Importance

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Abstract

An interface (52) is provided between a satellite telephone system (4) and a cellular telephone system (5) for allowing calls to a user's cellular telephone to be diverted to a satellite telephone (25) when the user is unable to use his cellular telephone, for example when on board an aeroplane (2) fitted with a satellite telephone system (20). The user inserts a card (which may be the SIM of his mobile phone, or a card compatible with existing satellite telephone equipment) into a suitable reader in the satellite telephone (20), which causes the satellite ground station's card verification system (42) to connect to a host cellular network (50). The host cellular network has an interface unit (52) which emulates the operation of a normal base station, so that the host cellular system (50) acts as if the mobile user's terminal is roaming on the host network, but is currently 'busy'. The interface (52) also resets the user's existing call diversion instructions so that when the host cellular system (5) receives a busy tone frome the base station emulator (52), it routes calls to the directory number of the terminal (20).

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First Claim