(12) United States Patent
`Rebec et al.
`
`US006175717B1
`US 6,175,717 B1
`*Jan. 16, 2001
`
`(10) Patent N0.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`7/1991 Nall .
`5,029,232
`5,057,932 * 10/1991 Lang ~
`5,157,491
`10/1992 Kassatly.
`11:47PM it ‘11- -
`9/1993 Goeken '
`
`*
`
`ovira e a .
`
`.
`
`,
`
`,
`
`5,249,303
`
`(54)
`
`(75)
`
`(73)
`
`GLOBAL MOBILE VIDEO
`COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
`
`Inventors: Mihailo v. Rebec; Mohammed s.
`Rebec, both of Bristol, IN (US)
`
`~
`
`.
`_
`.
`.
`Asslgnee' Tm‘: Vldeo Electromcs’ Inc"
`Was mgton’ DC (Us)
`
`(*)
`
`_
`Notice:
`
`5,262,875
`11/1993 Mincer et al. .
`5,398,035 * 3/1995 Densmore et al. ................ .. 343/713
`5,490,704 * 2/1996 Calnan ........... ..
`. 296/24.1
`
`5,539,452 * 7/1996 Bush 61 al. ........................... .. 348/17
`
`_
`_
`_
`This patent issued on a continued pros
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`ecution application ?led under 37 CFR
`_
`1.53(d), and is subject to the twenty year
`patent term provisions of 35 USC “Inmarsat Product Portfolio”, Jan. 9, 1993*
`154(21)(2)_
`“Trimble Navigation Introduces System” Satellite Week
`(abstract only), Oct. 1991*
`Yasuda et al. (Communications, 1989. ICC ’89, Bostonnicc/
`89. Conference record. ‘World Prosperity Through Commu
`nications’, IEEE International Conference on, 1989, pp.
`204—210 vol- 1-)-*
`
`Under 35 U.S.C. 154(b), the term of this
`patent shall be extended for 0 days.
`
`Appl. NO.Z 08/215,770
`
`Filed:
`
`Mar. 21, 1994
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`Related US. Application Data
`
`P 1' imary Examiner—Nathan Flynn
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Fleshner & Kim, LLP
`
`(21)
`(22)
`
`(63)
`
`(51)
`(52)
`(58)
`
`(56)
`
`Continuation-in-part of application No. 08/085,329, ?led on
`Jul. 2, 1993, now Pat. No. 5,594,936, which is a continua-
`tion-in-part of application No. 08/047,089, ?led on Apr. 16,
`1993’ now Pat No_ 5,740,214'
`7
`Int. Cl- ..................................................... ..
`US. Cl. .......................... .. 455/32; 343/711; 348/722
`Fleld 0f Search ................................... .. 343/711, 712,
`343/713, 714, 717, 757, 758, 759; 342/352;
`364/9193; 455/32; 348/722; 296/24-1
`_
`References Clted
`Us PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`6/1987 K0011 -
`4,672,655
`47672656 * 6/1987 pfelffer ct a1~ -
`4,710,813
`12/1987 Walhs et a1‘ '
`gi?fz?s'en et a1
`5/1991 Filmer.
`6/1991 Wheeless .
`
`5,019,910
`5,023,934
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`_
`_
`_
`_
`_
`A mobile can transmit and receive broadcast quality video
`signals While in motion. The system includes a poWer
`generator and a microwave Subsystem Coupled to Said power
`generaton The microwave subsystem transmits ?rst local
`microwave Signals modulated With ?rst local digital data
`While in motion With respect to earth and also receives ?rst
`remote microWave signals modulated With ?rst remote digi
`tal data While in motion With respect to earth. A high speed
`digital station receives a video signal and transforms and
`compresses the video signal into the ?rst local digital data
`and transforms and decompresses the ?rst remote digital
`data into a ?rst decompressed remote digital data. The
`mobile microWave system is housed in a vehicle Which has
`a loWer portion and an upper portion, Wherein the ?rst local
`microWave signals can pass through the upper portion.
