Rapidly-deployable, drone-based wireless communications systems and methods for the operation thereof
First Claim
1. A drone-based wireless communications system, comprising:
- a satellite signal transformation unit configured to receive a satellite signal from a satellite, to extract content from the satellite signal, and to transmit a network source signal containing the content; and
a plurality of aerial network drones deployable to form a multi-drone network over a designated geographical area, the multi-drone network configured to;
receive the network source signal from the satellite signal transformation unit;
disseminate drone relay signals containing the content through the multi-drone network; and
broadcast user device signals containing the content over the designated geographical area for reception by user devices located therein;
wherein, when forming the multi-drone network, each aerial network drone in the plurality of aerial network drones repeatedly triangulates an ownship drone position and implements corresponding flight adjustments to maintain the ownship drone position within a predetermined proximity of an assigned hover position in the horizontally-spaced drone array.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Drone-based wireless communications systems are provided, as are methods carried-out by such wireless communications systems. In one embodiment, the wireless communications system includes a Satellite Signal Transformation (SST) unit and a plurality of aerial network drones, which can be deployed over a designated geographical area to form a multi-drone network thereover. During operation, the SST unit transmits a network source signal, which contains content extracted from a satellite signal. The multi-drone network receives the network source signal, disseminates drone relay signals containing the content through the multi-drone network, and broadcastings user device signals containing the content over the designated geographical area. In embodiments, the multi-drone network may broadcast multiple different types of user device signals for reception by various different types of user devices located within the designated geographical area, such as an arear containing communication infrastructure disabled by a natural disaster, a hostile attack, or other catastrophic event.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A drone-based wireless communications system, comprising:
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a satellite signal transformation unit configured to receive a satellite signal from a satellite, to extract content from the satellite signal, and to transmit a network source signal containing the content; and a plurality of aerial network drones deployable to form a multi-drone network over a designated geographical area, the multi-drone network configured to; receive the network source signal from the satellite signal transformation unit; disseminate drone relay signals containing the content through the multi-drone network; and broadcast user device signals containing the content over the designated geographical area for reception by user devices located therein; wherein, when forming the multi-drone network, each aerial network drone in the plurality of aerial network drones repeatedly triangulates an ownship drone position and implements corresponding flight adjustments to maintain the ownship drone position within a predetermined proximity of an assigned hover position in the horizontally-spaced drone array. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A drone-based wireless communications system, comprising:
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a satellite signal transformation unit configured to receive a satellite signal from a satellite, to extract content from the satellite signal, and to transmit a network source signal containing the content; and a plurality of aerial network drones deployable to form a multi-drone network over a designated geographical area, the multi-drone network configured to; receive a network source signal via at least one of the plurality of aerial network drones; disseminate drone relay signals containing content extracted from the network source signal through the multi-drone network; broadcast user device signals containing the content over the designated geographical area for reception by user devices located therein; and while broadcasting the user device signals, repeatedly perform cyclic redundancy checks by capturing cyclic redundancy check (CRC) images of transcoded portions of the drone relay signals, exchanging the CRC images between different drones with the plurality of aerial network drones, and comparing the CRC images to monitor for discrepancies in the transcoded portions of the drone relay signals. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. An aerial network drone, comprising:
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a wireless receiver; an antenna array including a cellular antenna configured to receive wireless signals from user devices located within a designated geographical area; and a drone controller architecture coupled to the wireless receiver and to the antenna array, the drone controller architecture configured to; receive drone relay signals at the wireless receiver as a first signal type; broadcast user device signals containing content extracted from the drone relay signals over the designated geographical area for reception by user devices located therein; selectively transmit a request to return location data to a specific user device; and transmit the requested location data to an authority if received from the specific user device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification