Patent ID: 8120528

Claim:
Apparatus for satellite telecommunications comprising: a portable mobile communication device; the mobile communication device having a first system for receiving signals from the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites; the mobile communication device having a second system for communication with a low-earth orbit communication satellite system that contains multiple satellites that each pass overhead, in and out of view to the communication device; the first and second systems being arranged such that, at a time of required transmission on the second system, the first system operates to monitor the elevation and azimuth of at least some of those GPS satellites in view so as to generate an elevation mask of where the sky is open at the time; the first and second systems being arranged such that, using the elevation mask of where the sky is open at the time, the second system operates to calculate from data available for the low-earth orbit communication satellite system and the elevation mask a prediction of whether at least one of the satellites of the low earth orbit communication satellite system is in view; and the first and second systems being arranged such that the required transmission is commenced only if the calculation prediction indicates that at least one of the satellites of the low earth orbit communication satellite system is in view.