AIRCRAFT COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM WITH HARD HANDOFF AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

• US 20080240038A1
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LiveTV LLC (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: LiveTV LLC (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Frisco, Jeffrey A., Keen, Robert M., LYNCH, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,169,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• 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: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/214 Specialised server platform, e.g. server located in an airplane, hotel, hospital arrangements specially adapted for local area broadcast systems H04H20/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/238 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for downstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A communications system for an aircraft carrying at least some personnel having personal electronic devices (PEDs) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft includes a ground-based communications network comprising spaced apart base stations, and an access point in the aircraft for providing a WLAN for data communications with the PEDs. An air-to-ground transceiver in the aircraft cooperates with the access point for data communications with the ground-based communications network. First and second base stations define respective first and second adjacent coverage areas, and include respective first and second hard handoff controllers. The respective first and second hard handoff controllers implement a hard handoff of a data communications channel with the air-to-ground transceiver as the aircraft moves from the first coverage area to the second adjacent coverage area.

Claims

1. A communications system for an aircraft carrying at least some personnel having personal electronic devices (PEDs) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft, the communications system comprising:

a ground-based communications network comprising a plurality of spaced apart base stations;

at least one access point in the aircraft for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for data communications with the PEDs;

an air-to-ground transceiver in the aircraft cooperating with said at least one access point for data communications with said ground-based communications network; and

first and second base stations defining respective first and second adjacent coverage areas and comprising respective first and second hard handoff controllers for implementing a hard handoff of a data communications channel with said air-to-ground transceiver as the aircraft moves from the first coverage area to the second adjacent coverage area.

2. The communications system according to claim 1 further comprising an aircraft hard handoff controller in the aircraft cooperating with said first and second hard handoff controllers.

3. The communications system according to claim 2 wherein said aircraft hard handoff controller cooperates with said first and second hard handoff controllers based on monitoring a received signal strength of the data communications channel.

4. The communications system according to claim 2 wherein said aircraft hard handoff controller comprises a buffer for temporarily storing data during the hard handoff.

5. The communications system according to claim 1 wherein said first and second hard handoff controllers implement the hard handoff based on at least one of a Doppler shift of the data communications channel, a signal-to-noise ratio of the data communications channel, and a received signal strength of the data communications channel.

6. The communications system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one position determining device on the aircraft and cooperating with said first and second hard handoff controllers for implementing the hard handoff based upon an aircraft position.

7. The communications system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second base stations comprises a plurality of selectable antenna beams, the plurality of selectable antenna beams pointing in different sectors.

8. The communications system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second base stations comprises a plurality of selectable antenna beams, with at least two antenna beams being in a same sector but with a different pattern and gain.

9. The communications system according to claim 1 wherein the data communications comprise at least one of email data and text message data.

10. The communications system according to claim 1 wherein the WLAN comprises at least one of an 802.11 WLAN and an 802.16 WLAN.

11. The communications system according to claim 1 wherein said at least one access point comprises a picocell.

12. A communications system for an aircraft carrying at least some personnel having personal electronic devices (PEDs) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft, the communications system comprising:

a ground-based communications network comprising a plurality of spaced apart base stations including first and second base stations defining respective first and second adjacent coverage areas;

at least one access point in the aircraft for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for data communications with the PEDs;

an air-to-ground transceiver in the aircraft cooperating with said at least one access point for data communications with said ground-based communications network; and

an aircraft hard handoff controller in the aircraft for implementing a hard handoff of a data communications channel with said air-to-ground transceiver as the aircraft moves from the first coverage area to the second adjacent coverage area.

13. The communications system according to claim 12 wherein said first and second base stations comprise respective first and second hard handoff controllers, and wherein said aircraft hard handoff controller cooperates with said first and second hard handoff controllers based on monitoring a received signal strength of the data communications channel.

14. The communications system according to claim 12 wherein said aircraft hard handoff controller comprises a buffer for temporarily storing data during the hard handoff.

