Apparatus and methods for controlling a cellular communications network having airborne transceivers

• US 6,507,739 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2000
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CDC Propriete Intellectuelle
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tessler, Michael A., Emmons, Thomas Peter Jr., Gross, Jonathan H.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEGREE, TRACY MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US09/605,083
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 455/431, 455/430, 455/432, 455/11.1, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/517, 455/428, 455/427, 455/15, 455/25, 455/7, 342/356, 342/357.1, 342/352, 342/2
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform

Abstract

A cellular communications network (200, FIG. 2) includes one or more aircraft (210), which provide communication channels to cellular communications units, and also communicate with one or more base transceiver stations (206) and a control center (214). The control center receives (502, 602) telemetry and flight parameter information from the aircraft, and calculates (510, 606) network parameters based on the information. The control center transmits (512, 608) messages to the cellular network, including the aircraft, based on the calculated network parameters, and the aircraft and cellular network controls (612) its operations according to information within these messages.

Claims

1. A method for controlling operations of a cellular communications network, the method comprising:

receiving information relevant to flight parameters of an aircraft in flight, wherein the aircraft carries a payload that provides communication channels to multiple cellular communication units and also communicates with at least one base transceiver station (BTS) of the cellular communications network;

calculating one or more network parameters based on the information; and

sending a message derived from the one or more network parameters to a device within the cellular communications network, wherein the device uses information contained within the message to control operations of the device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein receiving information comprises receiving flight characteristic information.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein calculating one or more network parameters comprises:

calculating a link margin variation from the flight characteristic information;

determining whether the link margin variation indicates that a handoff rate is not within an acceptable range; and

if the link margin variation indicates that the handoff rate is not within the acceptable range, calculating a handoff parameter, wherein the handoff parameter is a parameter in a group of parameters that includes a handoff hysteresis parameter and a handoff threshold parameter.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein calculating one or more network parameters comprises:

calculating a link margin variation from the flight characteristic information;

determining whether the link margin variation indicates that a dropped call rate is not within an acceptable range; and

if the link margin variation indicates that the dropped call rate is not within the acceptable range, calculating a new minimum acquisition power threshold parameter.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein calculating one or more network parameters comprises:

calculating an estimated beam loading from the flight characteristic information and a subscriber geographic density profile;

determining whether the estimated beam loading indicates that a loading imbalance between beams is not within an acceptable range; and

if the estimated beam loading indicates that the loading imbalance is not within the acceptable range, calculating new control channel power parameters.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein sending the message to the device comprises sending the message to a mobile switching office (MSO) within the cellular communications network, wherein the MSO uses information within the message to control the operations of one or more BTS.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein sending the message to the device comprises sending the message to the aircraft, wherein the aircraft uses information within the message to control the operations of the aircraft.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein calculating one or more network parameters comprises calculating a table of network parameters, wherein each entry in the table corresponds to a location of the aircraft along a flight pattern.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein calculating the table of network parameters comprises indexing each entry based on a radial location of the aircraft along the flight pattern.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein sending the message to the device comprises transmitting the message to the payload, wherein the payload uses the message to control operations of the payload.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the aircraft uses the message to control a communication parameter of a cellular beam pattern provided by the payload.

12. A method for controlling operations of a cellular communications network, the method comprising:

collecting information relevant to flight parameters of an aircraft in flight, wherein the aircraft carries a payload that provides communication channels to multiple cellular communication units via a cellular beam pattern, and also communicates with at least one base transceiver station of the cellular communications network; and

transmitting the information to a control center, wherein the control center calculates one or more network parameters based on the information, and sends the one or more network parameters to a device within the cellular communications network, and wherein the device uses the one or more network parameters to control operations of the device.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

receiving instructions from the control center to alter a communication parameter for the cellular beam pattern; and

altering the communication parameter based on the instructions.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a control message from the control center; and

using information within the control message to determine when handoffs are to occur.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a control message from the control center; and

using information within the control message to determine when a communications unit may access the network.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a control message from the control center; and

based on information within the control message, adjusting control channel power for one or more beams.

17. An apparatus for controlling operations of a cellular communications network, the apparatus comprising:

an antenna that receives signals from and sends signals to an aircraft, wherein the aircraft carries a payload that provides communication channels to multiple cellular communication units, and also communicates with at least one base transceiver station of the cellular communications network; and

a control center, coupled to the antenna, that receives, within the signals, information relevant to flight parameters of the aircraft, calculates one or more network parameters based on the information, and sends a message derived from the one or more network parameters to a device within the cellular communications network, wherein the device uses information contained within the message to control operations of the device.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the device is a mobile switching office (MSO), and the control center sends the message to the MSO, wherein the MSO uses information within the message to control the operations of the one or more base transceiver stations.

19. An apparatus for controlling operations of a cellular communications network, the apparatus comprising:

an aircraft flight management system that collects information relevant to flight parameters of an aircraft in flight, wherein the aircraft carries a payload that provides communication channels to multiple cellular communication units via a cellular beam pattern, and also communicates with at least one base transceiver station of the cellular communications network; and

an aircraft payload, coupled to the aircraft flight management system, that transmits the information to a control center, wherein the control center calculates one or more network parameters based on the information, and sends the one or more network parameters to a device within the cellular communications network, and wherein the device uses the one or more network parameters to control operations of the device.