The service features of the OmniTRACS system developed by Omninet Communications Services of Los Angeles, California are described. This system is the first operational mobile Ku-band satellite communications system that provides two-way messaging and position determination and reporting services to mobile users on a nationwide basis. The system uses existing Ku-band satellites under a secondary international allocation for mobile satellite services

Salmasi, Allen

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

N88-25689
AN OVERVIEW OF THE OMNITRACS - THE FIRST OPERATIONAL
MOBILE KU-BAND SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
ALLEN SALMASI, President
OMNINET COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES
3416 South La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90016-4496
T T_| _,_11 _._
ABSTRACT
The service features of the OmniTRACS system developed
by Omninet Communications S_rvices of Los Angeles, California,
are described. This sytem is the first operational mobile Ku-
band Satellite Communications System that provides two-way
messaging and position determination and reporting services to
mobile users on a nationwide basis. The system uses existing
Ku-band satellites under a secondary international allocation
for mobile satellite services.
INTRODUCTION
Omninet Corporation was formed in 1984 to provide a nationwide mobile
communications service. Omninet has applied dramatic innovations to proven
technologies creating a two-way messaging system for mobile and fixed applications.
The founder and president of Omninet, Allen Salmasi, has been actively
involved for over a decade in developing and refining the initial NASA concept for
mobile satellite systems. He conceived the OmniTRACS product which has enabled
Omninet to develop a two-way mobile communications system employing in-orbit Ku-
band satellites, with full operations commencing second quarter 1988.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently concluded there is an
"outstanding need" for satellite-based position reporting and alphanumeric
messaging. Because of such a demand for satellite-based mobile communications, the
FCC over the past two years has given birth to _two uniquely different services
called the Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) and Radiodetermination Satellite Service
(RDSS). Omninet is one of the two companies currently holding the RDSS license
and the general authorization to proceed with the launch of its RDSS services,
granted by the FCC in March, 1987.
Working with Qualcomm, Inc. of San Diego, Omninet is the first company to
develop technology using existing Ku-band satellite capacity for mobile applications,
eliminating the expense, risk and delays associated with satellite launches. Omninet
and Qualcomm have been working closely to develop the OmniTRACS product for
over two years. Omninet has contracted Qualcomm to design, implement and
manufacture the OmniTRACS mobile and transportable VSAT's and the associated
Network Management Facility exclusively for Omninet. Representatives from a
variety of industries have expressed a need for improved communications with
mobile fleets. Companies involved in public safety, transportation, public utilities
and others have a need to send and receive information to vehicles enroute. As
vehicles travel across the country into rural areas, they move out of range of
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conventionalland-basedcommunicationsystems.Omninet'ssatellitecommunication
system- OmniTRACS - eliminates the range problems inherent with land-based
systems, creating a true nationwide network.
The OmniTRACS system began operational tests in January, 1988, in which an
OmniTRACS mobile terminal was driven from Coast to Coast in constant
communication with a Network Management Facility located in San Diego,
California. Operation was very successful in all kinds of environments from wide
open Western freeways to the concrete canyons of New York City.
Ku-band satellite communications are common-place in the commercial market
and, in fact, the fixed VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminals) network applications
is one of the major growing markets for the Ku-band satellite communications.
Telephony, television and private data networks are already extensive users of Ku-
band satellites, plus Ku-band components are mass produced, making terminal costs
relatively inexpensive. This provides for very reasonably priced communications and
VSAT equipment. Other potential mobile satellite service providers must rely on
tentative satellite launches years into the future at a cost of hundreds of millions
of dollars or on securing frequency spectrum not yet sufficiently available for such
use. Omninet is utilizing existing hardware and facilities, both on the ground and
in space, with an innovative system design that takes advantage of novel signal
processing techniques to deliver the mobile and transportable VSAT network
services.
SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
OmniTRACS is a unique satellite-based communication system enabling users to
manage mobile resources efficiently and economically.
