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US5959999A
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Providing control-function data in communication-data channel of a full-mesh satellite communication network by dynamic time-slot assignment in TDMA-frame communication channel
Assignee: Linkabit Wireless Inc
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Filing: 1996-09-20
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Granted: 1999-09-28
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Expires: 2016-09-20
Abstract
Abstract In a communication system including a plurality of user terminals in a full-mesh network and a network-control-station terminal, control-function data is communicated between an individual user terminal and the network-control-station terminal in a given TDMA-frame communication channel while the given TDMA-frame communication channel is also being used for communicating user-communication data between user terminals. The control-function data and the user-communication data are communicated within control-function time slots and user-communication time slots respectively of the given TDMA-frame communication channel. The time slots for such communications are dynamically assigned in response to time-slot assignment signals communicated from the network-control-station terminal when the communication link between the user terminals is established. Control-function data is communicated from the user terminals to the network-control-station terminal in even-numbered control-function time slots of different given TDMA-frame communication channels; and control-function data is communicated from the network-control-station to the user terminals in odd-numbered control-function time slots of different given TDMA-frame communication channels.
Inventors
- 👤 Song Howard An
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 02:51
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04B; H04B7/00; H04B7/14; H04B7/15; H04B7/204; H04B7/212; H04B7/2121; H04B7/2123
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
75 words
A communication system including a plurality of user terminals in a full mesh network; a network-control-station terminal; first means for causing control-function data to be communicated between the network-control-station terminal and a first user terminal within control-function time slots of a given TDMA-frame communication channel; and second means for causing user-communication data to be communicated between the first user terminal and a second user terminal within user-communication time slots of the given TDMA-frame communication channel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
75 words
A communication system including a plurality of user terminals in a full mesh network; a network-control-station terminal; first means for causing control-function data to be communicated between the network-control-station terminal and a first user terminal within control-function time slots of a given TDMA-frame communication channel; and second means for causing user-communication data to be communicated between the first user terminal and a second user terminal within user-communication time slots of the given TDMA-frame communication channel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
74 words
A network according to claim 1, wherein the first means is adapted for causing control-function data to be communicated from the network-control-station terminal to the first user terminal within the control-function time slots of the given TDMA-frame communication channel; and wherein the second means is adapted for causing user-communication data to be communicated to the first user terminal from the second user terminal within the user-communication time slots of the given TDMA-frame communication channel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
74 words
A network according to claim 1, wherein the first means is adapted for causing control-function data to be communicated to the network-control-station terminal from the first user terminal within the control-function time slots of the given TDMA-frame communication channel; and wherein the second means is adapted for causing user-communication data to be communicated from the first user terminal to the second user terminal within the user-communication time slots of the given TDMA-frame communication channel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A network according to claim 1, wherein respective user terminal further comprise third means for dynamically assigning the time slots for said communications in response to a time-slot assignment signal communicated from the network-control-station terminal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
A network according to claim 4, wherein even-numbered control-function time slots of different given TDMA-frame communication channels are assigned for transmission of control-function data from the user terminals to the network-control-station terminal and odd-numbered control-function time slots of the different given TDMA-frame communication channels are assigned for transmission of control-function data to the user terminals from the network-control-station terminal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A network according to claim 4, wherein the time-slot assignment signal defines the respective duty cycles of the control-function time slots and the user-communication time slots.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
65 words
A network according to claim 1, wherein the first means is adapted for causing control-function data to be communicated from the user terminals to the network-control-station terminal in even-numbered control-function time slots of different given TDMA-frame communication channels, and for causing control-function data to be communicated from the network-control-station to the user terminals in odd-numbered control-function time slots of the different given TDMA-frame communication channels.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
170 words
A network according to claim 1, wherein the second means is adapted for communicating user-communication data from the second user terminal to the first user terminal in user-communication time slots of one said TDMA-frame communication channel, and for communicating user-communication data from the first user terminal to the second user terminal in user-communication time slots of another said TDMA-frame communication channel; and wherein the first means is adapted for communicating control-function data from the network-control-station terminal to the first user terminal within odd control-function time slots of the one said TDMA-frame communication channel, and for communicating control-function data from the network-control-station terminal to the second user terminal within odd control-function time slots of the other said TDMA-frame communication channel, for communicating control-function data to the network-control-station terminal from the first user terminal within even control-function time slots of the other said TDMA-frame communication channel, and for communicating control-function data to the network-control-station terminal from the second user terminal within even control-function time slots of the one said TDMA-frame communication channel.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
77 words
A method of communicating within a communication system that includes a plurality of user terminals in a full-mesh network and a network-control-station terminal, the method comprising the steps of: (a) communicating control-function data between the network-control-station terminal and a first user terminal within control-function time slots of a given TDMA-frame communication channel; and (b) communicating user-communication data between the first user terminal and a second user terminal within user-communication time slots of the given TDMA-frame communication channel.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
77 words
