System and method for managing communications with mobile platforms operating within a predefined geographic area

• US 20070184846A1
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Mitchell, Timothy, Horton, Edwin, Cavanaugh, Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,023,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/06 for control when on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

A system and method for providing communications within an airfield between an aircraft component located upon an aircraft and an airport data network. A control computer is used to select an optimal antenna substation from a plurality of antenna substations disposed about the airfield for the aircraft component to communicate with. The selection is based in part upon position information including the directional heading of the aircraft, determined using a suitable position detecting system, such as a Global Positioning System or a multi-lateration system, and in part upon the loading (i.e., RF traffic) being experienced by each antenna array. Determining the optimal antenna array for the aircraft to communicate with based on the directional heading of the aircraft and the real time usage of each of the antenna substations is advantageous as it decreases the number of times that the aircraft must initiate a new connection with a new antenna substation, and therefore decreases the transmission interruptions experienced due to the creation of new connections.

Claims

1. A system for managing communication between a mobile platform operating within a pre-defined geographic region and a communications station, the system comprising:

a control system for managing communications within said geographic region;

a mobile platform communications component located on said mobile platform for communicating with said control system;

a plurality of antennas located at spaced apart locations within or adjacent said geographic region, each of said antennas being in communication with said control system and forming an access point; and

said control system analyzing a characteristic of said mobile platform as said mobile platform operates within said geographic region and informing said mobile platform as to which one of said antennas to communicate with to maintain a communications link between said mobile platform and said control system while reducing a frequency with which said mobile platform is required to switch between different ones of said antennas as said mobile platform moves within said geographic region.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said control system is located remotely from said pre-defined geographic region and in communication with said mobile platform via a wide area network.

3. The system of claim 2, said control system comprising:

at least one access point computer for communicating with the mobile platform; and

at least one database server in communication with said access point computer for holding information pertaining to said mobile platform.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said access point computer comprises independent first and second access point computers in communication with each other and with said database server;

said first access point server configured to continuously monitor communications being received from said mobile platform; and

said second access point server configured to communicate information back to said mobile platform to advise said mobile platform as to which access point to select for communication with said control system.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said database server comprises a structured query language (SQL) database.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said operating characteristic comprises real time information relating to a direction of travel of said mobile platform and a speed of said mobile platform.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said control system uses information relating to a loading of each of said antennas in determining which one of said antennas said mobile platform is to use for communication purposes.

8. A system for managing communications with a mobile platform operating within a pre-defined geographic region, comprising:

a mobile platform communications component located on said mobile platform for determining a location of said mobile platform while said mobile platform is operating within said pre-defined geographic region;

at least one antenna located on said mobile platform;

a ground based component including a plurality of antennas located at spaced apart locations about said pre-defined geographic region and each forming a wireless access point;

a wide area network accessible by said mobile platform via one or more of said wireless access points;

a control system in communication with said mobile platform via said wide area network and at least one of said wireless access points; and

said control system including;

a database for storing information pertaining to said mobile platform and said ground based component; and

a computer for analyzing location information received from at least one of said mobile platforms and using said database to assist in selecting a specific antenna with which said mobile platform communications component is to use for communicating with a communications network, said selection being made based at least in part on real-time location information for said mobile platform.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said computer comprises first and second independent computers in communication with each other, said first computer dedicated to monitoring communications from said mobile platform and to communicate information pertaining to said mobile platform to said database;

and

said second computer dedicated to accessing said database and using said database in formulating a decision as to which one of said access points said mobile platform is to use for communicating with said communications network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said database comprises a structured query language (SQL) database.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said control system is in simultaneous communication with a plurality of predefined geographic regions remote from one another via said wide area network, with each said predefined geographic region being located remote from said control system.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said location information is derived by said control system through multi-lateration techniques.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said location information is derived from Global Positioning Satellite information and supplied to said control system by said mobile platform communications component.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein each said antenna comprises an antenna substation comprised of at least one directional antenna and an omni directional antenna.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein said control system further uses information relating to a speed of travel and a direction of travel, supplied by said mobile platform communications component to make said selection.

16. A method for managing communications within a pre-defined geographic area between a mobile platform operating within the geographic area and a control system, comprising:

a) providing a plurality of ground-based antenna stations, each disposed at fixed locations within the geographic area, to form wireless access points that said mobile platform is able to wirelessly access;

b) using a said control system to bidirectionally communicate with said mobile platform as said mobile platform operates within said geographic area;

c) using said control system to receive information relating to at least one of speed of travel and direction of travel of said mobile platform as said mobile platform operates within said geographic region;

d) using said control system to analyze information obtained at operation c) to determine when said mobile platform should switch from communicating with said initial one of said antenna stations to a different one of said antenna stations to maintain an optimal communications link while moving within said geographic region; and

e) instructing said mobile platform, in real time, as to which one of said antenna stations to use to maintain said communications link in a manner which reduces a frequency with which said mobile platform is required to switch from one said antenna system to another said antenna system.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising locating said control system remotely from said geographic area, and using a wide area network to communicate between control system and mobile platform.

18. The method of claim, 17 further comprising:

using said wide area network and said control system to simultaneously enable communications between said control system and a plurality of mobile platforms operating in a plurality of independent, geographic regions remote from each other and from said control system; and

using said control system to assist each of said mobile platforms operating in each of said plurality of independent geographic regions in selecting which of said antenna stations to select for use.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein:

using said control system comprises using said control system to implement a multi-lateration technique to periodically determine at least an approximate direction of travel of said mobile platform; and

using said control system to consider both of said direction of travel and speed of travel of said mobile platform in determining which one of said antenna stations to instruct said communications component to select to maintain said communications link.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein using said antenna stations further comprises using at least one directional antenna and one omni directional antenna station.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising using said control system to monitor loading of at least a pair of said antenna stations in determining which one of said antenna stations said mobile platform should be instructed to use.