System and method for providing broadcast signals to aircraft

• US 20030008651A1
• Filed: 12/19/2001
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inmarsat Global Limited (Inmarsat PLC)
• Original Assignee: Inmarsat Incorporated (Inmarsat PLC)
• Inventors: Nemes, Johnny, Trachtman, Eyal
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A system for providing real-time television broadcasts to aircraft 4 via satellite 2 is described. The broadcast signal 11 is transmitted to the aircraft 4 together with a communications signal 10, forming part of an existing communications network air interface. The system separates the communications signal 10 from the broadcast signal 11 and enables the real-time broadcast to be displayed on-board the aircraft.

Claims

1. Apparatus for receiving signals transmitted by a satellite, including:

a. an antenna for receiving said signals;

b. a telecommunications demodulator, connected to said antenna, for demodulating one or more telecommunications channels among said signals;

c. and a broadcast demodulator, separate from said telecommunications demodulator and connected to said antenna, for demodulating one or more broadcast channels among said signals.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said one or more telecommunications channels are separate in frequency from said broadcast channels, the apparatus including a frequency splitter for separating said telecommunications channels and said broadcast channels, directing said telecommunications channels to said telecommunications demodulator, and directing said broadcast channels to said broadcast demodulator.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said antenna is a directional antenna, the apparatus further including means for steering said antenna to point towards a signal source according to a property of the one or more telecommunications channels demodulated by the telecommunications demodulator.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said property is a signal strength of said one or more telecommunications channels.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, including a telecommunications modulator connected to said antenna, for receiving and modulating telecommunications signals received from one or more telecommunications terminals and transmitting said modulated telecommunications signals through said antenna.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least one of said telecommunications terminals is a broadcast control terminal for transmitting broadcast control signals so as to control the content of said broadcast channels.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or claim 6, including means for decoding said one or more telecommunications channels and distributing said decoded telecommunications channels to said one or more telecommunications terminals.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, including means for decoding said demodulated one or more broadcast channels and distributing said one or more broadcast channels to one or more broadcast content servers.

9. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said antenna is a satellite communications antenna.

10. An aircraft including apparatus according to any preceding claim.

11. A system for providing broadcasts to aircraft comprising transmitting means for transmitting broadcast signals in a broadcast channel to an aircraft, receiving means for receiving said broadcast signals on the aircraft and decoding means for decoding said broadcast signals, in which the transmitting means and the receiving means additionally transmit and receive communications signals in a separate channel, the decoding means acting to separate the broadcast signals from the communications signals.

12. A system according to claim 11 in which the broadcast channel is capable of multiplexing one or more broadcast programmes and control information.

13. A system according to claim 12 in which the broadcast programmes include one or more of real-time television broadcasts, real-time audio broadcasts, multimedia broadcasts, internet broadcasts, datagrams or recorded television and audio broadcasts.

14. A system according to any one of claims 11 to 13 in which the broadcast channels are allocated a radio frequency sub-band which is separate from the radio frequency sub-band allocated to the communication channels.

15. A system according to any one of claims 11 to 14 in which the receiving means comprises an antenna which is steerable and the transmitting means is a satellite forming part of a constellation of satellites.

16. A system according to claim 15 in which the system further comprises a communications subsystem for receiving and transmitting communications signals in the communication channels, the communications subsystem including control means for controlling the antenna.

17. A system according to claim 16 in which the control means is operable to move the antenna to point at a predetermined satellite.

18. A system according to claim 17 in which the control means is further operable to switch between satellites when the aircraft passes from one satellite coverage area to another.

19. A system according to claim 18 further comprising a broadcast subsystem in which the broadcast subsystem is separate from the communications subsystem and in which the broadcast subsystem processes the signal received from the decoding means and relays said signal to reproduction means for reproducing the broadcast signal on the aircraft.

20. Apparatus for receiving real-time broadcasts on aircraft, said apparatus comprising decoding means for separating data relating to the broadcast from other data contained within a signal received on-board the aircraft, in which the broadcast data comprises a signal allocated a frequency sub-band separate from the frequency sub-band allocated to the signal comprising the other data.

21. A method of providing real-time broadcasts to aircraft comprising the steps of transmitting a signal via a satellite to an aircraft, the signal including communications data and broadcast data, receiving the signal on-board the aircraft, separating the broadcast data from the communications data and processing the broadcast data so as to distribute the broadcast on-board the aircraft.

22. A system, apparatus or method as hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.