General Dynamics C4 Systems, Inc.

James Lynn Warthman

David Moon Yee

Taul Eric Aragaki

Mark Lawrence Wormley

Gerard Anthony Smorowski, Jr

A communications system () includes a resource controller () and a terminal () in communication with the resource controller (). Periodically, the resource controller () sends a service announcement () that identifies a set () of timeslots () within a communication resource () configured for random access within a future frame (). The terminal () ascertains a burst characteristic () of a message () to be sent from the terminal () and generates a random access parameter (). The terminal () selects one of the timeslots () from the set () in accordance with the random access parameter (), the timeslot exhibiting a burst type () corresponding to the burst characteristic () of the message (). The terminal () transmits the message () in the selected timeslot ().

Random access slot selection in a communications system

A base station () provides service in a satellite communications (SATCOM) system () to a terminal (). The SATCOM system () operates in accordance with a first standard (), and the terminal () is unable to communicate in accordance with the first standard (). Methodology entails receiving, at a SATCOM resource controller (), a request () for a satellite resource () from the base station (). The satellite resource () is allocated to the base station () and the controller () sends a message () with the allocated satellite resource (). The base station () applies a second standard (), defining a specific set of functional and performance characteristics, to the satellite resource (). The terminal () is enabled to perform satellite communications in accordance with the second standard () using the satellite resource ().

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Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

James Lynn Warthman