Patent ID: 6052558
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
A networked repeater for a mobile radio communication system, wherein said networked repeater comprises:a base transceiver module for communicating with a plurality of mobile base stations, each mobile base station located on a satellite moving with respect to earth's surface, said base transceiver having a base antenna located to achieve substantially unimpeded communications with at least one of said mobile base stations;a subscriber transceiver module having a subscriber antenna for communicating with a mobile subscriber unit, said subscriber transceiver module being physically separated from said base transceiver module;a data link for communicating between said base transceiver module and said subscriber transceiver module, wherein when direct communication between said mobile subscriber unit and said one mobile base station becomes impeded as a result of the movement of said mobile base stations, said direct communication with said one mobile base station is handed-off to said subscriber transceiver module and said base station transceiver module provides communications between said one mobile base station and said subscriber transceiver module over said data link;a controller protocol converter coupled to said data link for restructuring overhead data communicated between said one mobile base station and said mobile subscriber unit in response to the handing-off of said mobile subscriber unit to said subscriber transceiver module, andwherein prior to the handing-off, the mobile subscriber unit communicates with the mobile base station over a first channel, and wherein after the handing-off, said base transceiver module communicates with the mobile base station over said first channel, and wherein after the handing-off the controller protocol converter further restructures said overhead data to allocate a different channel for communicating between said subscriber transceiver module said mobile subscriber unit, the first channel and the different channel being non-interfering channels,wherein when direct communication between one of the mobile subscriber units and said one mobile base station subsequently becomes unimpeded as a result of the movement of said mobile base stations, communication between said mobile subscriber unit and said subscriber transceiver module is handed-off to said mobile base station, and said subscriber unit transceiver module refrains from providing communications with said one mobile subscriber unit.