regional gateway (1007) and an interface gateway (1005). A call in progress by subscriber unit (101) over satellite based cellular system (1000) is also handed off to terrestrial based cellular system (100). A dual mode subscriber unit (400) provides switching functionality (409) to switch between transmit modes.

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