`
`10 Claims, 14 Drawing Sheets
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`Petitioners' Ex. 1004 - Page 1
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jan. 16, 2001
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`US 6,175,717 B1
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`1
`GLOBAL MOBILE VIDEO
`COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
`
`RELATED APPLICATIONS
`
`This application is a continuation-in-part of Us. patent
`application Ser. No. 08/085,329, ?led Jul. 2, 1993, now US.
`Pat. No. 5,594,936, which in turn was a continuation-in-part
`of US. patent application Ser. No. 08/047,089, ?led Apr. 16,
`1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,214, the contents of both of
`which are incorporated herein by reference.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`This invention relates generally to an apparatus and
`method for transmitting information from one location to
`another and in particular to a global satellite communica
`tions vehicle capable of receiving and forwarding informa
`tion including video and other sensor information from a
`remote location in real time even while the vehicle is
`moving.
`2. Description of Related Art
`A news team frequently has to transmit a video clip of a
`news story at some remote location site back to a home
`television station. Typically, the news team accomplishes
`this by either using their own earth station with a satellite
`dish and uplink electronics or renting such an earth station
`from a third party. Often, however, the television station
`cannot afford such an earth station or none is available from
`a third party and consequently the news team must rely on
`nearby governrnent rninistry-owned satellite earth station.
`FIG. 1A shows a truck 10 with a satellite dish 16 which
`together serve as a point-of-origin independent work station
`14. In order to be point-of-origin independent, work station
`must use the C or Ku-band and consequently the diameter of
`the dish 16 must be at least 10 to 15 meters. Truck 10
`contains all uplink electronics required to transmit rnicro
`wave signals in the C or Ku band. A video signal is
`modulated onto a microwave signal and then arnpli?es and
`transmits the microwave signal to a satellite 20 typically
`owned by some government agency. That government
`agency is not necessarily associated with the country in
`which the earth station is located. The rnicrowave signal is
`then downlinked to another large rnicrowave dish 24 at
`television station 28 where it can be broadcast live to a
`surrounding area or taped for broadcast at a later time.
`Alternatively, local television station 28 can retransrnit the
`video clip from dish 24 to another television station 29
`having its own dish 30 with a diameter of about 8—12 feet.
`A local television station can then rebroadcast the video clip
`to its local viewers using dish 30.
`This process has a variety of drawbacks. For example,
`earth station 14 is very large, heavy and has expensive
`uplink electronics. Also, earth station 14 can weigh several
`tons and consequently shipping such a system itself can
`become very expensive. Truck 10 with uplink electronics
`and large dish 16 can require 6 to 8 men to assemble and
`operate. In addition, earth station 14 can cost several hun
`dred thousand dollars to own, or tens of thousands of dollars
`to rent on a per day basis. Also, in order to operate earth
`station 14, the news team must obtain a license from the
`country in which the earth station 14 is located. First, since
`earth station 14 must be shipped to the local country, it also
`has to pass through that country’s local customs of?ce.
`Even after all of the above drawbacks are overcome, the
`news team cannot send the video clip from earth station 14
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`to television station 28 until several more steps have been
`performed. First, earth station 14 must contact the appro
`priate government agency which operates satellite 20 and
`prebook a speci?c time period during which the video clip
`will be transmitted from earth station 14 to television station
`28. In addition, earth station 14 and television station 28
`both must know and use the protocol required by the
`particular agency or government which controls satellite 20.
`Moreover, since the time of transmission via satellite 20
`must be prebooked, the uplink will fail if the news team does
`not have the taped news clip ready. Also, despite its siZe and
`complexity, earth station 14 does not typically contain
`equiprnent capable of editing the video clip before it is
`transmitted to television station 28 via satellite 20.
