Daniel W Fairholm

US Patent:

59075414, May 25, 1999

Filed:

Oct 20, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/957753

Inventors:

Daniel Wayne Fairholm - Ashburn VA
Dennis Clifton Whitaker - Newtown Square PA

Assignee:

Lockheed Martin Corp. - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

H04B 7185

US Classification:

370316

Abstract:

A communication system (10) includes a plurality of fixed terrestrial gateway terminals (14) and fixed village terminals (18), and also includes a plurality of mobile user terminals (16). The system includes a first satellite (12m) which provides communication in a bent-pipe manner between user terminals (16) lying in spot-beams of the first satellite's antenna and gateway terminals (18) lying in a broad antenna beam. The system also includes a second satellite which provides communications in a bent-pipe manner between or among the gateways/village terminals. The village terminals differ from the gateways in that the village terminals do not include the subscriber of user home or visitor registers. The village terminal includes a wireless local communication system such as a WLL, for communicating with user terminals (16) lying within its range. The user terminals (16) are dual-mode.