Broadband wireless communication systems provided by commercial airlines

• US 6,285,878 B1
• Filed: 06/12/1998
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Airborne Wireless Network
• Original Assignee: Joseph Lai
• Inventors: Lai, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/097,168
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 455/430, 455/431, 455/12.1, 455/428
• US Class Current: 455/431
• 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: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A new use for the (already existing) fleets of commercial airline aircraft to replace low-earth orbit (LEO) communication satellites. This invention will provide low-cost, broadband wireless communication infrastructure among points-to-points accomplished by using and modifying existing, small, lightweight low power, low cost microwave relay station equipment onboard the commercial airline aircraft. Each equipped aircraft would have a broadband wireless communication link (within line-of-sight coverage ranges) to one or more neighboring aircraft or ground stations and form a chain of seamless airborne repeaters providing broadband wireless communication gateways along the entire flight path. Broadband wireless communication services also provide for customers onboard in-flight as well as customers overboard, along the line-of-sight ranges of flight path from the commercial airline aircraft.

Claims

1. A method of stimulating substantial business profits for the commercial airlines by providing broadband wireless communication gateway systems, comprising steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of commercial airline aircraft that would be equipped with at least one pair of broadband wireless repeaters onboard,

(b) providing at least one pair of ground stations, each equipped with at least one said broadband wireless repeater, and serves as gateway for broadband wireless signals,

(c) Grouping and reassigning of said commercial airline aircraft commuting between a plurality of point-to-point at predetermined schedules so said commercial airline aircraft would be at the right places, all the time during their flights to form a seamless chain of the said broadband wireless repeater network at line-of-sight ranges from each said commercial airline aircraft across the sky from said a plurality of point-to-point, and

(d) transmitting broadband wireless signals from the source ground station to its nearby and in line-of-sight ranges flying said commercial airline aircraft where said broadband wireless signals are received, reconditioned then retransmitted to the next neighboring flying said commercial airline aircraft which are closer to the destination ground station, and so forth as the said broadband wireless signals leapfrog from said commercial airline aircraft to next said commercial airline aircraft, and then finally the said broadband wireless signals being received at the destination ground station,

whereby said commercial airlines can be profitable by providing broadband communication wireless signals gateway services for ground based customers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said commercial airline aircraft flying at approximately the same direction, the same speed and same altitude regularly carry passengers, cargo, and combined passengers and cargo from points to points.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said one pair of broadband wireless repeaters are two sets of microwave radio frequency signal relaying electronic devices that comprise a plurality of antennas, tracking, receivers, and transmitters system which track the antennas, receive, recondition and retransmit said broadband wireless signals for both directions at full-duplex operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said broadband communication services are telephony, Internet related, video, e-mail and packet data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said commercial airlines provide broadband communication services for a fee for its gateway services customers.

6. A method of stimulating substantial business profits for the commercial airlines by providing broadband wireless communication systems for in-flight, and onboard commercial airline aircraft users, comprising steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of commercial airline aircraft that would be equipped with at least one pair of broadband wireless repeaters onboard and said broadband wireless repeaters would also have coupling means for broadband wireless services for onboard in-flight uses,

(b) providing at least one pair of ground stations, each equipped with at least one said broadband wireless repeater, and serves as gateway for said broadband wireless signals,

(c) Grouping and reassigning of said commercial airline aircraft commuting between a plurality of point-to-point at predetermined schedules so said commercial airline aircraft would be at the right places, all the time during their flights to form a seamless chain of the said broadband wireless repeater network at line-of-sight ranges from each said commercial airline aircraft across the sky from said a plurality of point-to-point, and

(d) transmitting broadband wireless signals from the source ground station to its nearby and in line-of-sight ranges flying said commercial airline aircraft where said broadband wireless signals are received, reconditioned and coupled with in-flight use broadband signals then retransmitted to the next neighboring flying said commercial airline aircraft which are closer to the destination ground station, and so forth as the broadband wireless signals leapfrog from said commercial airline aircraft to next said commercial airline aircraft, and then finally the broadband wireless signals being received at the destination ground station,

whereby said commercial airlines can be profitable by providing broadband communication services for airborne, in-flight, onboard aircraft customers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said commercial airline aircraft flying at approximately the same direction, same speed and same altitude regularly carry passengers, cargo, and combined passengers and cargo from points to points.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said one pair of broadband wireless repeaters are two sets of microwave radio frequency signal relaying electronic devices that comprise a plurality of antennas, tracking, receivers, and transmitters system which track the antennas, receive, recondition and retransmit said broadband wireless signals for both directions at full-duplex operation.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said coupling means are broadband signal switching, branching, and routing.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said broadband communication services are telephony, internet related, video, e-mail and packet data.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said commercial airlines provide broadband communication services for a fee for its onboard in-flight crews and passengers.

12. A method of stimulating substantial business profits for the commercial airlines by providing broadband wireless communication systems for overboard, along line-of-sight ranges of flights path uses, comprising steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of commercial airline aircraft that would be equipped with at least one pair of broadband wireless repeaters onboard and said broadband wireless repeaters would also have wireless coupling means for broadband wireless services for overboard, along line-of-sight ranges of light path uses,

(b) providing at least one pair of ground stations, each equipped with at least one said broadband wireless repeater, and serves as gateways for broadband wireless signals,

(c) Grouping and reassigning of said commercial airline aircraft commuting between a plurality of point-to-point at predetermined schedules so said commercial airline aircraft would be at the right places, all the time during their flights to form a seamless chain of the said broadband wireless repeater network at line-of-sight ranges from each said commercial airline aircraft across the sky from said a plurality of point-to-point,

(d) transmitting broadband wireless signals from the source ground station to its nearby and in line-of-sight ranges flying said commercial airline aircraft where said broadband wireless signals are received, reconditioned and wirelessly coupled with overboard uses broadband wireless signals then retransmitted to the next neighboring flying said commercial airline aircraft which are closer to the destination ground station, and so forth as the broadband wireless signals leapfrog from said commercial airline aircraft to next said commercial airline aircraft, and then finally the broadband wireless signals being received at the destination ground station, and

(e) providing hand-off means to maintain uninterrupted broadband communication services, new substitute said commercial airline aircraft have to fill-in between current link of the said commercial airliner aircraft to said overboard customers before the signals link from the said commercial airline aircraft completely fade-out since the current linking from said commercial airline aircraft that departing from the said overboard line-of-sight coverage ranges,

whereby said commercial airlines can be profitable by providing broadband communication services for customers overboard, along line-of-sight ranges of the flight paths.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said commercial airline aircraft flying at approximately the same direction, same speed and same altitude regularly carry passengers, cargo, and combined passengers and cargo from points to points.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said one pair of broadband wireless repeaters are two sets of microwave radio frequency signal relaying electronic devices that comprise a plurality of antennas, tracking, receivers, and transmitters system which track the antennas, receive, recondition and retransmit said broadband wireless signals for both directions at full-duplex operation.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said wireless coupling means comprising:

airborne broadband wireless signals switching, branching, routing, antenna tracking, transmitting and receiving for servicing broadband wireless signals to customers overboard and along line-of-sight ranges of flight paths.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said broadband communication services are telephony, internet related, video, e-mail and packet data.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said commercial airlines provide broadband wireless communication services for a fee for customers overboard and along line-of-sight ranges of flight paths.