Granted Patent B2

US 12,634,694 · App. 18/815,742 · Granted May 19, 2026

Inventor: Jeff Ahmet (Issaquah, WA)

Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.

H04W12/08H04W12/06H04W76/10H04W84/042H04W84/06

Abstract

Claims (64)

1 . At least one computer-readable storage medium, excluding transitory signals, which, when executed by at least one data processor of a system, cause the system to:

obtain an indication of an access class associated with a mobile device,

wherein the indication of the access class indicates whether the mobile device is authorized to communicate with a satellite associated with a wireless telecommunication network;

store the indication of the access class at the mobile device and in a SIM card, USIM card, or eSIM card associated with the mobile device;

obtain broadcast information associated with the satellite,

wherein the broadcast information indicates one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite;

determine whether the indication of the access class associated with the mobile device is included in the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite;

when determining that the indication of the access class is not included in the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite, refrain from sending a request to connect to the satellite; and

when determining that the access class is included in the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite, enable a request to connect with the satellite.

2 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , comprising instructions to:

establish communication between the mobile device and the satellite;

receive a modification to the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite; and

discontinue communication between the mobile device and the satellite.

3 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , comprising instructions to:

obtain from the wireless telecommunication network the access class indicating that the mobile device is authorized to communicate with the satellite; and

store the access class on the mobile device.

4 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to obtain the indication of the access class associated with the mobile device comprise instructions to:

obtain from a Home Subscriber Server the access class associated with the mobile device.

5 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , comprising instructions to:

determine whether the mobile device is configured to communicate with the satellite;

upon determining that the mobile device is configured to communicate with the satellite, send a request to the wireless telecommunication network to subscribe the mobile device to communicate with the satellite.

6 . The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite and the access class associated with the mobile device include satellite communication for Public Land Mobile Network staff, satellite communication for emergency services, satellite communication for public utilities, satellite communication for security services, satellite communication for Public Land Mobile Network use, or satellite communication for general public.

7 . A system comprising:

at least one hardware processor; and

at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the system to:

obtain an indication of an access class associated with a user equipment (UE),

wherein the indication of the access class indicates whether the UE is authorized to communicate with a satellite associated with a wireless telecommunication network or wireless communications link;

store the indication of the access class at the mobile device and in a SIM card, USIM card, or eSIM card associated with the mobile device;

obtain information associated with the satellite,

wherein the information indicates one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite;

determine whether the indication of the access class associated with the UE is included in the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite;

when determining that the access class associated with the UE is not included in the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite, refrain from sending a request to connect to the satellite; and

when determining that the indication of the access class associated with the UE is included in the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite, enable a request to connect to the satellite.

8 . The system of claim 7 , comprising instructions to:

establish communication between the UE and the satellite;

receive a modification to the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite; and

discontinue communication between the UE and the satellite.

9 . The system of claim 7 , comprising instructions to:

obtain the access class indicating that the UE is authorized to communicate with the satellite; and

storing the access class on the UE.

10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the instructions to obtain the indication of the access class associated with the UE comprise instructions to:

obtain from a Home Subscriber Server the access class associated with the UE.

11 . The system of claim 7 , comprising instructions to:

determine whether the UE is configured to communicate with the satellite; and

upon determining that the UE is configured to communicate with the satellite, send a request to subscribe the UE to communicate with the satellite.

12 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite and the access class associated with the UE include satellite communication for Public Land Mobile Network staff, satellite communication for emergency services, satellite communication for public utilities, satellite communication for security services, satellite communication for Public Land Mobile Network use, or satellite communication for general public.

13 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite and the access class associated with the UE are defined in 3 GPP TS 22.011.

14 . A system comprising:

at least one hardware processor; and

at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the system to:

broadcast information associated with a satellite,

wherein the information indicates one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite;

receive a request to establish communication with the satellite from a user equipment (UE) associated with an access class contained in the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite,

wherein an indication of the access class associated with the UE is stored in a SIM card, USIM card, or eSIM card associated with the UE;

determine whether the access class associated with the UE authorizes communication with the satellite; and

when determining that the access class associated with the UE does not authorize communication with the satellite, send a notification to the UE indicating a process to authorize the UE to communicate with the satellite;

establish communication between the UE and the satellite;

receive a modification to the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite to obtain a modified one or more classes authorized to communicate with the satellite, wherein the modification removes the access class associated with the UE from the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite;

discontinue communication between the UE and the satellite; and

broadcast the modified one or more classes authorized to communicate with the satellite.

15 . The system of claim 14 , comprising instructions to:

receive a request from the UE to complete the process to authorize the UE to communicate with the satellite; and

store an identifier associated with the UE and an indication that the UE is authorized to communicate with a satellite in a Home Subscriber Server.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more access classes authorized to communicate with the satellite and the access class associated with the UE include satellite communication for Public Land Mobile Network staff, satellite communication for emergency services, satellite communication for public utilities, satellite communication for security services, satellite communication for Public Land Mobile Network use, or satellite communication for general public.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (106)