Patent ID: 6208625
Filing Date: 2001-03-27
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
A satellite communication system for communicating delay-sensitive data and non delay-sensitive data, the satellite communication system comprising:at least one geosynchronous (GEO) satellite;a plurality of non-geosynchronous (NGEO) satellites coupled to the at least one GEO satellite by NGEO-GEO links and coupled to each other by NGEO crosslinks; anda plurality of communications units coupled to the plurality of NGEO satellites and not directly coupled to the at least one GEO satellite, wherein a GEO satellite comprises means for establishing a plurality of space-based NGEO-GEO links with the NGEO satellites, and means for sending and receiving the non delay-sensitive data; and a NGEO satellite comprises means for receiving non delay sensitive data and delay-sensitive data, means for determining which data is non delay-sensitive data, means for determining which data is delay-sensitive data, means for sending the non delay-sensitive data to the at least one GEO satellite, and means for sending the delay-sensitive data to at least one NGEO satellite, the NGEO satellite routing the non delay-sensitive data to the at least one GEO satellite via a space-based NGEO-GEO link and routing the delay-sensitive data through at least one other of the NGEO satellites but not through the at least one GEO satellite.