`The above scenario can be described as a “best case”
`scenario since it was assumed that the television station has
`its own satellite dish 24 and can rent or own an earth station
`14. This situation becomes even more complicated and
`nearly impossible if, for example, television station 28 has
`to rely on transmitting the video clip out of the country even
`using that country’s governrnent satellite earth station as
`shown FIG. 1B. In particular, FIG. 1B shows a government
`satellite earth station 40 with a large C or Ku dish 44 which
`uplinks C or Ku rnicrowaves to satellite 20 which in turn
`downlinks these rnicrowave signals to television station 28.
`In this scenario, transmission from earth station 40 must be
`prebooked with the local government in addition to pre
`booking a transmission time slot with the government or
`agency which operates satellite 20. (These two governments
`are likely not the same.) Moreover, since the local govern
`rnent operates earth station 40, it can censor all such news
`clips and allow only those news clips or sections of news
`clips to be transmitted with which the government agrees.
`Furthermore, many countries will not have such a satellite
`earth station. Consequently, those television stations which
`do not have access to an earth station similar to earth station
`14 in FIG. 1A rnust hand carry or mail the video clip to
`television station 28 or to another country which does have
`an earth station 14. Hence, by the time the video clip arrives
`at television station 28, the news it contains is old.
`In addition to the above dif?culties associated with
`uplinking a microwave signal to satellite 20, downlinking
`from satellite 20 to earth station 28 may involve one or more
`hops as shown in FIG. 1C. In particular, FIG. 1C shows
`rnicrowave signals uplinked form either earth station 14 or
`governmental earth station 40 to satellite 20 which in turn
`must be downlinked (due to the location of satellite 20) to a
`?rst earth station 50 located, for example, in Europe. First
`earth station 50 must in turn uplink to a second satellite 20‘
`which in turn downlinks to earth station 28. During this
`process, the protocol of each link must be complied with.
`This creates an even greater burden on the news team.
`Teleconferencing technology like news gathering and
`broadcasting technology involves transrnitting video signals
`from one location to another. However, teleconferencing
`differs from news gathering in that news gathering typically
`involves transrnitting high quality video images from a ?rst
`location and receiving that information at a second location,
`whereas teleconferencing involves both transmitting and
`receiving video images at each of the ?rst and second
`locations albeit not necessarily video images of broadcast
`quality.
`FIG. 2 shows a ?rst building 200 and a second building
`240 interconnected via a high speed digital data network 250
`such as (ACUNET) or integrated services digital network
`(ISDN). These networks are capable of transmitting digital
`information at rates of 64 kilobits/second (kbps) or in some
`
`Petitioners' Ex. 1004 - Page 16
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`US 6,175,717 B1
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`3
`cases 128 kbps. Network 250 must include a signal routing
`center 260 (typically oWned and operated by a telephone
`company) and data lines 264 and 268 interconnecting tele
`conferencing equipment 274 in building 200 to teleconfer
`encing equipment 278 in building 240. Signal routing sys
`tem 260 can include a variety of satellite, ?ber optic and
`standard hardWired links.
`Teleconferencing equipment 274 and 278 must be capable
`of transmitting and receiving audio/video signals in real
`time. In order to do this, data lines 264 and 268 must be
`capable of transmitting more than the standard telephone
`line audio bandWidth of 9.6 kbps. Consequently, standard
`telephone lines cannot be used to interconnect teleconfer
`encing equipment 274 to teleconferencing equipment 278.
`ACUNET or ISDN interconnecting can transmit at high
`enough bit rates to enable interconnection of teleconferenc
`ing equipment. HoWever, high speed digital (HSD) lines or
`ISDN lines have been installed in only a feW cities through
`out the United States and only in the main business districts
`of those cities. Moreover, only selected buildings Within
`those main business districts have been hard Wired With high
`speed data lines 264 and 268. Also, installation of such high
`speed data lines is a long and expensive process.
