Patent ID: 8369776

Claim:
A method of operating a satellite wireless communications system including a satellite configured to communicate with terminals directly and to communicate with terminals indirectly via a base station, the method comprising: providing a first signal power control loop that controls transmitted signal power through a first communication link between the base station and a terminal; providing a second signal power control loop that controls transmitted signal power through a combination of the first communication link and a second communication link between the base station and the satellite concurrent with provision of the first signal power control loop; and wherein the second signal power control loop includes the base station controlling transmitted signal power for the first communication link using a first output of a second demodulator to control an output level of a first power amplifier and using a second output of the second demodulator to generate first power control information that is transmitted with first information to the terminal, and controlling a transmitted signal power of the second communication link using a first output of a first demodulator to control an output level of a second power amplifier and using a second output of the first demodulator to generate second power control information that is transmitted with second information to the satellite.