Aeronautical broadcast and communication system

• US 20060040612A1
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nubron Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nubron Incorporated
• Inventors: Min, Byung Kon
• Granted Patent: US 7,505,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1858 Arrangements for data transmission on the physical system, i.e. for data bit transmission between network components

Abstract

A method and system for a plurality of airplanes in flight to receive from and send to a plurality of ground stations broadcast and communication signals through a single or a plurality of geostationary satellites, wherein at least the mobile link between said airplanes and said satellite, uplink or downlink, uses the high frequency radio waves at 17 GHz or higher, such as Ka-band. The fixed link between said satellite and said ground stations may use any radio frequencies below the frequencies used to communicate between the satellite and the aircraft. The lower frequencies tend to be less susceptible to rain attenuation and hence suitable for closing the fixed broadcast and communication link. Frequencies such as C-band or Ku-band, or even Ka-band, are applied between satellite and ground such that the available link margin is sufficient to overcome rain attenuation at said ground stations. Said satellite carries a plurality of transponders that may include a plurality of frequency converters to enable the conversion between different frequencies. Said satellite generates a plurality of spot beams, shaped or unshaped, which collectively cover the flight routes of said airplanes, preferably the geodesic path between two highly populated regions.

Claims

1. A method of moving broadband data in a communication link extending across a free-space region between a ground station at an altitude substantially below that of rain clouds and an airborne vehicle at an altitude substantially above that of rain clouds via a satellite at low, medium, or geosynchronous earth orbit or in outer space, comprising the steps of:

communicating the data between the airborne vehicle and the satellite in a radio wave at frequencies substantially above 17,000,000,000 Hz, such as Ka-band or V-band as defined by International Telecommunications Union, or at optical frequencies; and

communicating the data between the ground station and the satellite in a radio wave at frequencies so low that any rain attenuation is small enough for the communication link to close.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

covering the flight routes of said airborne vehicles by means of generating a plurality of satellite spot beams, shaped or unshaped.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

flexibly moving the spot beams by means of space based steerable antennas for optimum coverage of the airborne vehicles.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

aggregating Direct Broadcast Service (DBS) in the data, compressed or uncompressed.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

aggregating Internet downlink and uplink in the data.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

including one or more private networks in the ground data network.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

aggregating video information, audio information and textual information, compressed or uncompressed, in the data.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

aggregating any or all of flight command data and weather data in the forward link (ground to air) communication.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

aggregating any or all of airplane health data, security data, and cabin and cockpit status videos such as closed circuit TVs in the return link (air to ground) communication.

10. A ground to air, i.e., forward link, communication system, comprising

at least one ground station at an altitude substantially below that of rain clouds,

at least one satellite at low earth orbits, medium earth orbits, or geosynchronous earth orbits or in outer space,

at least one airborne vehicle at an altitude substantially above that of rain clouds,

said ground station further comprising a ground data network connected to a ground based transceiver and a ground based antenna,

said satellite further comprising first space based antenna connected to a space based transceiver and second space based antenna,

said airborne vehicle further comprising an airborne antenna connected to an airborne transceiver, an airborne means to interface with airborne user terminals, and

first signal at frequencies so low that any rain attenuation of first signal when propagated from said ground station to said satellite is small enough for the communication link to close,

second signal at frequencies above 17,000,000,000 Hz, such as Ka-band or V-band as defined by International Telecommunications Union, or at optical frequencies,

a means to convert first signal to second signal on board said satellite,

whereby

broadband data are uplinked in first signal through a free-space path from said ground station to said satellite, transmitted by means of said ground data network, said ground based transceiver, and said ground based antenna, and received by means of said first space based antenna and said space based transceiver,

said first signal is converted to second signal on board said satellite by said space based means to convert, and

said broadband data are down linked in second signal through a free-space path from said satellite to said airborne vehicle, transmitted by means of said space based transceiver connected to said space based second antenna, and received by means of said airborne antenna connected to said airborne transceiver and said airborne means to interface with airborne user terminals.

12. A system comprising that of claim 10 and that of claim 111 for broadcast and two way broadband communications.

13. The system according to each of claim 10 through 12, wherein said satellite further comprises a means of generating a plurality of spot beams, shaped or unshaped, to cover the flight routes of said airborne vehicles,

14. The system according to each of claim 10 through 12, wherein said second space based antenna is of steerable type to allow the coverage to be moved flexibly.

15. The system according to each of claim 10 through 12, wherein the data include Direct Broadcast Service (DBS), shaped or unshaped.

16. The system according to each of claim 10 through 12, wherein the data include Internet uplink and down link.

17. The system according to each of claim 10 through 12, wherein said ground data network includes one or more private networks.

18. The system according to each of claim 10 through 12, wherein the data include video information, audio information, and textual information, compressed or uncompressed.

19. The system according to each of claim 10 through 12, wherein the forward link (ground to air) communication includes any or all of flight command data and weather data.

20. The system according to each of claim 10 through 12, wherein the return link (air to ground) data include any or all of airplane health data, security data, and cabin and cockpit status videos such as closed circuit TVs.

11. An air to ground, i.e. return link, communication system, comprising

at least one airborne vehicle at an altitude substantially above that of rain clouds,

at least one satellite at low earth orbits, medium earth orbits, or geosynchronous earth orbits or in outer space,

at least one ground station at an altitude substantially below that of rain clouds,

said airborne vehicle further comprising airborne user terminal connected to an airborne means of interfacing with airborne transceiver and an airborne antenna,

said satellite further comprising second space based antenna connected to a space based transceiver and space based first antenna, and

said ground station further comprising a ground based antenna connected to a ground based transceiver and a ground data network,

third signal at frequencies substantially above 17,000,000,000 Hz, such as Ka-band or V-band as defined by International Telecommunications Union, or at optical frequencies,

fourth signal at frequencies so low that any rain attenuation of fourth signal when propagated from said satellite to said ground station is small enough for the communication link to close,

a means to convert third signal to fourth signal on board said satellite,

whereby

broadband data are uplinked in third signal through a free-space path from said airborne vehicle to said satellite, transmitted by said airborne user terminals connected to a means of interfacing with said airborne transceiver and airborne antenna, received by means of said second space based antenna and said space based transceiver, and

said broadband data are down linked in fourth signal through a free-space path from said satellite to said ground station, transmitted by means of said space based transceiver connected to said first space based antenna and received by means of said ground based antenna connected to said ground based transceiver and ground data network.