Adjusting Beam Width of Air-to-Ground Communications Based on Distance to Neighbor Balloon(s) in Order to Maintain Contiguous Service

• US 20160226573A1
• Filed: 12/18/2013
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SOFTBANK Corporation (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Behroozi, Cyrus
• Granted Patent: US 9,847,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• 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 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams

Abstract

Example methods and systems for adjusting the beam width of radio frequency (RF) signals for purposes of balloon-to-ground communication are described. One example method includes determining, based on respective locations of a plurality of balloons and areas covered by respective ground-facing communication beams of the balloons, a contiguous ground coverage area served by the plurality of balloons, where the communication beam of a balloon defines a corresponding individual coverage area within the ground coverage area, determining a change in position of at least one of the balloons, based on the change in position of the at least one balloon, determining an adjustment to a first of the individual coverage areas in an effort to maintain the contiguous ground coverage area after the change in position of at least one of the balloons, and adjusting a width of the ground-facing communication beam of the balloon corresponding to the first individual coverage area in order to make the determined adjustment to the first individual coverage area.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining, based on respective locations of a plurality of balloons and areas covered by respective ground-facing communication beams of the balloons, a contiguous ground coverage area served by the plurality of balloons, wherein the communication beam of a balloon defines a corresponding individual coverage area within the ground coverage area;

determining a change in position of at least one of the balloons;

based on the change in position of the at least one balloon, determining an adjustment to a first of the individual coverage areas in an effort to maintain the contiguous ground coverage area after the change in position of at least one of the balloons; and

adjusting a width of the ground-facing communication beam of the balloon corresponding to the first individual coverage area in order to make the determined adjustment to the first individual coverage area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the change in position of at least one of the balloons comprises an expected future change in position.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the change in position of at least one of the balloons comprises a change in altitude of at least one of the balloons.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the change in position of at least one of the balloons comprises a change in horizontal position of at least one of the balloons.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a demand map of a plurality of ground subscribers, wherein:

coverage provided by the contiguous ground coverage area satisfies the demand map before the change in position of at least one of the balloons; and

the adjustment to the first of the individual coverage areas is determined in an effort to maintain coverage that satisfies the demand map after the change in position of at least one of the balloons.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the width of the ground-facing communication beam of the balloon corresponding to the first individual coverage comprises selecting from two or more discrete antennas.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the width of the ground-facing communication beam of the balloon corresponding to the first individual coverage comprises adjusting a continuously adjustable antenna.

8. A system, comprising:

a plurality of balloons; and

a control system configured to;

determine, based on respective locations of the balloons and areas covered by respective ground-facing communication beams of the balloons, a contiguous ground coverage area served by the balloons, wherein the communication beam of a balloon defines a corresponding individual coverage area within the ground coverage area;

determine a change in position of at least one of the balloons;

based on the change in position of the at least one balloon, determine an adjustment to a first of the individual coverage areas in an effort to maintain the contiguous ground coverage area after the change in position of at least one of the balloons; and

provide instructions to adjust a width of the ground-facing communication beam of the balloon corresponding to the first individual coverage area in order to make the determined adjustment to the first individual coverage area.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the change in position of at least one of the balloons comprises an expected future change in position.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the change in position of at least one of the balloons comprises a change in altitude of at least one of the balloons.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the change in position of at least one of the balloons comprises a change in horizontal position of at least one of the balloons.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the control system is further configured to determine a demand map of a plurality of ground subscribers, wherein:

coverage provided by the contiguous ground coverage area satisfies the demand map before the change in position of at least one of the balloons; and

the adjustment to the first of the individual coverage areas is determined in an effort to maintain coverage that satisfies the demand map after the change in position of at least one of the balloons.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the control system is configured to provide instructions to adjust the width of the ground-facing communication beam of the balloon corresponding to the first individual coverage area by selecting from two or more discrete antennas.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the control system is configured to provide instructions to adjust the width of the ground-facing communication beam of the balloon corresponding to the first individual coverage area by adjusting a continuously adjustable antenna.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the change in position of at least one of the balloons comprises an expected future change in position.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the change in position of at least one of the balloons comprises a change in altitude of at least one of the balloons.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the change in position of at least one of the balloons comprises a change in horizontal position of at least one of the balloons.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein adjusting the width of the ground-facing communication beam of the balloon corresponding to the first individual coverage area comprises selecting from two or more discrete antennas.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein adjusting the width of the ground-facing communication beam of the balloon corresponding to the first individual coverage area comprises adjusting a continuously adjustable antenna.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions, that when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform functions comprising:

determining, based on respective locations of a plurality of balloons and areas covered by respective ground-facing communication beams of the balloons, a contiguous ground coverage area served by the plurality of balloons, wherein the communication beam of a balloon defines a corresponding individual coverage area within the ground coverage area;

determining a change in position of at least one of the balloons;

based on the change in position of the at least one balloon, determining an adjustment to a first of the individual coverage areas in an effort to maintain the contiguous ground coverage area after the change in position of at least one of the balloons; and

adjusting a width of the ground-facing communication beam of the balloon corresponding to the first individual coverage area in order to make the determined adjustment to the first individual coverage area.