Patent ID: 7366463

Claim:
A dual mode satellite communication system receiving satellite control commands from a gateway station, the gateway station used solely for sending commands to the dual mode satellite communication system and interfacing the dual mode satellite communication system with a public switched telephone network, comprising: a first mobile ground-based communications device for transceiving a low-gain signal in a first mode, wherein the first mode includes a first protocol and a first band of carrier frequencies; a second mobile ground-based communications device for transceiving a high-gain signal in a second mode, wherein the second mode includes a second protocol and a second band of carrier frequencies, and wherein the first mobile ground-based communications device is disposed within a first region defined by a low gain beam and the second mobile ground-based communications device is within a second region defined by a high gain beam intersecting the first region; a satellite-based relay device, including: a low-gain communications system having a low-gain receiver and a low-gain transmitter, and a high-gain communications system having a high-gain receiver and a high-gain transmitter, the high-gain communications system configured for transceiving a plurality of angularly separated frequency sharing high-gain signals, and at least one translator interoperatively coupled between the low-gain communications system and the high-gain communications system, wherein the satellite-based relay device is configured for receiving the low-gain signal in the first mode, translating the low-gain signal to the high-gain signal in the second mode, and transmitting the high-gain signal in the second mode, wherein the satellite based relay device transceives information generated by and between the first mobile ground-based comminations device directly with information generated by and between the second mobile ground-based communications device without transceiving with a gateway station.