15. The communications system according to claim 12 wherein said aircraft hard handoff controller implements the hard handoff based on at least one of a Doppler shift of the data communications channel, a signal-to-noise ratio of the data communications channel, and a received signal strength of the data communications channel.

16. The communications system according to claim 12 further comprising at least one position determining device on the aircraft and cooperating with said aircraft hard handoff controller for implementing the hard handoff based upon an aircraft position.

17. The communications system according to claim 12 wherein the data communications comprise at least one of email data and text message data.

18. The communications system according to claim 12 wherein the WLAN comprises at least one of an 802.11 WLAN and an 802.16 WLAN.

19. The communications system according to claim 12 wherein said at least one access point comprises a picocell.

33. The method according to claim 12 wherein the WLAN comprises at least one of an 802.11 WLAN and an 802.16 WLAN.

20. A method for operating a communications system for an aircraft carrying at least some personnel having personal electronic devices (PEDs) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft with a ground-based communications network comprising a plurality of spaced apart base stations, the communications system comprising at least one access point in the aircraft for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for data communications with the PEDs, an air-to-ground transceiver in the aircraft cooperating with the at least one access point for data communications with the ground-based communications network, the method comprising:

operating first and second base stations to define respective first and second adjacent coverage areas, the first and second base stations comprising respective first and second hard handoff controllers; and

operating the respective first and second hard handoff controllers for implementing a hard handoff of a data communications channel with the air-to-ground transceiver as the aircraft moves from the first coverage area to the second adjacent coverage area.

21. The method according to claim 20 further comprising providing an aircraft hard handoff controller in the aircraft for cooperating with the respective first and second hard handoff controllers.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein the aircraft hard handoff controller comprises a buffer for temporarily storing data during the hard handoff.

23. The method according to claim 20 wherein the first and second hard handoff controllers implement the hard handoff based on at least one of a Doppler shift of the data communications channel, a signal-to-noise ratio of the data communications channel, and a received signal strength of the data communications channel.

24. The method according to claim 20 further comprising at least one position determining device on the aircraft and cooperating with the first and second hard handoff controllers for implementing the hard handoff based upon an aircraft position.

25. The method according to claim 20 wherein the data communications comprise at least one of email data and text message data.

26. The method according to claim 20 wherein the WLAN comprises at least one of an 802.11 WLAN and an 802.16 WLAN.

27. A method for operating a communications system for an aircraft carrying at least some personnel having personal electronic devices (PEDs) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft with a ground-based communications network comprising a plurality of spaced apart base stations, the communications system comprising at least one access point in the aircraft for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for data communications with the PEDs, an air-to-ground transceiver in the aircraft cooperating with the at least one access point for data communications with the ground-based communications network, and an aircraft hard handoff controller in the aircraft, the method comprising:

operating first and second base stations to define respective first and second adjacent coverage areas; and

operating the aircraft hard handoff controller for implementing a hard handoff of a data communications channel with the air-to-ground transceiver as the aircraft moves from the first coverage area to the second adjacent coverage area.

28. The method according to claim 27 wherein the first and second base stations comprise respective first and second hard handoff controllers, and wherein the aircraft hard handoff controller cooperates with the first and second hard handoff controllers based on monitoring a received signal strength of the data communications channel.

29. The method according to claim 27 wherein the aircraft hard handoff controller comprises a buffer for temporarily storing data during the hard handoff.

30. The method according to claim 27 wherein the aircraft hard handoff controller implement the hard handoff based on at least one of a Doppler shift of the data communications channel, a signal-to-noise ratio of the data communications channel, and a received signal strength of the data communications channel.

31. The method according to claim 27 wherein the communications system comprises at least one position determining device on the aircraft that cooperates with the aircraft hard handoff controller for implementing the hard handoff based upon an aircraft position.

32. The method according to claim 27 wherein the data communications comprise at least one of email data and text message data.