Patent ID: 7606590

Claim:
A radioterminal comprising: a transceiver that is configured to transmit and receive wireless communications, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit high power communications at a power and/or Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) that is greater than or equal to a high power threshold and to transmit low power communications at a power and/or EIRP that is less than or equal to a low power threshold; a hand-held interface coupled to the transceiver; and an interlock coupled to the transceiver, wherein the interlock is configured to allow the transceiver to transmit low power communications at the power and/or EIRP that is less than or equal to the low power threshold and to prevent the transceiver from transmitting high power communications at the power and/or EIRP that is greater than or equal to the high power threshold responsive to the hand-held interface being activated; wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the high power communications for space-based communications and to transmit the low power communications for terrestrial communications.