`In addition to the above discussed limitations, vehicle 10
`of FIG. 1A cannot be uplinked to satellite 20 While vehicle
`10 is in motion. Hence, a television neWs creW cannot pursue
`a neWs event Which changes its location Without undergoing
`a time consuming process of taking doWn dish 16, packing
`up all of their equipment, driving to the neW location, setting
`up all of the equipment in vehicle 10 and satellite dish 16 and
`obtaining the satellite up-and doWn links as discussed above.
`Note also that after taking doWn satellite dish 16, all
`equipment in vehicle 10 must be secured before that vehicle
`can be driven to a neW location. OtherWise, any rough terrain
`encountered en route to the next location could result in
`serious damage to the components in station 14. By the end
`of such a long process, the neWs event may have already
`moved to yet another location. Consequently, station 14
`cannot be used to cover outdoor based events of an emer
`gency nature.
`In addition to the above, communications sent via dish 16
`to satellite 20 can be received by other satellite dishes in the
`general region of station 14. Hence, communications
`betWeen station 14 and television station 28 are not secure.
`Also, stations such as station 14 do not include the capability
`of editing video information on site before transmitting that
`information back to television station 28 and do not provide
`any type of bullet proof shielding.
`The above discussed prolonged set up and take doWn
`times also severely limit the applicability of system 14 as an
`emergency medical vehicle. For example, if there is an
`accident at a remote location, it Would be desirable to be able
`to drive vehicle 10 (loaded With medical diagnostic
`equipment) to that location in order to provide emergency
`medical assistance. HoWever, the long set up and take doWn
`times effectively eliminate the use of such a vehicle in these
`circumstances.
`In addition to transmitting and receiving audio/video
`information from a moving vehicle, it is sometimes neces
`sary to provide a means for acquiring audio/video informa
`tion or other information from a location remote from the
`vehicle itself. For example, if there is a neWsWorthy event
`Which cannot be reached by car or truck, a neWs creW may
`have to go to that scene by foot and transmit audio/video
`information or other information from the remote location to
`the vehicle itself.
`
`4
`Similarly, in medical situations, accidents often occur in
`hard-to-reach places such as near cliffs, ski slopes, hiking
`trails or out at sea, etc. Moreover, patients at the remote
`locations may often require immediate medical assistance
`before being transported to the vehicle containing the medi
`cal diagnostic equipment. In this case, since the patient is
`often in hard to reach locations, it is desirable to be able to
`reach the patient Without transporting diagnostic equipment
`to the patient. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to maintain
`most diagnostic equipment inside the vehicle itself so that
`the paramedic need only carry medical sensors leaving the
`diagnostic equipment on board the vehicle. The paramedic
`could then use the sensors to transmit all relevant informa
`tion to the doctor or doctors in the vehicle and folloW
`instructions from them.
`Sometimes patients at such remote sites require expertise
`Which is not available even in the vehicle containing the
`diagnostic equipment. In these cases, it Would be desirable
`to be able to communicate immediately and in real time to
`a hospital With specialists in the desired ?elds. Vehicle 10,
`hoWever, must as discussed above be set up and transmission
`times must be prearranged before communications can be
`established betWeen vehicle 10 and a hospital With a receiv
`ing satellite dish 24 and necessary television equipment.
`Consequently, station 14 simply cannot provide medical
`services such as those discussed above.
`
`10
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`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`An object of the invention therefore is to provide a global
`satellite communications vehicle for transmitting and
`receiving information While in motion or at rest.
`Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle
`Which can operate in a full duplex mode for teleconferencing
`While in motion or at rest.
`Another object of the invention is to provide a commu
`nications system Which can transmit and receive medical
`information While in motion or at rest.
`Another object of the invention is to provide a system
`Which can link communications betWeen a paramedic in a
`remote location and a specialist anyWhere in the World.
`Another object of the invention is to provide a system
`Which can transmit diagnostic information from the vehicle
`to a hospital While en route to that hospital.
`Another object of the invention is to provide a commu
`nications system Which can be set up quickly and easily.
`Another object of the invention is to provide a system
`Which includes equipment for editing video clips.
