System for managing call handoffs between an aircraft and multiple cell sites

• US 20060030311A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1992
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gogo LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aircell LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kostanic, Ivica, Chari, Anand K., Cruz, Joseph M., Saroka, Harold Grant
• Granted Patent: US 7,107,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/32 Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/083 wherein at least one of the access points is a moving node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

The handoff management system maximizes the communications capacity available from terrestrial air-to-ground cellular networks, while also integrating communications capabilities from satellite air-to-ground cellular networks and terrestrial cellular communications networks. The communications capacity is maximized by dynamically allocating communications from the aircraft over multiple communications channels to multiple cells of the terrestrial air-to-ground cellular network, and to satellite air-to-ground cellular networks and terrestrial mobile networks. This approach effectively provides an increase in the call handling capacity available to any aircraft and permits a gradual transition of communications from one cell to the next cell, rather than requiring an abrupt handover of all traffic from the aircraft from one cell to the next cell.

Claims

1. A system for managing multiple communications links that are extant between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network, comprising:

at least one base station means, located in said aircraft, for generating radio frequency communication signals to communicate with a plurality of wireless subscriber devices that are located in said aircraft;

aircraft controller means for aggregating call traffic from said plurality of wireless subscriber devices on to said multiple communication links as aggregate data streams;

traffic load means for determining an optimal configuration for aggregating said call traffic for said aircraft on to said multiple communication links as a function of at least one of;

present call traffic loads on said multiple communication links, predicted future call traffic loads on said multiple communication links, present physical location of the aircraft, predicted future physical location of the aircraft, type of call traffic; and

ground controller means, responsive to said traffic load means, for communicating control instructions to said aircraft controller means to control distribution of said call traffic on said multiple communications links.

2. The system for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of transceiver means, located in said aircraft, each communicating via at least one of said multiple communication links with said at least one terrestrial communication network;

a plurality of ground-based base station means, connected to said at least one terrestrial communication network, for communicating with said plurality of transceiver means via said aggregate data streams; and

handoff management means, responsive to initiation of a handoff of a one of said aggregate data streams from a first one of said ground-based base station means to a second one of said ground-based base station means, for redirecting transmission of said one aggregate data stream from said first ground-based base station means to said second ground-based base station means.

3. The system for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 1 wherein said traffic load means comprises:

assessment means for comparing a presently determined optimal configuration for aggregating said call traffic for said aircraft on to said multiple communication links with an existing distribution of call traffic on said multiple communication links; and

update means, responsive to said assessment means, for revising said distribution of call traffic on said multiple communications links.

4. The system for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of transceiver means, located in said aircraft, each communicating via at least one of said multiple communication links with said at least one terrestrial communication network, said multiple communication links each being active in one of;

terrestrial air-to-ground cellular network, satellite air-to-ground cellular network, terrestrial cellular network;

a plurality of ground-based base station means, connected to said at least one terrestrial communication network and each being active in a one of;

terrestrial air-to-ground cellular network, satellite air-to-ground cellular network, terrestrial cellular network, for communicating with said plurality of transceiver means via said aggregate data streams; and

wherein said traffic load means comprises;

network selection means for distributing said call traffic among said terrestrial air-to-ground cellular network, said satellite air-to-ground cellular network, said terrestrial cellular network as a function of said type of call content.

5. The system for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 1 wherein said aircraft controller means comprises:

aircraft interface means for establishing communications between said plurality of wireless subscriber devices and said at least one terrestrial communications network by exchanging both subscriber traffic and at least one of network signaling and administrative data on separate concurrently available logical channels via said at least one air-to-ground communication network.

6. A system for managing multiple communications links that are extant between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network, comprising:

at least one base station means, located in said aircraft, for generating radio frequency communication signals to communicate with a plurality of wireless subscriber devices that are located in said aircraft;

a plurality of transceiver means, located in said aircraft, each communicating via at least one of said multiple communication links with said at least one terrestrial communication network;

aircraft controller means for aggregating call traffic received by said at least one base station means from said plurality of wireless subscriber devices on to said multiple communication links as aggregate data streams;

a plurality of ground-based base station means, connected to said at least one terrestrial communication network, for communicating with said plurality of transceiver means via said aggregate data streams;

traffic load means for determining an optimal configuration for aggregating said call traffic for said aircraft on to said multiple communication links as a function of at least one of;

present call traffic loads on said multiple communication links, predicted future call traffic loads on said multiple communication links, present physical location of the aircraft, predicted future physical location of the aircraft, type of call content; and

ground controller means, responsive to said traffic load means, for communicating control instructions to said aircraft controller means to control distribution of said call traffic on said multiple communications links.

7. The system for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 6 further comprising:

handoff management means, responsive to initiation of a call handoff of a one of said aggregate data streams from a first one of said ground-based base station means to a second one of said ground-based base station means, for redirecting transmission of said one aggregate data stream from said first ground-based base station means to said second ground-based base station means.

