Abstract: A jaw plate with parallel and opposing flat surfaces one surface having a specially machined detail that when mated with matching adapters hold said jaw plate by spring tension against a flat surface while urging said jaw plate against a stationary hard stop on said adapter while simultaneously urging said jaw plate against the floor of a gripping device such as a machine vise.

Abstract: A dovetail positioning device including a fixed base member with teeth in at least one angular dovetail surface a moveable member with dovetail cross section of shape and size to interfit with the fixed base a clamping means to force the teeth of the fixed and moveable members to mesh thus establishing a repeatable position in three planes.

Abstract: A power control method and apparatus are provided for a satellite based telecommunications system. The system includes a power control subsystem which is operative with systems operations center for distributing available satellite power between earth stations. Each earth station includes a baseband manager which subdivides the available satellite power between subband beams emitted from the satellite. The earth station further includes beam processors which manage the power allocated to each subband within an associated beam in order to maintain a desired signal quality in a forward link between the satellite and user terminals within the associated subbands. The beam processors communicate with modems, each of which is assigned to a particular user terminal. Each modem controls the satellites transmission power in the forward link to the user terminals to maintain a desired signal-to-noise ratio at the user terminal receiver. The signal-to-noise ratio is determined by the corresponding beam processor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided, for maintaining synchronous return and forward communications links between user terminals and earth stations communicating via a common satellite in a satellite based telecommunications system. Each user terminal maintains a closed synchronization loop with its associated earth station based on timing and frequency error offset signals received by the user terminals. The user terminals update their internal timing and frequency generators based on the received error offset signals. In an earth station sharing embodiment, one of the earth stations is designated as a master earth station while the remaining stations are designated as slave earth stations with respect to a common satellite. The slave earth stations monitor a return link between at least one user terminal and the master earth station.

Abstract: A method is provided for determining the geolocation of a mobile terminal within a telecommunications satellite system. The system supports first and second forward communications links from first and second earth stations through first and second satellites to a common mobile terminal. The method includes receiving, at the mobile terminal, first and second forward link communications signals from the first and second earth stations and, based thereon, obtaining synchronization differential data. The synchronization differential data may include timing and frequency synchronization data necessary to maintain synchronization between the first and second communications at the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal transmits the synchronization differential data to the first earth station over the return link. The first earth station receives communications signals from the mobile terminal and based thereon calculates return link synchronization data.