`Another object of the invention is to provide a commu
`nications system Which can transmit audio/video informa
`tion on an ad hoc, event-by-event basis.
`An advantage of the system is that it can transmit audio/
`video information While in motion.
`Another advantage of the system is that it can transmit and
`receive high quality audio/video information in real time.
`Another advantage of the system is that it can be used to
`cover outdoor events in emergency situations.
`Another advantage of the system is that it has one or more
`microWave communication links Which provide communi
`cations betWeen the vehicle and an individual at a remote
`location.
`Another advantage of the invention is that it provides
`secure communications.
`Another advantage of the system is that it provides
`position, speed and altitude of the vehicle.
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`Petitioners' Ex. 1004 - Page 17
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`US 6,175,717 B1
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`5
`Another advantage of the invention is that it provides
`transmission and reception of audio/video information on a
`dial-up basis.
`Another advantage of the system is that it is capable of
`withstanding several G’s of shock While moving and still
`operate properly.
`Another advantage of the invention is that it accepts
`scrambling devices.
`Another advantage of the invention is that it does not
`utiliZe a satellite dish or “dome” visible on the rooftop of the
`vehicle, but instead, the vehicle appears like an ordinary
`recreational vehicle from the outside.
`One feature of the invention is that it utiliZes a receive
`signal processor.
`Another feature of the invention is that it utiliZes a vehicle
`With physical storage capacity such as a truck or a van.
`Another feature of the invention is that it utiliZes rela
`tively small antennas.
`Another feature of the invention is that it utiliZes remote
`extension packs capable of transmitting and receiving video
`and sound via one or more microWave links.
`Another feature of the invention is that it utiliZes digital
`communications and hence the communications are dif?cult
`to intercept.
`Another feature of the invention is that it can use any type
`of communication link betWeen the system and a remote
`location, such as an infrared or optical link.
`Another feature of the invention is that it utiliZes a
`standard A antenna terminal and antenna.
`Another feature of the invention is that it utiliZes a
`standard M terminal and antenna array.
`Another feature of the invention is that it can utiliZe a
`standard B-type terminal and antenna.
`Another feature of the invention is that it utiliZes a global
`position system (gps) receiver and antenna.
`Another feature of the invention is that it is poWered by
`a poWer generator Which is mounted in the vehicle.
`Another feature of the invention is that it utiliZes a
`standard C system to transmit gps derived information to
`any Inmarsat C equipped transmitter/receiver in the World.
`Another feature of the invention is that it can have bullet
`proof panels.
`These and other objects advantages and features accom
`plished by the provision of a mobile microWave system.,
`including: a poWer generator; a microWave subsystem
`coupled to the poWer generator for transmitting ?rst local
`microWave signals modulated With ?rst local digital data
`While in motion With respect to earth and for receiving ?rst
`remote microWave signals modulated With ?rst remote digi
`tal data While in motion With respect to earth; a high speed
`digital station coupled to the poWer generator and the
`microWave subsystem, for receiving a video signal and for
`transforming and compressing the video signal into the ?rst
`local digital data and for transforming and decompressing
`the ?rst remote digital data into a ?rst decompressed remote
`digital data; and a vehicle for housing the poWer generator,
`the microWave subsystem and the high speed digital station,
`the vehicle having a loWer portion and an upper portion,
`Wherein the ?rst local microWave signals can pass through
`the upper portion.
`The above and other objects, advantages and features are
`accomplished by the further provision of: gps antenna; and
`gps receiver coupled to the gps antenna and the high speed
`digital station, for determining location information of the
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`vehicle and outputting the location information to the high
`speed digital station, as gps data, as Well as the further
`provision of a standard C antenna; a standard C transmitter
`and receiver, coupled to at least one of the gps receiver and
`the high speed digital station for receiving the location
`information and transmitting the location information to a
`satellite.
