AIRCRAFT BROADBAND WIRELESS SYSTEM AND METHODS
First Claim
1. A broadband wireless system comprising:
- a plurality of spaced-apart ground stations for transmitting and receiving signals to and from a respective plurality of aircraft, each of said plurality of ground stations comprisingat least one ground station transceiver including a ground station antenna carried by a mechanically steered platform;
at least one ground station router in communication with the at least one ground station transceiver, andat least one ground station beacon transceiver in communication with the at least one ground station router;
an aircraft transceiver carried by each of the plurality of aircraft to be positioned in communication with one of the plurality of ground stations, said aircraft transceiver comprisingan aircraft antenna mounted to the aircraft,an aircraft beacon transceiver carried by the aircraft and in communication with the aircraft antenna, andan aircraft radio transceiver carried by the aircraft and in communication with the aircraft beacon transceiver; and
a network operations center in communication with each of said plurality of ground stations via a global communications network;
wherein the at least one ground station transceiver transmits signals to and receives signals from not more than one aircraft at a time; and
wherein the ground station antenna tracks the aircraft with which it is in communication.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A broadband wireless system includes a plurality of spaced-apart ground stations for transmitting and receiving signals to and from a respective plurality of aircraft. Each of the plurality of ground stations may include a ground station transceiver including a ground station antenna carried by a mechanically steered platform, a ground station router in communication with the ground station transceiver, and a ground station beacon transceiver in communication with the ground station router. An aircraft transceiver may be carried by each of the plurality of aircraft to be positioned in communication with one of the plurality of ground stations. The aircraft transceiver may include an aircraft antenna mounted to the aircraft, an aircraft transceiver carried by the aircraft and in communication with the aircraft antenna, and an aircraft radio transceiver carried by the aircraft and in communication with the aircraft beacon transceiver. The broadband wireless system may also include a network operations center in communication with each of the ground stations via a global communications network. A ground station transceiver may transmit signals to and receives signals from not more than one aircraft at a time and ground station antenna may track the aircraft with which it is in communication.
47 Citations
77 Claims
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1. A broadband wireless system comprising:
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a plurality of spaced-apart ground stations for transmitting and receiving signals to and from a respective plurality of aircraft, each of said plurality of ground stations comprising at least one ground station transceiver including a ground station antenna carried by a mechanically steered platform; at least one ground station router in communication with the at least one ground station transceiver, and at least one ground station beacon transceiver in communication with the at least one ground station router; an aircraft transceiver carried by each of the plurality of aircraft to be positioned in communication with one of the plurality of ground stations, said aircraft transceiver comprising an aircraft antenna mounted to the aircraft, an aircraft beacon transceiver carried by the aircraft and in communication with the aircraft antenna, and an aircraft radio transceiver carried by the aircraft and in communication with the aircraft beacon transceiver; and a network operations center in communication with each of said plurality of ground stations via a global communications network; wherein the at least one ground station transceiver transmits signals to and receives signals from not more than one aircraft at a time; and wherein the ground station antenna tracks the aircraft with which it is in communication. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A broadband wireless system comprising:
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a plurality of spaced-apart ground stations for transmitting and receiving signals to and from a respective plurality of aircraft, each of said plurality of ground stations comprising a ground station antenna subsystem including a plurality of ground station antennas arranged in a stacked formation; a ground station router in communication with the plurality of ground station antennas, and a ground station beacon transceiver in communication with the ground station router; an aircraft transceiver carried by each of the plurality of aircraft to be positioned in communication with one of the plurality of ground stations, said aircraft transceiver comprising an aircraft antenna mounted to the aircraft, an aircraft beacon transceiver carried by the aircraft and in communication with the aircraft antenna, and an aircraft radio transceiver carried by the aircraft and in communication with the aircraft beacon transceiver; and wherein the ground station antenna subsystem transmits signals to and receives signals from not more than one aircraft at a time. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method for providing broadband wireless access to a moving aircraft, the method comprising:
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positioning a plurality of ground station transceivers of a respective plurality of ground stations in communication with a respective plurality of aircraft to transmit and receive signals to and from the respective plurality of aircraft, each of the plurality of ground stations comprising at least one ground station transceiver including a ground station antenna, at least one ground station router in communication with the at least one ground station transceiver, and at least one ground station beacon transceiver in communication with the at least one ground station router; transmitting and receiving signals from the at least one ground station transceiver to one aircraft so that the at least one ground station transceiver is in communication with not more than one aircraft at a time; and tracking the ground station antenna to the aircraft when the at least one ground station transceiver with which the ground station antenna is associated is in communication with the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A method for providing broadband wireless access to a moving aircraft, the method comprising:
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positioning a plurality of ground station antenna subsystems of a respective plurality of ground stations in communication with a respective plurality of aircraft to transmit and receive signals to and from the respective plurality of aircraft, each of the ground station antenna subsystem including a plurality of ground station antennas arranged in a stacked formation, a ground station router in communication with the plurality of ground station antennas, and a ground station beacon transceiver in communication with the ground station router; and transmitting and receiving signals from the ground station antenna subsystem to one aircraft so that the ground station antenna subsystem is in communication with not more than one aircraft at a time. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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Specification