Patent ID: 9661483
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: H04W

Claim:
1. A communication system for operation within an environment of a satellite communication network comprising: a plurality of HUB units arranged to be deployed to personnel; a plurality of SPOKE units arranged to be deployed to personnel; each of the HUB and SPOKE units comprising a portable, hand-held unit equipped with satellite position network receivers and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and/or Geosynchronous (GEO) satellite communication transceivers so as to be configured for communicating using the satellite communication network; a control server system that controls communication between the HUB and SPOKE units; wherein a group of the SPOKE units is programmable to be linked to one or more HUB units to form a private network for communication within the satellite communication network that is separate from other ones of the SPOKE units and HUB units which are excluded from said private network; wherein one mode of operation provides an automated assistance request and response system where each one of the group of the SPOKE units is programmable to initiate a request for assistance to that HUB unit on said private network; wherein, when a distress message is sent from a respective one of the group of the SPOKE units, said SPOKE unit is configured to operate programming that deactivates the unit; wherein one mode of operation provides a method of exchanging short messages between all units and displaying positions on a portable map program by using one of the HUB units on the private network as an aggregator of position data for the group of the SPOKE units linked therewith on said private network; and wherein the HUB and SPOKE units are programmable so that only HUB units may be deployed on a separate network such that the position of all HUB units are transmitted to all other HUB units.