Multiple antenna system and method for mobile platforms

• US 10,297,908 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gogo Business Aviation LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gogo LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cordone, Sean Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E
• Application Number:
  US15/412,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20170133750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 455 133
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/27 Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies H01Q1/08, H01Q1/12, H01Q1/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/285 Aircraft wire antennas means for trailing H01Q1/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/22 Antenna units of the array energised non-uniformly in amplitude or phase, e.g. tapered array or binomial array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/02 providing sum and difference patterns H01Q25/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18515 Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18519 Operations control, administration or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18573 for operations control, administration or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

A method and system facilitate communication between a constellation of satellites and a mobile platform-mounted mobile communicator. The method and system may include the use of a first antenna suited for operation using a first frequency band in a first geographic region and a second antenna suited for operation using either the first or a second frequency band in a second geographic region. The method and system may use a controller to determine which antenna to activate based on one or more of a geographic indicator or a signal indicator. The system used by the method to facilitate the communication may have one or more enclosures over the antennas and controller for mounting to a mobile platform.

Claims

1. A platform-mounted mobile communicator for communicating with satellites, the platform-mounted mobile communicator comprising:

a plurality of antennas enclosed within a radome enclosure; and

a controller configured to;

control a first subset of antennas included in the plurality of antennas to communicate data with a first satellite;

determine, based on a geographic indicator, to terminate communicating data with the first satellite via the first subset of antennas and initiate communicating data with the first satellite or a second satellite using a second subset of antennas included in the plurality of antennas; and

control the second subset of antennas to communicate data with the first satellite or the second satellite.

2. The platform-mounted mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the geographic indicator is indicative of at least one geographic characteristic of a mobile platform on which the platform-mounted mobile communicator is mounted, the at least one geographic characteristic corresponding to at least one of:

(i) latitude and longitude coordinates, (ii) altitude, (iii) a current geographic region, (iv) a proximity to a boundary, (v) whether or not the boundary has been crossed, or (vi) another type of positional data.

3. The platform-mounted mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine, based on a signal indicator, to terminate communicating data with the first satellite or the second satellite via the second subset of the plurality of antennas and initiate communicating data with a third satellite using the second subset of antennas or a third subset of antennas included in the plurality of antennas.

4. The platform-mounted mobile communicator of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to:

in response to the signal indicator, test communications using the third subset of antennas;

determine whether a first signal associated with use of the second subset of antennas or a second signal associated with the use of the third subset of antennas and corresponding to the test is closer to a predetermined operating parameter value; and

control the subset of antennas associated with the signal that is determined to be closer to the predetermined operating parameter value to communicate data with the third satellite.

5. The platform-mounted mobile communicator of claim 3, wherein the signal indicator includes at least one of:

a signal-noise indicator, a throughput indicator, an interference indicator, a distortion indicator, or an attenuation indicator.

6. The platform-mounted mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the termination of communicating data with the first satellite via the first subset of antennas comprises deactivating the first subset of antennas.

7. The platform-mounted mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the initiation of communicating data via the second subset of antennas comprises activating the second subset of antennas.

8. The platform-mounted mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the platform-mounted mobile communicator is mounted on one of an airplane, an automobile, a ship, or another vehicle that is capable of moving along air, land, or sea.

9. The platform-mounted mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the first satellite and the second satellite at least one of:

respectively operate in different frequency bands, or respectively are included in different satellite constellations.

10. The platform-mounted mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first subset of antennas or the second subset of antennas comprises a phased array antenna.

11. A method for communicating with satellites using a platform-mounted mobile communicator, the method comprising:

controlling, using a controller included in the platform-mounted mobile communicator, a first subset of antennas to communicate data with a first satellite, the first subset of antennas included in a plurality of antennas enclosed within a radome enclosure of the platform-mounted mobile communicator;

determining, based on a geographic indicator, to terminate communicating data with the first satellite via the first subset of antennas and initiate communicating data with the first satellite or a second satellite using a second subset of antennas included in the plurality of antennas; and

controlling, using the controller, the second subset of antennas to communicate data with the first satellite or the second satellite.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the geographic indicator is indicative of at least one geographic characteristic of a mobile platform on which the platform-mounted mobile communicator is mounted, the at least one geographic characteristic corresponding to at least one of:

(i) latitude and longitude coordinates, (ii) altitude, (iii) a current geographic region, (iv) a proximity to a boundary, (v) whether or not the boundary has been crossed, or (vi) another type of positional data.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the platform-mounted mobile communicator is mounted on one of an airplane, an automobile, a ship, or another vehicle that is capable of moving along air, land, or sea.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first satellite and the second satellite at least one of:

respectively operate in different frequency bands, or respectively are included in different satellite constellations.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, based on a signal indicator, to terminate communicating data with the first satellite or the second satellite via the second subset of the plurality of antennas and initiate communicating data with a third satellite using the second subset of antennas or a third subset of antennas included in the plurality of antennas; and

controlling, using the controller and based on the determination based on the signal indicator, the second subset of antennas or the third subset of antennas to communicate data with the third satellite.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

in response to the signal indicator, testing communications using the third subset of antennas;

determining whether a first signal associated with use of the second subset of antennas or a second signal associated with the use of the third subset of antennas and corresponding to the test is closer to a predetermined operating parameter value; and

controlling, using the controller, the subset of antennas associated with the signal that is determined to be closer to the predetermined operating parameter value to communicate data with the third satellite.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the signal indicator includes at least one of:

a signal-noise indicator, a throughput indicator, an interference indicator, a distortion indicator, or an attenuation indicator.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising terminating the communicating of data with the first satellite via the first subset of antennas.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein terminating the communicating of data with the first satellite via the first subset of antennas comprises deactivating the first subset of antennas.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the second subset of antennas to communicate data with the first satellite with a second satellite comprises activating the second subset of antennas.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first subset of antennas or the second subset of antennas corresponds to a phased array antenna.