Patent ID: 7515566

Claim:
A digital satellite communication system, comprising: a hub station comprising a satellite transceiver subsystem configured to transmit and receive digital communication data, the hub station configured to: define a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) channel for a return link communication from each of a plurality of user terminals; allot one or more time slots of an uplink portion for the return link to a first one of the plurality of user terminals for transmitting bursts of partial mesh link communications according to the TDMA protocol; and allot one or more time slots from a downlink portion of the return link to a second one of the plurality of user terminals to listen for bursts of partial mesh link communications; and the plurality of user terminals, each user terminal in communication with the hub station via the satellite, and each user terminal comprising: a forward link receiver configured to receive digital communication data transmitted from the hub station over a forward link; a partial mesh link receiver configured to receive burst transmissions transmitted from other user terminals over the partial mesh link; and a transmitter subsystem configured to burst transmit digital communication data to the hub station over the return link or to an other user terminal over the partial mesh link.