×

Airborne cell tower system for wireless communications in remote and rural geographic areas

  • US 10,374,690 B2
  • Filed: 03/23/2015
  • Issued: 08/06/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. An airborne cell tower system for providing wireless communication, the system comprising:

  • multiple units of an airborne cell tower unit assembly, wherein the airborne cell tower unit assembly is tethered to a helium balloon and is airborne with the help of the helium balloon, and wherein the airborne cell tower unit assembly has electronics and antennas to provide wireless communications coverage to mobile wireless devices;

    a ground based computer system, wherein the ground based computer system is configured with a central processing unit (CPU), a memory and a system management logic operating therein, wherein the system management logic is configured to position and maintain multiple units of the airborne cell tower unit assembly in a grid pattern in an air region, wherein the multiple units of the airborne cell tower unit assembly provide wireless communications coverage for a specified geographic region;

    each unit of the multiple units of the airborne cell tower unit assembly is configured with a unit management computer, wherein the unit management computer is configured with a CPU, a memory, and a drift zone logic operating therein;

    the unit management computer is configured additionally with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and a GPS function, wherein the GPS function is configured for computing a location of the airborne cell tower unit assembly;

    the drift zone logic is configured to receive a periodic input of the location of the airborne cell tower unit assembly from the GPS function and is configured to output control signals to a location control system of the airborne cell tower unit assembly that maintains the location of the airborne cell tower unit assembly in a pre-defined drift zone of a specified air borne location in the air region;

    the drift zone logic is further configured to maintain the location of the airborne cell tower unit assembly in the air region within an height envelope of approximately two to four miles, thereby maintain the airborne cell tower unit assembly above cloud cover and below high winds.

View all claims
  • 0 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×