The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 17, 2004
Filed:
May. 08, 2001
David S. Parkman, Mercer Island, WA (US);
The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
A polling system and method for establishing forward and return communications links with a plurality of mobile platforms operating within a given coverage region. The system and method combines preliminary return channel information and path discovery information into polling messages transmitted by a ground station. A mobile platform responding to the polling messages relayed from one of a plurality of satellite based transponders transmits a response on the designated preliminary return channel and includes the path discovery information in its response. The path discovery information informs the ground station of the precise route through various components of the forward link communications path that the polling message took in reaching the mobile platform. Combining the path discovery information and the return channel information into the forward link polling messages saves important transponder bandwidth.