BEAM FORMING AND POINTING IN A NETWORK OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES (UAVS) FOR BROADBAND ACCESS
First Claim
1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) apparatus configured to form antenna beams toward at least one target coverage region on a ground area, the UAV apparatus comprising:
- an antenna fixture configured to form one or more beams;
a plurality of transmitters configured to transmit a first signal to a plurality of ground terminals within the at least one target coverage region on the ground area;
a plurality of receivers configured to receive a second signal from the plurality of ground terminals;
a processor; and
at least one computer program operative to run on the processor, the computer program comprising one or more instructions which are configured to, when executed by the processor, cause the UAV apparatus to;
form at least one beam on the ground comprising at least one cell;
where the at least one cell encompasses at least one ground terminal of the plurality of ground terminals; and
where the UAV apparatus maintains an orbit above the ground area.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods configured to form and point beams from one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) toward a target coverage area on the ground. One embodiment describes dividing the target coverage area on the ground among multiple UAVs when each UAV antenna system generates static beams. Another embodiment describes dividing the target coverage area on the ground among multiple UAVs when their antenna systems are capable of dynamically steering their respective beams. Another set of embodiments describe systems and method to allow multiple UAVs to provide service in the same area on the ground using the same spectrum.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) apparatus configured to form antenna beams toward at least one target coverage region on a ground area, the UAV apparatus comprising:
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an antenna fixture configured to form one or more beams; a plurality of transmitters configured to transmit a first signal to a plurality of ground terminals within the at least one target coverage region on the ground area; a plurality of receivers configured to receive a second signal from the plurality of ground terminals; a processor; and at least one computer program operative to run on the processor, the computer program comprising one or more instructions which are configured to, when executed by the processor, cause the UAV apparatus to; form at least one beam on the ground comprising at least one cell; where the at least one cell encompasses at least one ground terminal of the plurality of ground terminals; and where the UAV apparatus maintains an orbit above the ground area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A ground terminal apparatus, comprising:
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a terminal antenna fixture configured to form a first beam toward one or more unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the terminal antenna fixture configured to steer the first beam thereof to track a position of the one or more UAV as the one or more UAV maintains one or more corresponding orbits; a plurality of radio transmitters configured to transmit a first signal to the one or more UAV; and a plurality of receivers configured to receive a second signal from the one or more UAV. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of relaying Internet traffic via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:
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associating each of a plurality of ground terminals to respective ones of a plurality of cells; receiving data at the UAV from a gateway apparatus, the gateway apparatus being in data communication with an Internet; and transmitting a beam comprising at least a portion of the received data to the plurality of cells, the associated ones of the plurality of ground terminals being in data communication with the UAV; where adjacent ones of the plurality of cells receive the beam at different frequencies. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification