Patent ID: 7769375

Claim:
A communication system having a satellite network portion and a terrestrial network portion, the system comprising: a satellite; a satellite transmitter configured to transmit data on a selected frequency; a satellite receiver configured to receive data on the selected frequency; a satellite timing controller to selectively control operation of the satellite transmitter and the satellite receiver; a first terrestrial station; a first terrestrial transmitter configured to transmit data on the selected frequency; a first terrestrial receiver configured to receive data on the selected frequency; and a first terrestrial timing controller configured to selectively control operation of the first terrestrial transmitter and the first terrestrial receiver, wherein the satellite timing controller and the first terrestrial timing controller are configured to cooperatively control the respective transmitters and receivers to control transmission and reception of data in selected time intervals such that the satellite transmitter is enabled to transmit data in a first selected time interval, the satellite receiver receives data in a second selected time interval, the first terrestrial transmitter is enabled to transmit data in a third selected time interval, and the first terrestrial receiver receives data in a fourth selected time interval, wherein the satellite timing controller is configured to initiate transmission from the satellite transmitter prior to the start of the first selected time interval by an amount of time substantially equal to a propagation delay between the satellite and the first terrestrial station.