BROADBAND ACCESS TO MOBILE PLATFORMS USING DRONE/UAV BACKGROUND
First Claim
1. A system for providing broadband access to mobile platforms using a network of drones, comprising:
- one or more drones, each drone comprising;
at least one antenna fixture configured to provide coverage to one or more mobile platforms;
at least one radio sub-system configured to demodulate and decode one or more first signals received from the one or more mobile platforms;
where the at least one radio sub-system is further configured to modulate and transmit one or more second signals to the one or more mobile platforms; and
a drone switching sub-system configured to switch data received at the each drone to another receiving unit selected from the group comprising;
the one or more mobile platforms and the one or more drones; and
one or more mobile platforms, each mobile platform configured to;
demodulate and decode the one or more second signals received from at least one of the one or more drones corresponding thereto; and
modulate and transmit the one or more first signals to the at least one of the one or more drones.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for providing broadband internet access to mobile platforms such as vehicles, aircraft, and portable devices, using a network of one or more entities such as drones/unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In one embodiment, the drone communication system comprises an antenna sub-system, a radio sub-system and a data switching sub-system. The mobile platforms comprise antenna and radio sub-systems to communicate with the drones, detect changes in the mobile platforms azimuth and elevation changes, and adjust the mobile platform'"'"'s antenna beam to compensate for the orientation changes to optimally point toward the drones. The exemplary mobile platform further comprises methods to detect the need for handoff to a different drone and to carry out the handoff. A mechanism to improve coverage to mobile platforms that may see obstruction on their path to the drone network is also disclosed, as are apparatus and methods for cost efficiently providing reliable internet access to portable devices.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A system for providing broadband access to mobile platforms using a network of drones, comprising:
-
one or more drones, each drone comprising; at least one antenna fixture configured to provide coverage to one or more mobile platforms; at least one radio sub-system configured to demodulate and decode one or more first signals received from the one or more mobile platforms; where the at least one radio sub-system is further configured to modulate and transmit one or more second signals to the one or more mobile platforms; and a drone switching sub-system configured to switch data received at the each drone to another receiving unit selected from the group comprising;
the one or more mobile platforms and the one or more drones; andone or more mobile platforms, each mobile platform configured to; demodulate and decode the one or more second signals received from at least one of the one or more drones corresponding thereto; and modulate and transmit the one or more first signals to the at least one of the one or more drones. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method of receiving broadband access via a mobile platform, comprising:
-
determining a location of a drone of a communications drone network based at least in part on a list of drone locations; steering an antenna aperture toward the location of the drone; searching for an optimal beam position within the antenna aperture along a first range of elevation and a second range of azimuth; and electronically forming an antenna beam at the optimal beam position, the electrically formed beam comprising an uplink data stream and a downlink data stream. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A drone apparatus configured to provision broadband access to mobile platforms, the drone apparatus comprising:
-
at least one antenna fixture configured to electrically form at least one antenna beam; at least one radio sub-system comprising a receiver configured to demodulate and decode first data received from one or more mobile platform, and a transmitter configured to modulate second data and transmit the modulated second data to at least one of the one or more mobile platforms through the electrically formed at least one antenna beam, and a switching sub-system configured to route decoded first data to an internet gateway, and responsive to reception of second data from the internet gateway associated with the mobile platform, route the second data to the at least one of the one or more mobile platforms. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A mobile platform configured to provide broadband access to at least one user, comprising:
-
one or more sensors configured to detect one or more mobile platform orientation changes; an antenna sub-system configured to dynamically point beams toward a specific one of a network of drone apparatus, the antenna subsystem further configured to adjust the beams in response to the mobile platform orientation changes; and a radio sub-system configured to demodulate and decode received data. - View Dependent Claims (21)
-
Specification