A method of communicating within a communication system that includes a plurality of user terminals in a full-mesh network and a network-control-station terminal, the method comprising the steps of: (a) communicating control-function data between the network-control-station terminal and a first user terminal within control-function time slots of a given TDMA-frame communication channel; and (b) communicating user-communication data between the first user terminal and a second user terminal within user-communication time slots of the given TDMA-frame communication channel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
77 words
A communication method according to claim 9, wherein step (a) comprises the step of: (c) causing control-function data to be communicated from the network-control-station terminal to the first user terminal within the control-function time slots of the given TDMA-frame communication channel; and wherein step (b) comprises the step of: (d) causing user-communication data to be communicated to the first user terminal from the second user terminal within the user-communication time slots of the given TDMA-frame communication channel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
77 words
A communication method according to claim 9, wherein step (a) comprises the step of: (c) causing control-function data to be communicated to the network-control-station terminal from the first user terminal within the control-function time slots of the given TDMA-frame communication channel; and wherein step (b) comprises the step of: (d) causing user-communication data to be communicated from the first user terminal to the second user terminal within the user-communication time slots of the given TDMA-frame communication channel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
A communication method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of: (c) dynamically assigning the time slots for said communications in response to a time-slot assignment signal communicated from the network-control-station terminal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
66 words
A communication method according to claim 12, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of: (d) assigning even-numbered control-function time slots of different given TDMA-frame communication channels for transmission of control-function data from the user terminals to the network-control-station terminal; and (e) assigning odd-numbered control-function time slots of the different given TDMA-frame communication channels for transmission of control-function data to the user terminals from the network-control-station terminal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
A communication method according to claim 12, wherein the time-slot assignment signal defines the respective duty cycles of the control-function time slots and the user-communication time slots.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
61 words
A communication method according to claim 9, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of: (c) communicating control-function data from the user terminals to the network-control-station terminal in even-numbered control-function time slots of different given TDMA-frame communication channels; and (d) communicating control-function data from the network-control-station to the user terminals in odd-numbered control-function time slots of the different given TDMA-frame communication channels.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
172 words
A communication method according to claim 9, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of: (c) communicating user-communication data from the second user terminal to the first user terminal in user-communication time slots of one said TDMA-frame communication channel; and (d) communicating user-communication data from the first user terminal to the second user terminal in user-communication time slots of another said TDMA-frame communication channel; and wherein step (a) comprises the steps of: (e) communicating control-function data from the network-control-station terminal to the first user terminal within odd control-function time slots of the one said TDMA-frame communication channel; (f) communicating control-function data from the network-control-station terminal to the second user terminal within odd control-function time slots of the other said TDMA-frame communication channel; (g) communicating control-function data to the network-control-station terminal from the first user terminal within even control-function time slots of the other said TDMA-frame communication channel; and (h) communicating control-function data to the network-control-station terminal from the second user terminal within even control-function time slots of the one said TDMA-frame communication channel.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
158 words
A user communication terminal, comprising first means for processing control-function data and user-communication data provided within control-function time slots and user-communication time slots respectively of a given TDMA-frame communication channel; and second means for dynamically assigning the control-function time slots and the user-communication time slots within the TDMA-frame communicated channel in response to a received time-slot assignment signal; wherein the first means is adapted for processing user-communication data received within user-communication time slots of one said TDMA-frame communication channel and for processing user-communication data for transmission within user-communication time slots of another said TDMA-frame communication channel; and wherein the second means is adapted for assigning odd-numbered control-function time slots of the one said TDMA-frame communication channel for receipt of control-function data in response to a first said time-slot assignment signal and for assigning even-numbered control-function time slots of the other said TDMA-frame communication channel for transmission of control-function data in response to a second said time-slot assignment signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
158 words
A user communication terminal, comprising first means for processing control-function data and user-communication data provided within control-function time slots and user-communication time slots respectively of a given TDMA-frame communication channel; and second means for dynamically assigning the control-function time slots and the user-communication time slots within the TDMA-frame communicated channel in response to a received time-slot assignment signal; wherein the first means is adapted for processing user-communication data received within user-communication time slots of one said TDMA-frame communication channel and for processing user-communication data for transmission within user-communication time slots of another said TDMA-frame communication channel; and wherein the second means is adapted for assigning odd-numbered control-function time slots of the one said TDMA-frame communication channel for receipt of control-function data in response to a first said time-slot assignment signal and for assigning even-numbered control-function time slots of the other said TDMA-frame communication channel for transmission of control-function data in response to a second said time-slot assignment signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
A communication terminal according to claim 17, wherein the first means is adapted for separately acquiring control-function data and user-communication data from the one said TDMA-frame communication channel.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
33 words
A communication terminal according to claim 17, wherein the first means is further adapted for processing control-function data for transmission within the even-numbered control-function time slots of the other said TDMA-frame communication channel.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
27 words
A communication terminal according to claim 17, wherein the time-slot assignment signal defines the respective duty cycles of the control-function time slots and the user-communication time slots.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-09-27 | 2003-03-29 | 2003-09-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-09-27 | 2007-03-29 | 2007-09-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-09-27 | 2011-03-29 | 2011-09-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |