SPECTRUM SHARING BETWEEN AN AIRCRAFT-BASED AIR-TO-GROUND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND EXISTING GEOSTATIONARY SATELLITE SERVICES

• US 20110263199A1
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gogo Business Aviation LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gogo LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Inventors: Saroka, Harold G., Tobin, Joseph A., Liu, Yong, Kostanic, Ivica, Chari, Anand K., Walsh, Patrick J., Cruz, Joseph M., Joyce, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 8,442,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• 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 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

The present Spectrum Sharing System implements spectrum reuse between aircraft-based Air-To-Ground (ATG) communication systems and Geostationary Satellite Service systems. This is accomplished by managing the radio frequency transmissions in the volume of space in which the aircraft operates, with interference between the Spectrum Sharing System and the Geostationary Satellite Service system being reduced by implementing reversed uplink and downlink radio frequency paths in the common spectrum. The Spectrum Sharing System also avoids interfering with Geostationary Satellite Services'"'"' earth stations which are pointed towards the satellites'"'"' orbital arc by relying upon a combination of the earth stations'"'"' highly directive antenna patterns and the Spectrum Sharing System ground station antenna pattern, and to avoid interfering with satellites in their orbital arc by assuring that power levels radiated in that direction by the Spectrum Sharing System ground stations are below the level that would create interference.

Claims

1. A system for providing wireless communication services to communication devices that are located in an aircraft that is operational in a selected coverage area, comprising:

at least one ground station for creating a radio frequency coverage area that provides radio frequency links to aircraft that are operational in the radio frequency coverage area;

wherein at least one geostationary satellite communication system is operational in said coverage area and uses radio frequency links generated by a plurality of earth stations which operate at a first radio frequency to transmit radio frequency signals from an earth station of said geostationary satellite communication system to a satellite and a second radio frequency to transmit radio frequency signals from said satellite to said earth station of said geostationary satellite communication system; and

wherein said at least one ground station uses radio frequency links which operate at said second radio frequency to transmit radio frequency signals from said ground station to said aircraft.

2. The system for providing wireless communication services of claim 1 wherein said aircraft uses said first radio frequency to transmit radio frequency signals to said ground station.

3. The system for providing wireless communication services of claim 1 wherein said at least one ground station uses radio frequency links which operate at said first radio frequency to transmit radio frequency signals from said ground station to said aircraft.

4. The system for providing wireless communication services of claim 3 wherein said at least one ground station comprises:

a receiver which operates at said first radio frequency to receive radio frequency signals transmitted from an aircraft to said ground station.

5. The system for providing wireless communication services of claim 1 wherein each said earth station of said geostationary satellite communication system has a receiver antenna pattern which has a front lobe and a back lobe, wherein said ground station transmitter generates a broad radio frequency beam which is directed skyward and which substantially fails to radiate into any of said front lobes of said earth stations of said geostationary satellite communication system.

6. The system for providing wireless communication services of claim 1 wherein each said earth station of said geostationary satellite communication system has a transmitter antenna pattern which has a narrow-shaped beam front lobe which is directed skyward toward said satellite, and wherein each said ground station is located at sites which are outside of a path of said narrow-shaped beam front lobe.

7. The system for providing wireless communication services of claim 1 wherein each said earth station of said geostationary satellite communication system has a transmitter antenna pattern which has a narrow-shaped beam that is directed skyward in a southerly direction toward said satellite, and wherein said at least one ground station generates a broad radio frequency beam which is directed skyward in a southerly direction.

8. A method for providing wireless communication services to wireless communication devices that are located in an aircraft that is operational in a selected coverage area, comprising:

operating at least one ground station for creating a radio frequency coverage area that provides radio frequency links to aircraft that are operational in the radio frequency coverage area;

wherein at least one geostationary satellite communication system is operational in said coverage area and uses radio frequency links generated by a plurality of earth stations which operate at a first radio frequency to transmit radio frequency signals from an earth station of said geostationary satellite communication system to a satellite and a second radio frequency to transmit radio frequency signals from said satellite to said earth station of said geostationary satellite communication system; and

operating said at least one ground station at said second radio frequency to transmit radio frequency signals from said ground station to said aircraft.

9. The method for providing wireless communication services of claim 8 wherein said aircraft uses said first radio frequency to transmit radio frequency signals to said ground station.

10. The method for providing wireless communication services of claim 8 wherein said at least one ground station uses radio frequency links which operate at said first radio frequency to transmit radio frequency signals from said ground station to said aircraft.

11. The method for providing wireless communication services of claim 8 wherein operating said at least one ground station comprises:

operating a receiver at said first radio frequency to receive radio frequency signals transmitted from an aircraft to said ground station.

12. The method for providing wireless communication services of claim 8 wherein each said earth station of said geostationary satellite communication system has a receiver antenna pattern which has a front lobe and a back lobe, and operating said ground station transmitter to generate a broad radio frequency beam which is directed skyward and which substantially fails to radiate into any of said front lobes of said earth stations of said geostationary satellite communication system.

13. The method for providing wireless communication services of claim 8 wherein each said earth station of said geostationary satellite communication system operates a transmitter antenna pattern which has a narrow-shaped beam front lobe which is directed skyward toward said satellite, and wherein each said ground station is located at sites which are outside of a path of said narrow-shaped beam front lobe.

14. The method for providing wireless communication services of claim 8 wherein each said earth station of said geostationary satellite communication system has a transmitter antenna pattern which has a narrow-shaped beam that is directed skyward in a southerly direction toward said satellite, and wherein said at least one ground station generates a broad radio frequency beam which is directed skyward in a southerly direction.