KU BANO SATELLITE
/
OMNINET
NETWORK MANAGEMENT
CENTER
NATIONAL OR REGION&L DISPATCH
Fig. 1. OmniTRACS Service Network Concept
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The OmniTRACSVSAT networkhas three major components:
1. A Network Management Facility (NMF) which controls and monitors the
OmniTRACS network. The NMF, located in Los Angeles, California with back-up
facilities in San Diego, California, consists of a computer facility, message switching
and processing equipment, and a satellite earth station to transmit and receive
customer messages.
2. Two Ku-band transponders aboard GTE Spacenet's GSTAR I satellite
located at 103 ° west longitude.
3. Two-way data-communication and position-reporting mobile and
transportable OmniTRACS VSAT's.
The OmniTRACS mobile and transportable VSAT network features two-way data
messaging, position reporting, fleet broadcasting, call accounting and message
confirmation. The service provides users with an unprecedented range of features
in a variety of cost-effective packages. A complete technical description of this
system is presented in this conference in a paper by the technical staff of
Qualcomm, Incorporated, _Technical Characteristics of the OmniTRACS - The First
Operational Mobile Ku-band Satellite Communications System."
OmniTRACS features
Nationwide Covers the continental United States, including metropolitan and
rural areas, so long as a direct line-of-sight to the satellite from the mobile
antenna is available. No other commercial system is offering similar coverage in
North America.
Existin_ satellite, Uses fully protected Ku-band transponders on existing
geostationary satellites which have been operational for many years. There is no
risk of satellite hardware failure in-orbit and no dependence on future launches.
Two-way Allows dispatcher or driver to intiate or respond to preformatted or
free-form messages. Emergency, group and fleet-wide messages are also available.
Most importantly, it provides a positive acknowledgement of each message sent,
ensuring the sender of a successful transmission.
1
/
1
J
Fig. 2. The OmniTRACS Terminal Display Unit
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Data Communication Dispatchers use computer terminals for message creation
and response. Unlike traditional voice systems, messages are received by computer
in a fraction of the time it takes for dictation of the same information, and can be
stored for convenient viewing or later recall.
Demand for data communication systems has increased as the needs of mobile
users have expanded and changed. The desire for greater speed and accuracy in
mobile communications, the need to access information stored in computer
databases, improvements desired in response time from the field, system security and
privacy, and the need for preformatted and storable messages are some of the
advantages that the OmniTRACS data communication system provides.
Position Reporting Satellite-aided Loran-C position information in available to
the dispatcher after a message is sent to a mobile unit. It may also be provided on
a scheduled basis or on demand.
By using the Ku-band satellite as a slave Loran-C station, the satellite-aided
Loran-C provides highly accurate position information. This information is
beneficial in vehicle management, such as ad-hoc dispatching, scheduling of
shipments, vehicle arrival time management, accident location, recovery in the event
of hijacking, and many other emergency and non-emergency situations.
Service Encompasses a range of equipment lease and purchase options, and a
commitment to service at every level of customer involvement from training through
customized system support.
OmniTRACS __/ --Outdoor Unit
OmniTRAC$
Display Unit _ _
OmniTRACS -_ . ii!ll
...... _ 9ill
Inooor unl! _ ----..-I
g_
Fig. 3. A Typical OmniTRACS Terminal Installation
Other features of the OmniTRACS service include:
Compact User-Friendly Terminals
End-to-End Turnkey Network Service
Network Monitoring and Diagnostics
Individually Addressable Terminals
Highly Reliable Data Delivery
Easy Maintenance
Federal Data Encryption Standard
Multiple Message Memory
Quick Installation
Minimal Power Requirements
Unattended Service
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APPLICATIONS AND BENEFITS
There are numerous applications for the OmniTRACS mobile satellite
communication system. Any organization or a company with a fleet of mobile
vehicles will derive notable benefits from the system.
