Patent ID: 6272339
Filing Date: 2001-08-07
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
A communications system, comprising:a constellation of satellites disposed in low earth orbit;at least one terrestrial gateway comprising at least one first RF transceiver for bidirectionally coupling said gateway to at least one satellite of said constellation of satellites, said gateway also being bidirectionally coupled to a terrestrial telecommunications system; anda plurality of user terminals each comprising at least one second RF transceiver for being wirelessly coupled to said at least one terrestrial gateway, through said at least one satellite, or to a terrestrial messaging system; whereinsaid system comprises a message system control function for receiving messages for individual ones of said plurality of user terminals and for attempting to deliver received messages to appropriate ones of said plurality of user terminals through one of said constellation of satellites or said terrestrial messaging system; andfurther comprising at least one virtual gateway that is bidirectionally coupled to said terrestrial messaging system, said at least one virtual gateway also being bidirectionally coupled to said at least one gateway through said at least one satellite, said virtual gateway being responsive to an assignment of at least one satellite channel from said at least one gateway for using the at least one assigned satellite channel for receiving a message for one of said user terminals, and for forwarding the received message to said terrestrial messaging system.