Granted Patent B1

US 8,155,640 · App. 11/448,981 · Granted Apr 10, 2012

Abstract

Claims (33)

1. A satellite communications method in a mobile terminal, wherein satellite communication between a plurality of mobile terminals and an operation center is supported by a cyclically repeating defined sequence of timeslots, said cyclically repeating defined sequence of timeslots including scheduled reporting timeslot types and unscheduled reporting timeslot types, said scheduled reporting timeslot types capable of being assigned to individual mobile terminals, the method comprising:

transitioning from a low power state to an active state at a time proximate to a timeslot of a scheduled reporting timeslot type that has been assigned to said mobile terminal;

after transitioning from said low power state to said active state, first transmitting, via a communication satellite, a scheduled report to said operation center on said timeslot of said scheduled reporting timeslot type;

after said first transmitting, transitioning from said active state to said low power state;

detecting an occurrence of an unscheduled event by said mobile terminal;

transitioning from said low power state to said active state upon detection of said occurrence of said unscheduled event;

after transitioning from said low power state to said active state, sequentially analyzing a first plurality of timeslots that includes timeslots of said scheduled reporting timeslot type and said unscheduled reporting timeslot type, said analyzing of said plurality of timeslots including an analysis of traffic on timeslots of said scheduled reporting timeslot type;

identifying, based on said sequential analysis of said first plurality of timeslots, a first usable timeslot in said first plurality of timeslots, said identified first usable timeslot not being previously assigned to said mobile terminal;

transmitting, via said communication satellite, an unscheduled report based on said detected occurrence of said unscheduled event on said identified first usable timeslot;

if an acknowledgment of said transmitted unscheduled report is not received, then sequentially analyzing a second plurality of timeslots that begins at a point in said cyclically repeating defined sequence of timeslots greater than a backoff period, said second plurality of timeslots including timeslots of said scheduled reporting timeslot type and said unscheduled reporting timeslot type, said analyzing of said second plurality of timeslots also including an analysis of traffic on timeslots of said scheduled reporting timeslot type, wherein at least two of said second plurality of timeslots are consecutive timeslots that are analyzed in consecutive order;

identifying, based on said sequential analysis of said second plurality of timeslots, a second usable timeslot in said second plurality of timeslots, said identified second usable timeslot not being previously assigned to said mobile terminal; and

retransmitting said unscheduled report on said identified second usable timeslot.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, after said transmission of said unscheduled report, whether an acknowledgment of said transmission of said unscheduled report is received from said operation center.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising retransmitting said unscheduled report on a second identified usable timeslot if it is determined that an acknowledgement is not received.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said identifying comprises identifying a timeslot of an unscheduled reporting timeslot type.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said identifying comprises identifying a timeslot of a scheduled reporting timeslot type that is not currently assigned to a mobile terminal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting, via said communication satellite, a narrowband spread spectrum waveform on said identified usable communication timeslot.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said timeslots are time division multiplexed timeslots.

8. A satellite communications method in a mobile terminal, wherein satellite communication between a plurality of mobile terminals and an operation center is supported by a cyclically repeating defined sequence of timeslots, said cyclically repeating defined sequence of timeslots including scheduled reporting timeslot types and unscheduled reporting timeslot types, said scheduled reporting timeslot types capable of being assigned to individual mobile terminals, the method comprising:

detecting an occurrence of an unscheduled event by said mobile terminal;

transitioning from a low power state to an active state upon detection of said occurrence of said unscheduled event;

after transitioning from said low power state to said active state, sequentially analyzing a first plurality of timeslots that include timeslots of said scheduled reporting timeslot type and said unscheduled reporting timeslot type, said analyzing including an analysis of traffic on timeslots of said scheduled reporting timeslot type;

identifying, based on said sequential analysis of said first plurality of timeslots, a first usable timeslot in said first plurality of timeslots, said first identified usable timeslot not being previously assigned to said mobile terminal;

transmitting, via a communication satellite, an unscheduled report based on said detected occurrence of said unscheduled event on said first identified usable timeslot;

determining, after said transmission of said unscheduled report, whether an acknowledgment of said transmission of said unscheduled report is received from said operation center;

when it is determined that said acknowledgment is not received, sequentially analyzing a second plurality of timeslots that include timeslots of said scheduled reporting timeslot type and said unscheduled reporting timeslot type, said second plurality of timeslots beginning at a point determined using a backoff period, wherein at least two of said second plurality of timeslots are consecutive timeslots that are analyzed in consecutive order;

identifying, based on said sequential analysis of said second plurality of timeslots, a second usable timeslot in said second plurality of timeslots, said second identified usable timeslot not being previously assigned to said mobile terminal; and

retransmitting, via said communication satellite, said unscheduled report on said second identified usable timeslot.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said backoff period is determined based on a priority measure.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein said identifying comprises identifying a timeslot of an unscheduled reporting timeslot type.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein said identifying comprises identifying a timeslot of a scheduled reporting timeslot type that is not currently assigned to a mobile terminal.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting, via said communication satellite, a narrowband spread spectrum waveform on said identified usable communication timeslot.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein said timeslots are time division multiplexed timeslots.

Assignments (8)