To date, twenty potential user markets have been identified. The market for
Omninet's services includes trucking and other commercial transportation services;
utilities and public sector users including public safety, emergency and Federal
Government agencies; construction and resource-extraction companies; agriculture
and forest resource companies; regional and charter bus lines; railroads and marine
vessels; consumer and small business mobile users as well as stationary and
transportable users desiring their own private low-volume data networks.
Omninet has executed contracts with eighteen transportation companies for
over 25,000 units to be installed over a period of two years. Omninet's marketing
and sales personnel are working with major transportation companies. Omninet
projects that the companies it is working with have the potential for utilizing over
100,000 units. This represents roughly one percent of the total addressable market
for satellite-based mobile communications.
Transportation
The transportation industry has an increasingly acute need for mobile
communications on a nationwide basis. Companies involved in public transit,
trucking, railroads, marine transport, and aviation require communication with and
tracking of their mobile fleets. Trucking operations are subject to frequent changes
in routing and scheduling. Trucks are more vulnerable than other types of
transportation to mechanical failure, accidents, local traffic delays and adverse road
conditions, increasing the need for mobile communications. The transportation
industry currently has no communications and position reporting services on a
nationwide basis. The OmniTRACS system provides a cost-effective answer to the
needs of the transportation industry. Three key factors make the system cost
effective: Use of the currently operational in-orbit Ku-band satellites, the mode of
the communication (data) and the unlimited range of the system.
Because the OmniTRACS system uses data messages to communicate
information, the cost per message is significantly less than voice transmissions. The
time spent sending and receiving messages is decreased, thus saving money at both
the driver and dispatch levels. In addition, the unlimited transmission range of the
system allows for messages to be sent enroute, which eliminates unnecessary stops,
Of particular interest to the transportation industry is the ability of the
OmniTRACS system to track vehicles, specifically those carrying hazardous
materials, weapons or petroleum. The cargo's value, coupled with the risks
involved, requires constant surveillance of the truck, train or aircraft. The
OmniTRACS system provides position reporting of vehicles on demand or at
predetermined intervals.
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Vehicle Location
The sheer number of government and private industry vehicles traveling across
the country make it difficult to monitor the location of each vehicle at a specific
time. The OmniTRACS position reporting system allows a dispatcher to locate any
vehicle at any time with the desired level of accuracy. This feature is beneficial
for day-to-day monitoring of a fleet, as well as locating a vehicle that has been
stolen or involved in an accident. Recovery of valuable merchandise and equipment
is possible by using the OmniTRACS system.
Public Safety
Fire, police and emergency medical organizations using the OmniTRACS system
improve their ability to respond and communicate during emergency situations. In
emergency situations, when lives may be at stake, it is imperative that the
communication system be reliable and accurate. The OmniTRACS data transmission
system provides the reliability and accuracy demanded by the public safety industry.
Users eliminate the risk of missing vital information by sending and receiving
messages in data form. In addition, all messages can be stored for later recall.
The system is not meant to replace voice communications, but rather to
enhance the current systems and provide accurate relay of information anywhere in
the country. In the event of earthquake, flood or other major disaster, the
OmniTRACS satellite system will remain operational, while land-based communication
systems may become inoperable. The system could be the key to keeping
information flowing from the location of the disaster.
Publi¢ Llfilities
The need for communication with vehicles servicing public utilities such as
water, power, and telephone is apparent in major metropolitan areas as well as
small rural towns. The ability to convey information via satellite from field to base
and vice versa allows for efficient servicing of the public even in the most remote
areas of the country.
In addition to using the OmniTRACS system for mobile applications in the
public utility sector, fixed applications are also appropriate. For example, by
placing transportable VSAT terminals at strategic locations along a river or
aqueduct, water flow information can be transmitted quickly and accurately, without
the need for human interaction. The flexibility of the OmniTRACS system from
mobile to transportable applications make it a valuable tool for public utility
companies across the country.
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An overview of the OmniTRACS: The first operational mobile Ku-band satellite communications

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