`The above objects, advantages and features are also
`accomplished by the provision of an L band microWave
`system, comprising: an L band microWave subsystem for
`transmitting ?rst local microWave signals modulated With
`?rst local digital data and for receiving ?rst remote micro
`Wave signals modulated With ?rst remote digital data; and a
`high speed digital station coupled to the L band microWave
`subsystem, for receiving a video signal and for transforming,
`editing and compressing the video signal into the ?rst local
`digital data and for decompressing, editing and transforming
`the ?rst remote digital data into ?rst decompressed remote
`digital data.
`The above and other objects, advantages and features are
`accomplished by the further provision of: a gps antenna; and
`gps receiver coupled to the gps antenna and the high speed
`digital station, for determining location information of the
`vehicle and outputting the location information to the high
`speed digital station, as gps data as Well as a standard C
`antenna; a standard C transmitter and receiver, coupled to at
`least one of the gps receiver and the high speed digital
`station for receiving the location information and transmit
`ting the location information to a satellite.
`The above and other objects, advantages and features are
`alternatively accomplished by the provision of an L band
`microWave system, comprising: a poWer generator; a stan
`dard Asubsystem coupled to the poWer generator, including:
`an antenna assembly for transmitting A band local micro
`Wave signals and for receiving A band remote microWave
`signals; and a standard A antenna terminal coupled to the
`standard A antenna assembly for receiving, demodulating
`and processing the A band remote microWave signals to
`yield ?rst remote digital signals, and for processing ?rst
`local digital signals to generate the Aband local microWave
`signals and for controlling the antenna assembly in accor
`dance With gps data; a standard M subsystem coupled to the
`poWer generator, including: an array antenna for transmit
`ting M band local microWave signals and for receiving M
`band remote microWave signals; and a standard M array
`antenna terminal coupled to the array antenna for receiving,
`demodulating and processing the M band remote microWave
`signals to yield second remote digital signals, for processing
`second local digital signals to generate the M band local
`microWave signals and for controlling the array antenna in
`accordance With the gps data; a high speed digital station
`coupled to the Aband subsystem, the standard M subsystem
`and the poWer generator, including: signal converter for
`receiving and converting the ?rst and second remote digital
`data and outputting ?rst and second asynchronous com
`pressed remote digital data, respectively, and for receiving
`and converting ?rst and second asynchronous compressed
`local digital data to yield the ?rst and second local digital
`data, respectively; receive signal processor for receiving,
`editing and decompressing the ?rst and second asynchro
`nous compressed remote digital data to yield ?rst and second
`decompressed remote digital data and for compressing and
`editing ?rst and second decompressed local digital data to
`yield the ?rst and second asynchronous compressed local
`digital data; and video signal receiver and display coupled to
`the receive signal processor for receiving and displaying at
`least one of the ?rst and second decompressed remote digital
`
`Petitioners' Ex. 1004 - Page 18
`
`

`
`US 6,175,717 B1
`
`7
`data, and for receiving a video signal and transforming the
`video signal into the ?rst and second decompressed local
`digital data and for displaying the video signal; microWave
`suitcase subsystem, including: microWave transmitter for
`receiving an external video signal and transmitting a micro
`Wave signal modulated With the eXternal video signal; and
`microWave receiver for receiving and demodulating the
`microWave signal to yield the video signal; gps subsystem
`coupled to the poWer generator, comprising: gps antenna;
`and gps receiver coupled to the gps antenna and the high
`speed digital station, for determining location information of
`the vehicle and outputting the location information to the
`high speed digital station, as the gps data; a vehicle for
`housing the poWer generator, the standard A subsystem, the
`standard M subsystem, the high speed digital station and the
`microWave receiver, the vehicle including a loWer portion
`and an upper portion, Wherein the upper portion passes L
`band microWaves; and video camera coupled to the video
`camera signal receiver via the microWave suitcase
`subsystem, for outputting the external video signal.
`The above and other objects, advantages and features of
`the present invention Will become more apparent from the
`folloWing description of embodiments thereof taken in con
`junction With the accompanying draWings.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIGS. 1A—1C shoW a truck With a satellite dish Which
`together serve as a point-of-origin independent Work station
`and that hoW that Work station relies on a host country’s
`government satellite earth station.
