COMMUNICATION SYSTEM ENSURING MOBILE ACCESS TO INTERNET, EMPLOYING A LOW-ORBIT SATELLITE AND A SATELLITE-TYPE DIRECT RADIOTRANSMISSION SYSTEM

摘要

A system for providing global and portable Internet access to low cost user terminals comprises an Internet service provider gateway and a broadcast station for providing multimedia information from the gateway to the user terminals via a direct radio broadcast geostationary satellite. User terminals each comprise a direct radio broadcast receiver and a transceiver for communicating with a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite. User terminals transmit Internet access requests, menu selections and other backhaul signals to the gateway via the transceiver. The broadcast station transmits information requested by the user from the gateway to a specific user terminal by providing identification codes in the broadcast programs. The user terminals are programmable to receive all broadcast programs but to demodulate and demultiplex only those broadcast channels addressed to the user terminal. Internet access is available simultaneously with reception of satellite direct broadcasts of audio programs.