Abstract: The present invention is a communication system having a plurality of forward channel communications and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel communications in a region for communications with cellular users. Each region includes a plurality of zone managers. Each zone manager includes a broadcaster having a broadcaster transmitter for broadcasting a plurality of forward channel communications using broadband broadcaster signals to form a plurality of broadcaster forward channels. Each zone manager includes an aggregator for processing reverse channel communications. Each zone manager communicates with a collector group for receiving reverse channel communications from users and forwarding reverse channel communications to the aggregator. Each of the users includes a user receiver for receiving a different forward channel from said broadcaster and includes user transmitter means for broadcasting user reverse channel communications in a different user reverse channel.

Abstract: The present invention is a communication system having a plurality of forward channel communications and a plurality of corresponding reverse channel communications in a region for communications with cellular users. Each region includes a plurality of zone managers. Each zone manager includes a broadcaster having a broadcaster transmitter for broadcasting a plurality of forward channel communications using broadband broadcaster signals to form a plurality of broadcaster forward channels. Each zone manager includes an aggregator for processing reverse channel communications. Each zone manager communicates with a collector group for receiving reverse channel communications from users and forwarding reverse channel communications to the aggregator. Each of the users includes a user receiver for receiving a different forward channel from said broadcaster and includes user transmitter means for broadcasting user reverse channel communications in a different user reverse channel.

Abstract: TDMA communication system having forward channel communications and corresponding reverse channel communications between mobile users and a zone manager in an arbitrarily large broadcaster zone established by a broadcaster. The users are located within the broadcaster zone and the collectors are distributed in proximity to the broadcaster zone. The zone manager operates to control the selection of users to form user groups and for selecting collectors to form collector groups such that the difference between the propagation times from broadcaster to user to collector among users active with the same collector does not exceed a synchronization error such that user reverse channel signals at the collector are isolated from each other. Users are selected such that each of the users in the user group are located at a distance from each of said other users in the user group not greater than a distance UR.sub.max.

Abstract: A cellular communications system that includes forward channel communications to users and corresponding reverse channel communications from mobile users. The users travel from one area to another area over one or more zones. The forward channel communications are broadcast directly to users in a broadcaster zone. The reverse channel communications from users are not returned directly but are first collected at locations arrayed over the broadcaster zone. After collection, the reverse channel communications are forwarded to complete the full duplex communications. The forward channel communications are point to multipoint while the the reverse channel communications are multipoint to point. The communication system separately handles the point to multipoint forward path as a direct broadcast and the multipoint to point reverse path using multiple collection points. Since the forward and reverse paths are separately configured, the present invention optimizes both the forward and reverse paths.