`FIG. 2 shoWs a ?rst building and a second building
`interconnected via a high speed digital data netWork such as
`(ACUNET) or integrated services digital network (ISDN).
`FIG. 3A shoWs a vehicle With a communications system
`Which includes a signal processor, FIG. 3B shoWs the global
`satellite communications vehicle together With remote digi
`tal suitcase systems according to one embodiment of the
`invention and FIG. 3C shoWs remote digital suitcase system
`With an open microWave umbrella dish.
`FIGS. 4A and 4B shoW a more detailed block diagram of
`a transmission and receiving system, and FIGS. 4C and 4D
`shoW a transmission and digital receiving system Which
`represents the satellite link betWeen the suitcase and digital
`station 303B of FIG. 3B.
`FIG. 5 shoWs a someWhat more detailed diagram of the
`global satellite communication vehicle.
`FIG. 6 shoWs various equipment and hoW they are inter
`connected in communications vehicle 305.
`FIG. 7 shoWs a more detailed block diagram of the
`processing equipment in the global satellite communications
`vehicle.
`FIG. 8 shoWs an alternate approach to coupling sensors to
`the global satellite communications vehicle via L1.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
`FIG. 3A shoWs a vehicle 300 With a communications
`system 301 Which includes signal processor 303V according
`to one embodiment of the invention. Top portion 300a of
`vehicle 300 is built of ?ber glass or other material that passes
`microWaves Whereas bottom portion 300b need not.
`Alternatively, top portion can be made to open thereby
`alloWing microWave transmission from vehicle 300. Vehicle
`300 can have bullet proof panels 302‘ built into sides 300c.
`Vehicle 300, communications system 301 and signal
`processor 303V make up global satellite communications
`
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`vehicle 305. Communications system 301 is visible here
`only because vehicle 300 has been cut open in FIG. 3A.
`Typically, hoWever, communications system 301 Will not be
`visible from outside of vehicle 300.
`FIG. 3B shoWs global satellite communications vehicle
`305 together With remote digital suitcase systems 307R1,
`307R2 and 307R3. Each remote digital suitcase system is
`capable of communicating With communications system 301
`on vehicle 300 via links L1, L2 or L3. In addition, remote
`digital suitcase systems 307R1, 307R2 and 307R3 can
`communicate directly With satellite 309 via satellite link 1
`(SL1), satellite link 2 (SL2) and satellite link 3 (SL3),
`respectively. Remote digital suitcase systems 307R1—307R3
`can further communicate via multiple phone links
`(MPL1—MPL3), respectively, With mobile phone satellite
`(MPSAT‘) 311. Communications system 301 has a vehicle
`satellite link (VSL) With satellite 309 as Well as a vehicle
`mobile phone link (VMPL) With mobile phone satellite 311.
`Communications betWeen remote digital suitcase 307R1
`can be achieved in one or more of the folloWing manners.
`Communications system 301 can transmit and receive via
`link VSL to satellite 309 and then via satellite link 1 to
`remote digital suitcase system 307R1. Alternatively, com
`munications system 301 can transmit and receive informa
`tion via vehicle mobile phone link VMPL to mobile phone
`satellite 311 and then to and from remote digital suitcase
`system 307R1 via mobile phone link 1 (MPL1). Commu
`nications system 301 can also transmit and receive via links
`L1—L3 to or from remote digital suitcase systems
`307R1—307R3, respectively.
`Links L1—L3 can be Wide band microWave links or Wide
`band optical links. Hence, links L1—L3 can transmit and
`receive high quality broadcast audio/video information. Sat
`ellite links SL1—SL3 and VSL can be L band satellite
`communication links. Consequently, high quality (broadcast
`quality) audio/video information as Well as any other type of
`information can be transmitted to and from communications
`system 301 as Well as remote digital suitcase systems
`307R1—307R3. Th