Mobile Satellite Ventures is crowing about its latest patent “Space-Based Network Architectures for Satellite Radiotelephone Systems” from the U.S. patent office. It’s the latest in a long series of patent filings by MSV covering the development and operation of next generation satellite phone systems.
The patent covers satellite networks in which the space-based transmitter and receiver functions are performed by different satellites. MSV’s satellites, being built by Boeing at its facilities in Southern California, are expected to be launched in 2009 and 2010. MSV envisions them as the core of a hybrid wireless network that will incorporate satellites working in unison with ground-based towers.
“The evolution of satellite communications is placing increasing demand on the capacity of a single satellite as millions of small, inexpensive user terminals to begin using satellite networks. MSV’s revolutionary integrated communications network will further this trend,” explained Dr. Peter D. Karabinis, Senior Vice President and a co-inventor of the ‘789 patent.
“Eventually, there comes a point where no single rocket can launch a satellite with the size and complexity needed to fill this demand. Deploying separate satellites for transmit and receive functions as claimed by MSV in this patent, makes it possible to implement an effective satellite communications system by splitting these functions between satellites”, explained Karabinis.
MSV now holds over 900 claims in nine issued U.S. patents directed to key features and functionality of an integrated satellite and terrestrial communications network. Approximately 90 additional patent applications are pending in the U.S.
MSV is developing a new category of satellite phone that promises seamless coverage of North America using small handsets. MSV uses its satellite phone frequencies on terrestrial repeaters at 1.6 GHz. When out of range, it switches to its spotbeam satellite (above) that shares the band.
MSV’s satellites will be among the most technologically advanced satellites ever built. They can operate in emergencies because they don’t rely on terrestrial cellular networks. MSV secret sauce lies in their terrestrial repeaters (and giant geosynch satellites) that enable smaller, cheaper phones. Current satphone providers like Iridium, Globalstar and Inmarsat don’t have terrestrial repeaters and their satellites are not as powerful.
Meanwhile, Globalstar and Orbit One Communications of Bozeman, Montana announced today the purchase of an additional 10,000 OrbiTRAX simplex satellite tracking devices by various Federal, State and private organizations, in preparation for the 2006 hurricane season.
Axonn LLC of New Orleans, the manufacturer of the satellite tracking device, granted Orbit One distribution rights to the OrbiTRAX satellite tracking unit for the emergency response market. The AXTracker mobile asset tracking device will support the field logistics and allow customers to track and manage their assets. The integrated simplex modem with GPS uses the Globalstar satellite network to deliver data to Orbit One’s FELIX (Field Enhanced Logistics) web-based mapping and logistics management system.
Related DailyWireless stories include; Satphones Localize, Biggest Spotbeam Sat Launched, Global Satellite Providers Now Three, FCC Approves Big Mobile Sat, U.S. Cell Sat, Inmarsat Plans Domestic Satphone, XM Buys 2.3GHz, 3G Band Scam?, East Meets West Satellite, DirecTV Launches F2, DirecTV to Mobile?, AirCell Demos Inflight WiFi, and Airfone Adding WiFi.
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