8. The system for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 6 wherein said traffic load means comprises:

assessment means for comparing a presently determined optimal configuration for aggregating said call traffic for said aircraft on to said multiple communication links with an existing distribution of call traffic on said multiple communication links; and

update means, responsive to said assessment means, for revising said distribution of call traffic on said multiple communications links.

9. The system for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 6 further comprising:

wherein each of said multiple communication links are active in one of;

terrestrial air-to-ground cellular network, satellite air-to-ground cellular network, terrestrial cellular network; and

wherein said traffic load means comprises;

network selection means for distributing said call traffic among said terrestrial air-to-ground cellular network, said satellite air-to-ground cellular network, said terrestrial cellular network as a function of said type of call content.

10. The system for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 6 wherein said aircraft controller means comprises:

aircraft interface means for establishing communications between said plurality of wireless subscriber devices and said at least one terrestrial communications network by exchanging both subscriber traffic and at least one of network signaling and administrative data on separate concurrently available logical channels via said at least one air-to-ground communication network.

11. A system for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network, comprising:

aircraft network means for communicating with a plurality of wireless subscriber devices that are located in an aircraft; and

aircraft communications controller means, located on said aircraft and connected to said aircraft network means, comprising;

transceiver means for communicating with at least one air-to-ground communication network that interconnects with said at least one terrestrial communication network, said air-to-ground communication networks comprising;

terrestrial air-to-ground cellular network, satellite air-to-ground cellular network, terrestrial cellular network, each of which air-to-ground communication networks include at least one communication link,

communication controller means for distributing said communications with said plurality of wireless subscriber devices among a plurality of said communication links of selected ones of said air-to-ground communication networks to interconnect said plurality of wireless subscriber devices with said at least one terrestrial communication network.

12. The system for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 11 further comprising:

wherein said aircraft network means comprises;

a plurality of base station means for generating radio frequency communication signals to communicate with at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices that are located in said aircraft; and

wherein said aircraft communications controller means comprises;

data concentrator means for converting the subscriber traffic and signaling channels received from said plurality of base station means to an aggregate data stream.

13. The system for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 12 further comprising:

a plurality of ground-based base station means for communicating with at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices; and

data router means for disaggregating said aggregate data stream into a plurality of data streams and delivering each of said plurality of data streams to a corresponding one of said plurality of ground-based base station means.

14. The system for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 11 wherein said aircraft network means comprises:

a plurality of base station means to communicate via communications with at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices, each at least one of said plurality of base station means operating in a wireless technology that differs from those of the remaining ones of said plurality of base station means.

15. The system for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 11 further comprising:

aircraft LAN means for establishing at least one wireless LAN-based cell site to communicate via data-based communications with at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices.

16. The system for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 11 wherein said aircraft communications controller means further comprises:

aircraft interface means for establishing communications between said plurality of wireless subscriber devices and said at least one terrestrial communications network by exchanging both subscriber traffic and at least one of network signaling and administrative data on separate concurrently available logical channels via said at least one air-to-ground communication network.

30. The method for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 11 wherein said step of communicating with a plurality of wireless subscriber devices comprises:

communicating with at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices via a plurality of base stations, each of said plurality of base stations operating in a wireless technology that differs from those of the remaining ones of said plurality of base stations.

17. A method for managing multiple communications links that are extant between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network, comprising:

generating, in at least one base station that is located in said aircraft, radio frequency communication signals to communicate with a plurality of wireless subscriber devices that are located in said aircraft;

aggregating, in an aircraft communications controller, call traffic from said plurality of wireless subscriber devices on to said multiple communication links as aggregate data streams;

determining an optimal configuration for aggregating said call traffic for said aircraft on to said multiple communication links as a function of at least one of;

present call traffic loads on said multiple communication links, predicted future call traffic loads on said multiple communication links, present physical location of the aircraft, predicted future physical location of the aircraft, type of call traffic; and

communicating, in response to determining an optimal configuration for aggregating said call traffic, control instructions to said aircraft communications controller to control distribution of said call traffic on said multiple communications links.

18. The method for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 17 further comprising:

communicating via a plurality of transceivers that are located in said aircraft, with said at least one terrestrial communication network, each of said transceivers communicating via at least one of said multiple communication links;

communicating, via a plurality of ground-based base stations that are connected to said at least one terrestrial communication network, with said plurality of transceivers via said aggregate data streams; and

redirecting, in response to initiation of a handoff of a one of said aggregate data streams from a first one of said ground-based base stations to a second one of said ground-based base stations, transmission of said one aggregate data stream from said first ground-based base station to said second ground-based base station.

19. The method for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 17 wherein said step of determining comprises:

comparing a presently determined optimal configuration for aggregating said call traffic for said aircraft on to said multiple communication links with an existing distribution of call traffic on said multiple communication links; and

revising, in response to said step of comparing said distribution of call traffic on said multiple communications links.

