Motorola Corporation

Randall K Derr

Robert Henry Bickley

David Moon Yee

Philip John Zucarelli

Theodore Woolley Keller

Jeff Scott Osman

Jeffrey S Osman

Voice call group functionality is provided in a satellite based air traffic control system to allow air traffic controllers and pilots of one or more aircraft to establish and maintain voice communication over a group call. A pilot of an aircraft may maintain voice communication with the same air traffic controller the entire duration of the flight over the entire globe. Voice communication between the pilot of an aircraft may be handed off from one air traffic controller to another by switching voice call groups. The voice call group functionality allows an air traffic controller to communicate simultaneously with pilots of different aircraft, and also allows pilots of different aircraft to communicate with each other.

Voice call group function for a satellite based air traffic control system

A satellite based broadcast data communications service for a satellite communications system is presented which allows a data information service provider (40) to send large blocks of data information to mobile subscriber units (50). A satellite gateway (30) is coupled to a service provider (40) via a ground link (42) and to a satellite communications network (10) via a gateway link (36). A mobile subscriber unit (50) is coupled to the satellite communications network (10) via both a message link (56) and a high-speed high-bandwidth downlink (58). The mobile subscriber unit sends a data request for requested data information to service provider (40) via message link (56), satellite communications network (10), gateway link (36), gateway (30), and ground link (42). Service provider (40) responds by retrieving and sending the requested data information to the requesting subscriber unit (50) via ground link (42), gateway (30), gateway link (36), satellite communications network (10), and high-speed high-bandwidth downlink (58). Service provider (40) sends a set of standard data information to the satellite communications network (10) to be broadcast over the high-speed high-bandwidth downlinks (58). Each subscriber unit 50 receives the broadcast standard data information, preferably only those portions for which the subscriber unit (50) has access authorization. The satellite based broadcast data communications service provides for data requests, data delivery, data access control, delivery priority, and billing for use of the system.

Satellite based high bandwidth data broadcast

A data message routing and delivery system for an air traffic control system includes a communications network with one or more ground processing nodes, one or more satellite processing nodes, and one or more avionics processing nodes each configured to send and receive data packets to and from others network processing nodes in the communications network. One or more transmission prioritizing controllers are provided to determine the locations of each of network processing node, and to control access to communication channels and routing of data messages in order of priority between the network processing nodes. An application executing on one network processing node is send to an application executing on another network processing node under the control of the transmission prioritizing controllers. The transmission prioritizing controllers determine the priority ranking of each data packet and cause each data packet to be routed over a communication channel according to its priority ranking from one network node to another until it reaches its destination.

Avionics satellite based data message routing and delivery system

A satellite-based air traffic control system utilizes global-coverage satellite communications network to provide voice and data communication between an air traffic control center and one or more aircraft worldwide. Each aircraft is provided with an airborne navigation location reporting system device which has the capability of determining positional information of the aircraft and to transmit and receive voice and data messages to and from the ATC center via the satellite communications network.

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Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Randall K Derr