Mobile base station

• US 20140092803A1
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aviat U.S., Inc. (Aviat Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PureWave Networks
• Inventors: Picker, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 9,585,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• 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 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/045 between access point and backbone network device

Abstract

Various embodiments of electronic communication systems and methods in which an infrastructure in-motion adapts from a first set of communication parameters to a second set of communication parameters while moving from one geographical region to a second geographical region, and associated transmission pattern of the infrastructure in-motion may be modified to either avoid a problem of multiple-region-coverage or to resolve such a problem once it has arisen. The infrastructure in-motion may be a base station or other infrastructure, and any or all of multiple techniques such as beam switching, beam selection, phased array, and null-steering, may be used to modify a transmission pattern. In various alternative embodiments, infrastructure in-motion in one geographical region establishes a first backhaul link with a first core network, moves to a second geographical region, and then establishes a second backhaul ink with a second core network.

Claims

1. A method for adapting an airborne base-station in-motion, comprising:

servicing wirelessly, by a first airborne base-station located in a first aerial position, via a first antenna configuration having a first transmission radiation pattern, a first group of wireless client devices located in a first geographical region, using a first set of communication parameters associated with said first geographical region;

moving, by said first base-station, from said first aerial position to a second aerial position;

adapting, by said first base-station, from said first set of communication parameters, to a second set of communication parameters associated with a second geographical region, after taking into consideration an effect of said first transmission radiation pattern on said first and second geographical regions; and

servicing wirelessly, by said first airborne base-station, a second group of wireless client devices located in said second geographical region, using said second set of communication parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said taking into consideration comprises concluding that said servicing using said second set of communication parameters will not adversely affect said first geographical region.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said concluding comprises simulating the effect of said servicing on said first geographical region, using data comprising:

said second aerial position from which said servicing takes place, and said first transmission radiation pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second sets of communication parameters are associated, respectively, with first and second sets of regulatory restrictions, which are associated, respectively, with said first and second geographical regions.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said first and second sets of regulatory restrictions comprise communication parameters selected from a group consisting of:

frequency, band, channel, transmit power, out of band emissions, communication protocol, communication standard, antenna gain, antenna type, beam width, and multiple antenna configuration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said taking into consideration comprises:

concluding that said servicing using said second set of communication parameters will adversely affect said first geographical region, by simulating the effect of said servicing on said first geographical region, using data comprising;

said second aerial position from which said servicing takes place, and said first transmission radiation pattern; and

changing said first transmission radiation pattern to a second transmission radiation pattern that substantially does not adversely affect said first geographical region.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said changing is done using a second antenna configuration in association with an antenna technique selected from a group consisting of:

beam switching techniques, beam selection techniques, phased array techniques, and null-steering techniques.

8. A method for adapting a base-station in-motion to a new geographical region, comprising:

servicing wirelessly, by a first base-station located in a first geographical region, a first group of wireless client devices, using a first set of communication parameters associated with said first geographical region;

moving, by said first base-station, from said first geographical region to a second geographical region;

adapting, by said first base-station, from said first set of communication parameters, to a second set of communication parameters associated with said second geographical region; and

servicing wirelessly, by said first base-station located in said second geographical region, a second group of wireless client devices, using said second set of communication parameters, after concluding that said servicing will not adversely affect said first geographical region.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said moving is a continuous movement of said first base-station, and further comprising:

detecting, by said first base-station, a crossing of said first base-station from said first geographical region to said second geographical region, thereby evoking said adaptation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said second geographical region is set apart from said first geographical region by different regulatory restrictions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said first and second sets of communication parameters are associated, respectively, with a first set and a second set of regulatory restrictions, which are associated, respectively, with said first and second geographical regions.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said continuous movement is selected from a group consisting of:

an undesired drift movement of a mobile transport platform comprising said first base-station, and a loitering of a mobile transport platform comprising said first base-station.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said mobile transport platform is selected from a group consisting of:

an airborne system, a seaborne system, a land-based system, and a spaceborne system.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said adapting comprises:

determining, by said first base-station, presence in said second geographical region; and

extracting, by said first base-station, from a geographical data base, said second set of communication parameters, using said second geographical region determined.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

adjusting said second set of communication parameters, using data gathered by said first base-station during course of said servicing wirelessly said second group of wireless client devices, to a third set of communication parameters; and

changing said geographical data base accordingly for benefit of other base-stations.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein said adapting comprises:

locating, by said first base-station, a second base-station previously or currently servicing said second geographical region using said second set of communication parameters; and

extracting, by said first base-station, from said second base-station, said second set of communication parameters.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein said first and second sets of communication parameters are selected from a group consisting of:

frequency, band, channel, transmit power, out of band emissions, communication protocol, communication standard, antenna gain, antenna type, beam width, and multiple antenna configuration.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein said concluding comprises simulating effect of said servicing on said first geographical region, using data comprising:

(i) position of said first base-station from which said servicing takes place, and

(ii) a first transmission radiation pattern associated with said first base-station.

19. A method for adapting a backhaul connection of a base-station in-motion to a new geographical region, comprising:

establishing, by a first base-station located in a first geographical region, a first backhaul link with a first core network, via a first wireless communication link connecting said first base-station with a first relay station located in said first geographical region, using a first set of communication parameters for said first wireless communication link, wherein said first set of communication parameters are associated with said first geographical region;

moving, by said first base-station, from said first geographical region to a second geographical region;

adapting, by said first base-station, from said first set of communication parameters, to a second set of communication parameters associated with said second geographical region; and

establishing, by said first base-station, a second backhaul link with a second core network, via a second wireless communication link connecting said first base-station with a second relay station located in said second geographical region, using said second set of communication parameters for said second wireless communication link.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said moving is a continuous movement of said first base-station, and further comprising:

detecting, by said first base-station, a crossing of said first base-station from said first geographical region to said second geographical region, thereby evoking said adaptation.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said second geographical region is set apart from said first geographical region by different regulatory restrictions.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said first and second sets of communication parameters are associated, respectively, with a first set and a second set of regulatory restrictions, which are associated, respectively, with said first and second geographical regions.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said first core network belongs to a first operator and said second core network belongs to a second operator.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said second core network is the first core network.

25. A transmission system in-motion, operative to adapt to changing geographical regions, comprising:

at least one mobile transport platform operative to move between different geographical regions; and

a first transmitter located onboard each of said mobile transport platforms, operative to dynamically select sets of communication parameters according to location of said first transmitter relative to said geographical regions, wherein each of said set of parameters is associated with one of said geographical regions;

the first transmitter is further operative to transmit wirelessly to at least one receiver located in a specific geographical region using a specific set of communication parameters associated with said specific geographical region, only after concluding that said transmission will not adversely affect any of the other said geographical regions.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said first transmitter comprises a first antenna configuration having a first transmission radiation pattern, and wherein said first transmitter is further operative to reach said conclusion by simulating an effect of said transmission on said at least one other of said geographical regions, using data comprising:

location of said first transmitter, and said first transmission radiation pattern.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said first transmitter is further operative to change said first transmission radiation pattern to a second transmission radiation pattern that substantially does not adversely affect said at least one other of said different geographical regions.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the system is operative to adapt the first antenna configuration to a second antenna configuration in support of said second transmission radiation pattern using an antenna technique selected from a group consisting of:

beam switching techniques, beam selection techniques, phased array techniques, and null-steering techniques.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein said sets of communication parameters are associated, respectively, with sets of regulatory restrictions, which are associated, respectively, with said different geographical regions.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said sets of regulatory restrictions comprise communication parameters selected from a group consisting of:

frequency, band, channel, transmit power, out of band emissions, communication protocol, communication standard, antenna gain, antenna type, beam width, and multiple antenna configuration.

31. A transmission system in-motion, operative to adapt to changing geographical regions and share resources between a radio access network and a backhaul network, comprising:

at least one mobile transport platform operative to move between different geographical regions; and

a first base-station located onboard each of said mobile transport platforms is operative to dynamically select sets of communication parameters according to location of said first base-station relative to said geographical regions, wherein each of said set of parameters is associated with one of said geographical regions;

the first base-station is further operative to transmit wirelessly via a radio access network to at least one receiver located in a specific geographical region using a specific set of communication parameters associated with said specific geographical region, only after concluding that said transmission will not adversely affect any of the other said geographical regions;

the first base-station is further operative to establish a first backhaul link with a first core network, via a first wireless communication link connecting said first base-station with a first relay station; and

the first base-station is further operative to share radio resources between said backhaul link and said radio access network.