20. The method for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 17 further comprising:

communicating via a plurality of transceivers that are located in said aircraft, each transceiver communicating via at least one of said multiple communication links with said at least one terrestrial communication network, said multiple communication links each being active in one of;

terrestrial air-to-ground cellular network, satellite air-to-ground cellular network, terrestrial cellular network;

communicating via a plurality of ground-based base stations that are connected to said at least one terrestrial communication network and each ground-based base station being active in a one of;

terrestrial air-to-ground cellular network, satellite air-to-ground cellular network, terrestrial cellular network, for communicating with said plurality of transceiver means via said aggregate data streams; and

wherein said step of determining comprises;

distributing said call traffic among said terrestrial air-to-ground cellular network, said satellite air-to-ground cellular network, said terrestrial cellular network as a function of said type of call content.

21. The method for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 17 wherein said step of aggregating comprises:

establishing communications between said plurality of wireless subscriber devices and said at least one terrestrial communications network by exchanging both subscriber traffic and at least one of network signaling and administrative data on separate concurrently available logical channels via said at least one air-to-ground communication network.

22. A method for managing multiple communications links that are extant between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network, comprising:

generating radio frequency communication signals in at least one base station that is located in said aircraft, for to communicate with a plurality of wireless subscriber devices that are located in said aircraft;

communicating, via a plurality of transceivers that are located in said aircraft, each transceiver communicating via at least one of said multiple communication links with said at least one terrestrial communication network;

aggregating, in an aircraft communications controller, call traffic received by said at least one base station from said plurality of wireless subscriber devices on to said multiple communication links as aggregate data streams;

communicating via a plurality of ground-based base stations that are connected to said at least one terrestrial communication network, with said plurality of transceivers via said aggregate data streams;

determining an optimal configuration for aggregating said call traffic for said aircraft on to said multiple communication links as a function of at least one of;

present call traffic loads on said multiple communication links, predicted future call traffic loads on said multiple communication links, present physical location of the aircraft, predicted future physical location of the aircraft, type of call content; and

communicating, in response to said step of determining, control instructions to said aircraft communications controller to control distribution of said call traffic on said multiple communications links.

23. The method for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 22 further comprising:

redirecting, in response to initiation of a call handoff of a one of said aggregate data streams from a first one of said ground-based base stations to a second one of said ground-based base stations, transmission of said one aggregate data stream from said first ground-based base station to said second ground-based base station.

24. The method for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 22 wherein said step of aggregating comprises:

comparing a presently determined optimal configuration for aggregating said call traffic for said aircraft on to said multiple communication links with an existing distribution of call traffic on said multiple communication links; and

revising, in response to said step of comparing, said distribution of call traffic on said multiple communications links.

25. The method for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 22 further comprising:

wherein each of said multiple communication links are active in one of;

terrestrial air-to-ground cellular network, satellite air-to-ground cellular network, terrestrial cellular network; and

wherein said step of aggregating comprises;

distributing said call traffic among said terrestrial air-to-ground cellular network, said satellite air-to-ground cellular network, said terrestrial cellular network as a function of said type of call content.

26. The method for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 22 wherein said step of aggregating comprises:

establishing communications between said plurality of wireless subscriber devices and said at least one terrestrial communications network by exchanging both subscriber traffic and at least one of network signaling and administrative data on separate concurrently available logical channels via said at least one air-to-ground communication network.

27. A method for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network, comprising:

communicating with a plurality of wireless subscriber devices that are located in an aircraft via an aircraft network; and

communicating with said at least one terrestrial communications network via an aircraft communications controller that is located on said aircraft and connected to said aircraft network, comprising;

communicating with at least one air-to-ground communication network that interconnects with said at least one terrestrial communication network, said air-to-ground communication networks comprising;

terrestrial air-to-ground cellular network, satellite air-to-ground cellular network, terrestrial cellular network, each of which air-to-ground communication networks include at least one communication link,

distributing said communications with said plurality of wireless subscriber devices among a plurality of said communication links of selected ones of said air-to-ground communication networks to interconnect said plurality of wireless subscriber devices with said at least one terrestrial communication network.

28. The method for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 27 further comprising:

generating radio frequency communication signals in a plurality of base stations to communicate with at least bne of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices that are located in said aircraft; and

converting the subscriber traffic and signaling channels received from said plurality of base stations to an aggregate data stream.

29. The method for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 27 further comprising:

communicating with at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices via a plurality of ground-based base stations; and

disaggregating said aggregate data stream into a plurality of data streams and delivering each of said plurality of data streams to a corresponding one of said plurality of ground-based base stations.

31. The method for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 27 further comprising:

establishing at least one wireless LAN-based cell site to communicate via data-based communications with at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices.

32. The method for managing multiple communications links between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network of claim 27 wherein said step of communicating with said at least one terrestrial communications network further comprises:

establishing communications between said plurality of wireless subscriber devices and said at least one terrestrial communications network by exchanging both subscriber traffic and at least one of network signaling and administrative data on separate concurrently available logical channels via said at least one air-to-ground communication network.