Patent ID: 6975616

Claim:
A method for establishing a radio frequency (RF) communications link between an RF base transceiver and a mobile platform carrying an RF transceiver, via a satellite-based transponder, wherein said mobile platform is traveling within a predetermined coverage region, the method comprising: a) using a control center to maintain a list of registered mobile platforms, wherein said registered mobile platforms are pre-authorized to make use of said satellite-based transponder to transmit and receive data content to and from said base transceiver; b) using said control center to cause said base transceiver to transmit a plurality of polling messages substantially simultaneously, said polling messages radiating across said coverage region, and wherein each said polling message carries information addressed to a specific one of said registered mobile platforms and includes a preliminary, dedicated return channel which its intended said mobile platform is to use for communicating with said base transceiver; and causing said control center to cause each said polling message to timeout if its associated said mobile platform does not transmit a response with a predetermined time on its said preliminary, dedicated return channel.