Technique for enabling multiple terminals to simulate traffic of a single virtual terminal

1. A method of enabling multiple terminals to simulate traffic of a single terminal, comprising:

transmitting from a first transmitting terminal a request to establish a communication session between the first transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal, the first transmitting terminal being one of a plurality of transmitting terminals;

receiving at the first transmitting terminal at least one message from the receiving terminal to establish the communication session and provide an open channel between the first transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal;

transmitting data traffic from the plurality of transmitting terminals to the receiving terminal within the communication session established between the first transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal using a multiplexing scheme where the plurality of transmitting terminals share the open channel and such that the receiving terminal passes the data traffic to another point in the network without de-multiplexing the data traffic and is unaware that more than one transmitting terminal is transmitting within the communication session; and

maintaining the communication session by transmitting maintenance messages from at least one of the plurality of transmitting terminals to the receiving terminal throughout the communication session,

wherein the transmitting terminals are terrestrial devices transmitting to the receiving terminal that is a satellite.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein maintaining the communication session includes transmitting maintenance messages from at least two of the plurality of transmitting terminals to the receiving terminal to distribute responsibility for maintaining the communication session among the plurality of transmitting terminals.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein maintaining the communication session includes transmitting periodic maintenance messages from at least one of the plurality of transmitting terminals to the receiving terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transmitting terminals are located within a common satellite beam coverage area, and wherein maintaining the communication session includes transmitting handoff messages supporting handing off of the communication session from one satellite beam to another satellite beam.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein maintaining the communication session includes transmitting periodic maintenance messages from at least one of the transmitting terminals to the receiving terminal.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein maintaining the communication session includes transmitting maintenance messages from at least some of the plurality of transmitting terminals to the receiving terminal to distribute responsibility for maintaining the communication session among the plurality of transmitting terminals.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein responsibility for transmitting the periodic maintenance messages is distributed among the plurality of transmitting devices and responsibility for transmitting the handoff messages is maintained by one of the plurality of transmitting devices.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transmitting terminals transmit sensor data within the communication session.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transmitting terminals transmit position location information within the communication session.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a broadcast message from the receiving terminal containing the data traffic transmitted to the receiving terminal.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting data traffic includes multiplexing among the plurality of transmitting terminals via at least one of time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), and code division multiple access (CDMA).

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting data traffic includes time multiplexing in which individual transmitting terminals are sequentially scheduled to transmit data to the receiving terminal, and wherein maintaining the communication session includes transmitting periodic maintenance messages from the individual transmitting terminals that are scheduled to transmit data such that transmission of the periodic maintenance messages is distributed among the plurality of transmitting terminals.

13. A system for enabling multiple terminals to simulate traffic of a single terminal, comprising:

a plurality of transmitting terminals including a first transmitting terminal configured to transmit a request to establish a communication session with a receiving terminal and to receive at least one message from the receiving terminal to establish the communication session and provide an open channel between the first transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal;

wherein each of the plurality of transmitting terminals is configured to transmit data traffic to the receiving terminal within the communication session established between the first transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal using a multiplexing scheme where the plurality of transmitting terminals share the open channel and such that the receiving terminal passes the data traffic to another point in the network without de-multiplexing the data traffic and is unaware that more than one transmitting terminal is transmitting within the communication session; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of transmitting terminals is configured to maintain the communication session by transmitting maintenance messages to the receiving terminal throughout the communication session,

wherein the transmitting terminals are terrestrial devices configured to transmit to the receiving terminal that is a satellite.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein at least two of the plurality of transmitting terminals are configured to transmit maintenance messages to the receiving terminal to distribute responsibility for maintaining the communication session among the plurality of transmitting terminals.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the plurality of transmitting terminals is configured to transmit periodic maintenance messages to the receiving terminal.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the transmitting terminals are configured to be located within a common satellite beam coverage area, and wherein at least one of the transmitting terminals is configured to transmit handoff messages supporting handing off of the communication session from one satellite beam to another satellite beam to maintain the communication session.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the transmitting terminals are configured to multiplex data traffic within the communication session via at least one of time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), and code division multiple access (CDMA).

18. A non-transitory processor readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

generate a request message to be transmitted from a first transmitting terminal to establish a communication session between the first transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal;

process at least one message received from the receiving terminal at the first transmitting terminal to establish the communication session using a multiplexing scheme where the plurality of transmitting terminals share the open channel and;

generate at least one data message to be transmitted from the first transmitting terminal to the receiving terminal within the communication session;

use a multiplexing scheme associated with the open channel to schedule transmission of the at least one data message on the open channel so as not to conflict with data messages being transmitted by a plurality of other transmitting terminals on the open channel within the communication session, such that the receiving terminal passes the data traffic to another point in the network without de-multiplexing the data traffic and is unaware that more than one transmitting terminal is transmitting within the communication session; and

maintain the communication session by generating maintenance messages for transmission by the first transmitting terminal throughout the communication session,

wherein the transmitting terminals are terrestrial devices configured to transmit to the receiving terminal that is a satellite.

19. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

transmit periodic maintenance messages from at least one of the plurality of transmitting terminals to the receiving terminal.

20. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of transmitting terminals are located within a common satellite beam coverage area and further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

transmit handoff messages supporting handing off of the communication session from one satellite beam to another satellite beam.