SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC WIRELESS AERIAL MESH NETWORK

• US 20150063202A1
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mutualink, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mutualink, Inc.
• Inventors: Mazzarella, Joseph R., Wengrovitz, Michael S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,654,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/385 Uniform resource identifier for session initiation protocol [SIP URI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1089 by adding media; by removing media
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/402 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel non-real time sessions, e.g. downloading a file in a parallel FTP session, initiating an email or combinational services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Embodiments include a dynamic wireless aerial mesh network having aerial nodes that provides real-time persistent wide area communications service to provide communications in response to an incident. Typically, the area services is a wide area that is physically inaccessible via ground transportation. In addition, embodiments include the formation of a decentralized mesh supernetwork comprising two or more dynamic wireless aerial mesh networks where each dynamic wireless aerial mesh network is owned by a different agency (e.g., a secure community). A member of a first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network may send a request to a member of a second dynamic wireless aerial mesh network for the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network to join the second dynamic wireless aerial mesh network to form a mesh supernetwork, and receive an acceptance from the member of the second dynamic wireless aerial mesh network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a wireless communication from a ground base station associated with a first agency; and

sending the wireless communication to an end unit radio transceiver associated with the first agency,

wherein the sending is via a first aerial node (AN) of two or more ANs of a first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network that provides persistent wide area communications service, and

wherein a flight pattern of the two or more ANs of the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network is adaptive.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the flight pattern of the two or more ANs comprises a persistent coverage rotation cycle, wherein a replacement AN is scheduled to launch and land on a staggered basis based on an actual or projected flight duration time of the two or more ANs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first AN of the two or more ANs occupies a relational position within the flight pattern, wherein as the first AN retires, the replacement AN launches to fill the relational position within the flight pattern vacated by the first AN.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first AN in communication with the end unit radio transceiver initiates a handoff to the replacement AN of the two or more ANs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the adaptive flight pattern is self-healing.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring at least one of;

an audio event, a radiation level, a chemical level, a heat level, an electromagnetic signature, a pressure level, a reflective signature, a geo-position coordinate, or a homing beacon signal; and

when the at least one measurement exceeds a threshold, sending a threshold exceeded alert to at least one of;

an AN of the two or more ANs, an end unit radio transceiver associated with the first agency, or a server coupled to the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a new flight path based on the generated threshold exceeded alert, wherein the AN of the two or more ANs adjusts their flight pattern accordingly.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a new flight path command based on the generated threshold exceeded alert, wherein a remaining AN of the two or more ANs adjusts their flight pattern accordingly.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the new flight path command includes different duties than the remaining AN of the two or more ANs.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a new AN in communications proximity, wherein the new AN is associated with the first agency; and

changing to a new flight path based on the addition of the new AN to the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a new AN in communications proximity, wherein the new AN is associated with a second agency, wherein the first and second agencies are associated with an incident, wherein the first and second agencies communicate securely, and wherein an agency includes a collection of communication resources having an administrator that maintains control over the agency;

receiving a request from the new AN to join the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network;

sending an acceptance to the new AN; and

changing to a new flight path based on the addition of the new AN to the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network.

12. The method of claim 1, further, comprising:

detecting a new AN in communications proximity, wherein the new AN is associated with a second agency;

receiving a request from the new AN to join the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network;

sending a request to an administrator of the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network to join the new AN to the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network;

receiving an acceptance from the administrator to join the new AN to the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network;

sending an acceptance to the new AN; and

changing to a new flight path based on the addition of the new AN to the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the new AN is coupled to a second dynamic wireless aerial mesh network associated with the second agency, further comprising:

receiving a second wireless communication from the end unit radio transceiver associated with the first agency; and

sending the second wireless communication to a second end unit radio transceiver associated with the second agency via the new AN, wherein the sending the second wireless communication is via the second dynamic wireless aerial mesh network.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the administrator is a human operator, a machine operator, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the sending the request is transmitted out-of-band.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the end unit radio transceiver comprises:

a legacy radio device, or an Internet Protocol (IP)-based device, wherein an IP-based device includes at least one of;

a smartphone, a tablet, a wearable sensor, a watch, a remote controller, or a laptop computer.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a remote control flight command including at least one of;

a speed, a direction, an elevation, a geographical waypoint.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the remote control flight command is generated manually, automatically, or semi-automatically, wherein the remote control flight command is based on at least one of:

a geospatial position, a relative position to a remaining AN of the two or more ANs of the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network, an intended flight path of the remaining AN of the two or more ANs, deviations from a planned flight path, a flight condition, a rerouting flight instruction, a ground bandwidth need, a density or number of end unit radio transceivers in the wide area, or a location of an end unit radio transceiver in the wide area.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first AN comprises a unique identification number that includes at least one of:

a unique aircraft identification number, a registration number, a MAC address of an embedded hardware, or a designated sequence slot assignment within a multi-AN flight coverage pattern.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording images in conjunction with another AN of the two or more ANs; and

sending the images via the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network or a separate communications path.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first AN is coupled to a platform comprising:

a pilotless aerial drone, a balloon, an aerostat, or a piloted plane.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first AN is coupled to the pilotless aerial drone, and another AN of the two or more ANs of the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network is coupled to a different platform.

23. An aerial node (AN) system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory; and

the one or more processors configured to;

receive a wireless communication from a ground base station associated with a first agency; and

send the wireless communication to an end unit radio transceiver associated with the first agency,

wherein the send is via a first AN of two or more ANs of a first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network that provides persistent wide area communications service, and

wherein a flight pattern of the two or more ANs of the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network is adaptive.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the flight pattern of the two or more ANs comprises a persistent coverage rotation cycle, wherein a replacement AN is scheduled to launch and land on a staggered basis based on an actual or projected flight duration time of the two or more ANs.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the first AN of the two or more ANs occupies a relational position within the flight pattern, wherein as the first AN retires, the replacement AN launches to fill the relational position within the flight pattern vacated by the first AN.

26. The system of claim 23, the one or more processors further configured to:

measure at least one of;

an audio event, a radiation level, a chemical level, a heat level, an electromagnetic signature, a pressure level, a reflective signature, a geo-position coordinate, or a homing beacon signal; and

when the at least one measurement exceeds a threshold, send a threshold exceeded alert to at least one of;

an AN of the two or more ANs, an end unit radio transceiver associated with the first agency, or a server coupled to the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network.

27. The system of claim 26, the one or more processors further configured to:

determine a new flight path based on the generated threshold exceeded alert, wherein the AN of the two or more ANs adjusts their flight pattern accordingly.

28. The system of claim 23, the one or more processors further configured to:

detect a new AN in communications proximity, wherein the new AN is associated with a second agency;

receive a request from the new AN to join the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network;

send a request to an administrator of the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network to join the new AN to the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network;

receive an acceptance from the administrator to join the new AN to the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network;

send an acceptance to the new AN; and

change to a new flight path based on the addition of the new AN to the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the new AN is coupled to a second dynamic wireless aerial mesh network associated with the second agency, further comprising:

receive a second wireless communication from the end unit radio transceiver associated with the first agency; and

send the second wireless communication to a second end unit radio transceiver associated with the second agency via the new AN, wherein the send the second wireless communication is via the second dynamic wireless aerial mesh network.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the first AN is coupled to a platform comprising:

a pilotless aerial drone, a balloon, an aerostat, or a piloted plane.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first AN is coupled to the pilotless aerial drone, and another AN of the two or more ANs of the first dynamic wireless aerial mesh network is coupled to a different platform.