Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Zoned or cellular telephone system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-18
2004-05-18
Maung, Nay (Department: 2682)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Zoned or cellular telephone system
C455S012100, C455S428000, C455S406000, C455S445000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06738621
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to exchanging telecommunication traffic in a telecommunication system, comprising a satellite communication network, made up from a number of telecommunication satellites in different orbits around the earth, which are functionally connected to one or more ground stations via radio transmission connections, which ground stations are mutually connected via a transmission connection, as well as a ground communication network made up from a number of fixed and mobile telecommunication networks, in which clusters of fixed and mobile telecommunication networks are functionally connected to ground stations of the satellite communication network and telecommunication traffic is exchanged under application of an addressing plan, in which an own, unique address code is assigned to the satellite communication network.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Next to, and in addition to the known, fixed telecommunication networks, in which users can set up speech and data communication via a fixed, wire-bound connection, mobile communication via radio connections has assumed enormous proportions in recent years. Apart from differences in the applied transmission techniques, land-mobile communication is characterised by a structure, in which the coverage area of a mobile radio telecommunication network is divided into areas of geographically limited size, also called cells. Within a cell, radio traffic is possible between so-called base station and radio communication users.
On displacement of the user, a communication connection from cell to cell is continued. The geographical position of a user, i.e. the cell in which he is momentary present, is scanned regularly and stored in the system. An example of such a cellular mobile radio communication system is the ‘Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)’. Systems based upon this standard are currently designated as GSM-900, GSM-1800 and GSM-1900. Other mobile telecommunication systems based on a cell structure are among other designated by the acronyms AMPS, D-AMPS in the United States and PDC in Japan. In a certain area, different mobile networks can be exploited by different operators. In general, the exploitation of mobile telecommunication networks is limited to the national boundaries. In order to enable international mobile telecommunication traffic agreements have been made between the different national operators concerning the access of subscribers to each other's mobile telecommunication networks. The fixed telecommunication networks and the mobile telecommunication networks are connected as well, in order to enable telecommunication traffic between ‘fixed’ and ‘mobile’ users. In general, telecommunication traffic between countries is exchanged via so-called ‘International Carriers’ and on a global level via so-called ‘Global Carriers’. These are telecommunication companies that provide transmission facilities for the exchange of telecommunication traffic at international or global level, respectively.
A further communication possibility for mobile users is formed by satellite communication networks, made up from a number of telecommunication satellites in different orbits around the earth, which are functionally connected to one or more ground stations via radio transmission connections. The ground stations are dispersed over the earth in such a way, that a global coverage is achieved.
Depending on the network, the ground stations can be mutually connected via a transmission connection, e.g. in the form of a ring network. The ground stations are, in their turn, again connected to clusters of fixed and land mobile telecommunication networks, if desired, by intervention of global and international carriers.
A user provided with suitable satellite radio communication equipment, can through a direct radio connection with a telecommunication satellite and a ground station concerned, be connected to a user in a fixed or land mobile telecommunication network and of course with other users of the satellite communication network.
Satellite communication networks, which have been proposed in practice, but which are still under development, are, among others, Globalstar and Iridium, in which use is made of a relatively large number of ground stations and satellites, which circle in a low orbit around the earth, i.e. ‘Low Earth Orbit (LEO)’. ICO and Odyssey are satellite communication networks, in which use is made of a relatively small number of satellites, which rotate in orbits of medium altitude around the earth, also called ‘Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)’ satellite communication networks.
In order to be able to use the existing charging structures, it has been proposed to settle telecommunication traffic originating from and to a satellite communication network in a similar way as the land mobile telecommunication networks by intervention of global and international carriers.
As will be understood by experts, the costs of mobile telecommunication are higher than the for telecommunication traffic through the fixed telecommunication network, that has been in use for a long time. This is expressed in the higher connection charges per unit of time for mobile telecommunication traffic in comparison to fixed connections. In communication between mobile users in the same network or mutually directly connected mobile telecommunication networks and in calls of mobile users to the fixed telecommunication network, these higher call charges can be directly settled with the mobile users. To this end, the mobile telecommunication networks have been provided with suitable charging options. At the national level, the higher call charges of use of the mobile telecommunication network can also be charged to a fixed user, who requests a call to a mobile user. This is because calls from the fixed network to a mobile user take place through one or more dedicated access exchanges.
On international and global level, calls of a fixed user to a mobile user and between mobile users of non connected mobile telecommunication networks are charged on the basis of connections between two users in different countries of the fixed telecommunication network. This can be explained from the fact that for international and global connections with mobile users use is made of the same transmission routes, via international and global carriers, as for the exchange of telecommunication traffic between users connected to fixed telecommunication networks. The costs for the use of the mobile part of the connection in the mobile telecommunication network of the called mobile user are then for account of the operator of the mobile telecommunication network concerned. Depending on the tariff structure, this can with the present tariffs, quickly lead to losses in the order of USD 0,50 per minute.
Another problem arises when a mobile subscriber cannot be reached in his home network, but temporarily makes guest use of a mobile telecommunication network elsewhere, e.g. in another country.
On making a connection from a fixed to a mobile user namely, first a connection is made with the home network of the mobile user and the call is, depending on the momentary position of the mobile user, switched through to the telecommunication network where the user is located at that particular time. When the mobile subscriber concerned unexpectedly does not answer the switched-through call, switching back can take place from the mobile guest network to the mobile home network. This is done for instance to make use of a message service etc., for leaving a spoken or written message for the mobile user concerned. It will be apparent that this switching through and back, also called ‘tromboning’, is highly undesired due to the unnecessary use of costly transmission facilities in the telecommunication systems concerned.
The invention is aimed at providing a solution for the disadvantages and shortcomings described above which occur on exchanging telecommunication traffic between fixed and mobile telecommunication networks on both international and global level
Brill Tiemen Lukas
Kazem Mohammed Ismael
Mulder Willem Stado
Frishauf Holtz Goodman & Chick P.C.
Koninklijke KPN N.V.
Maung Nay
Orgad Edan
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