Abstract: A broadband communication system with improved latency is disclosed. The system employs acceleration of secure web-based communications over a satellite communication network. In accordance with aspects of the invention, secure protocol acceleration is employed such that required protocol signals transmitted from a computer employing a web browser may be intercepted by a remote terminal. To insure that the browser will continue transmitting data, the remote terminal generates required acknowledgment and security signals to continue the secure communication, which may then transmitted back to the computer. Meanwhile, the received protocol signals may be converted by the remote terminal for transmission through the satellite communications system in a format appropriate for that communication medium.

Abstract: A flexible slotted Aloha communication protocol for a burst-type communication network divides a communication channel into a series of time cycles, with each time cycle further divided into contiguous time slices of identical duration. All data transmissions in the network begin at the start of a time slice and continue for an integer number of time slices, with the identity of the transmitting terminal, the length of the transmission and error correction, being included within the first time slice of each data transmission. Communication terminals in the network transmit reservation requests to a network hub which receives the reservation requests and reserves reserved time slots each having a number of time slices which matches the length of the data transmission to be transmitted in the reserved time slot. The reserved time slot may include time slices in more than one time cycle.

Abstract: A flexible slotted Aloha communication protocol for a burst-type communication network divides a communication channel into a series of time cycles, with each time cycle further divided into contiguous time slices of identical duration. All data transmissions in the network begin at the start of a time slice and continue for an integer number of time slices, with the identity of the transmitting terminal, the length of the transmission and error correction, being included within the first time slice of each data transmission. Communication terminals in the network transmit reservation requests to a network hub which receives the reservation requests and reserves reserved time slots each having a number of time slices which matches the length of the data transmission to be transmitted in the reserved time slot. The reserved time slot may include time slices in more than one time cycle.

Abstract: Burst transmissions in a burst-type communication system include a preamble synchronization sequence which allows detection and synchronization a burst transmission while at the same time providing information to a receiver, for example, on the subsequent burst payload data. Each burst transmission includes a preamble synchronization sequence which is one of a plurality of predetermined allowed preamble sequences in the system, according to the information desired to be transmitted. The system may also use differential encoding and decoding to eliminate the effects of frequency uncertainty. In that case, the allowed preamble sequences may be such that, after differential decoding, they differ from one another only by a polarity inversion such that a single matched filter may be used to detect two preamble sequences.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for receiving and processing burst-mode code-division multiple access (CDMA) direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) signals is provided. In this apparatus and method, a number of demodulators are provided in a set enumerated order. Each demodulator is either “ready,” meaning that it is free to process signals, or busy meaning that it is currently processing a signal. The ready demodulators each receive an input IF signal and try to detect a preamble in the IF signal. Once they detect the preamble, each ready demodulator then sends a request signal to an arbitrator. In response to a received request signal, the arbitrator sends a grant signal to the first ready demodulator in the enumerated order. This grant signal passes through each busy demodulator that is higher in the enumerated order than the first ready demodulator. The first ready demodulator then begins processing the signal, and is moved from the set of ready demodulators to the set of busy demodulators.