BROADBAND ACCESS TO MOBILE PLATFORMS USING DRONE/UAV BACKGROUND

• US 20150236778A1
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgewest Finance, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ubiqomm LLC
• Inventors: JALALI, AHMAD
• Granted Patent: US 9,859,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/30 with arrangements for data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1555 Selecting relay station antenna mode, e.g. selecting omnidirectional -, directional beams, selecting polarizations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18528 Satellite systems for providing two-way communications service to a network of fixed stations, i.e. fixed satellite service or very small aperture terminal [VSAT] system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18539 Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18541 for handover of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18543 for adaptation of transmission parameters, e.g. power control for detecting or preventing errors in the information received H04L1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18554 using the position provided by an existing geolocalisation system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18556 using a location database
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18578 Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations for selecting H04W; provisions for broadband connection, H04Q11/0478
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0005 Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/304 due to measured or perceived resources with higher communication quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• 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 88/16 : Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

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.

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; 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.

2. The system of claim 1, where the one or more mobile platforms further comprise a mobile platform antenna fixture that comprises one or more antenna apertures, each one of the one or more antenna apertures characterized by a first range of azimuth directions and a second range of elevation angles.

3. The system of claim 2, where the mobile platform antenna fixture is configured to mechanically steer each one of the one or more antenna apertures in its corresponding first range of azimuth directions and second range of elevation angles;

and

where the mobile platform antenna fixture is configured to electrically form an antenna beam in the first range of azimuth directions and the second range of elevation angles.

4. The system of claim 3, where each one of the one or more mobile platforms further comprises:

one or more sensors configured to sense changes in an orientation in azimuth and elevation of the each one of the one or more mobile platforms; and

logic configured to determine when to adjust the antenna beam based at least in part on the sensed changes cause the mobile platform antenna fixture to mechanically steer and electrically adjust the beam at the at least one of the one or more drones.

5. The system of claim 4, where each one of the one or more mobile platforms further comprises:

logic configured to measure a plurality of drone pilot strengths at incremental perturbations in an azimuth setting and an elevation setting of a mobile platform antenna beam boresight; and

logic configured to determine an optimal beam position based on the measured plurality of drone pilot strengths.

6. The system of claim 1, where each one of the one or more mobile platforms further comprises:

logic configured to obtain a position location of the mobile platform;

logic configured to measure a first drone pilot strength corresponding to the at least one of the one or more drones;

logic configured to measure a second drone pilot strength corresponding to at least one other one of the one or more drones; and

logic configured to cause a handoff to the at least one other one of the one or more drones based at least in part on the obtained position location and the first and second drone pilot strength measurements.

7. The system of claim 6, where the logic configured to cause a handoff comprises:

logic configured to send a handoff initiation message to at least one of the at least one of the one or more drones and the at least one other one of the one or more drones.

8. The system of claim 6, where the logic configured to cause a handoff comprises:

logic configured to send the obtained position location and the first and second drone pilot strength measurements to the at least one of the one or more drones; and

where the at least one of the one or more drones determines when to send a handoff initiation message based on the obtained position location and the first and second drone pilot strength measurements.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more stationary terminals configured to establish a first link to the at least one of the one or more drones; and

where the one or more stationary terminals are configured to establish a second link to a mobile platform that does not have visibility of the at least one of the one or more drones.

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.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining an orientation of the mobile platform; and

where the steering comprises mechanical steering that is based at least in part on the orientation of the mobile platform.

12. The method of claim 10, where the mobile platform comprises multiple antenna apertures, and the method further comprises selecting the antenna aperture based at least in part on the location of the drone.

13. The method of claim 10, where the list of drone locations is received via a control channel broadcast.

14. The method of claim 10, where the list of drone locations is retrieved from memory.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising provisioning a wireless local area network for a plurality of users, where uplink data generated by the plurality of users is sent via the uplink data stream and where the downlink data received by the downlink data stream is routed to various ones of the plurality of users.

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.

17. The drone apparatus of claim 16, where a network route to the internet gateway comprises one or more intermediary drone apparatus.

18. The drone apparatus of claim 16, where the first data comprises data associated with at least one user of a plurality of users associated with the mobile platform.

19. The drone apparatus of claim 16, where the mobile platform comprises a vehicle.

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.

21. The mobile platform of claim 20, further comprising a local area network sub-system configured to route the received data among a plurality of users based at least in part on addressing information.