Signal translating repeater for enabling a terrestrial mobile subscriber station to be operable in a non-terrestrial environment

• US 6,650,898 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2002
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gogo LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aircell LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Inventors: Polson, Jerry H., Jochim, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, LANA N
• Application Number:
  US10/152,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20020197990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 455/431, 455/552, 455/67-1-, 455/232.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/13.1, 455/12.1, 455/11.1, 455/19
• 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 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/181 Transcoding devices; Rate adaptation devices

Abstract

The present signal translating repeater is located in an aircraft and provides service to mobile subscriber stations that are located in the aircraft, using the ground-based cellular communication paradigm. The present signal translating repeater converts these ground-based cellular communication signals into signals pursuant to the non-terrestrial cellular telecommunication format and transmits these signals to the non-terrestrial cell site(s) presently serving the aircraft. In this manner, the subscribers in the aircraft can use their existing ground-based mobile subscriber stations in a manner that is consistent with use in communicating with the ground-based cell sites, while the aircraft communicates with the non-terrestrial cell site(s) presently serving the aircraft in a manner that is consistent with non-terrestrial mobile subscriber stations.

Claims

1. Cellular radio communication apparatus, located in an aircraft, operable to provide communication services to ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in said aircraft, via a non-terrestrial cellular mobile cellular communications, comprising:

first amplifier means, responsive to receipt of radio frequency communication signals from non-terrestrial cell sites and in a mode compatible with non-terrestrial cellular communications for amplifying said received non-terrestrial cellular signals;

second amplifier means, responsive to receipt of radio frequency communication signals from ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations and in a mode compatible with ground-based cellular communications, for amplifying said received ground-based cellular signals;

control channel frequency translation means for exchanging control signals from control channels on said received ground-based cellular signals to control channels on non-terrestrial cellular control channels and from control channels on said received non-terrestrial cellular signals to control channels on ground-based cellular control channels;

first transmitter means for transmitting said amplified received non-terrestrial cellular signals and said control signals, exchanged from control channels on said received non-terrestrial cellular signals to control channels on ground-based cellular control channels, to said ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in said aircraft; and

second transmitter means for transmitting said amplified received ground-based cellular signals and said control signals, exchanged from control channels on said received ground-based cellular signals to control channels on non-terrestrial cellular control channels, to said non-terrestrial cell sites.

2. The cellular radio communication apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

notch filter means, responsive to said amplified received non-terrestrial cellular signals, for deleting signals contained in channels of said amplified received non-terrestrial cellular signals that correspond to ground-based cellular control channels.

3. The cellular radio communication apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

coupler means, responsive to receipt of said amplified received non-terrestrial cellular signals, having signals deleted there from that correspond to ground-based cellular control channels, for inserting said control signals, exchanged from control channels on said received non-terrestrial cellular signals into control channels on ground-based cellular control channels.

4. The cellular radio communication apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:

means for polarizing said amplified received non-terrestrial cellular signals, with said control signals, exchanged from control channels on said received non-terrestrial cellular signals inserted into control channels on ground-based cellular control channels, in a polarization that is substantially identical to a polarization of ground-based cellular radio frequency communication signals.

5. The cellular radio communication apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

radio frequency receiver means for demodulating said radio frequency communication signals received from said non-terrestrial cell sites.

6. The cellular radio communication apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

notch filter means, responsive to said amplified received ground-based cellular signals, for deleting signals contained in channels of said amplified received ground-based cellular signals that correspond to ground-based cellular control channels.

7. The cellular radio communication apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

coupler means, responsive to receipt of said amplified received ground-based cellular signals having signals deleted there from that correspond to ground-based cellular control channels, for inserting said control signals, exchanged from control channels on said received ground-based cellular signals to control channels on non-terrestrial cellular control channels.

8. The cellular radio communication apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

means for polarizing said amplified received ground-based cellular signals, with said control signals, exchanged from control channels on said received ground-based cellular signals inserted into control channels on non-terrestrial cellular control channels, in a polarization that is substantially identical to a polarization of non-terrestrial cellular radio frequency communication signals.

9. The cellular radio communication apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

radio frequency receiver means for demodulating said radio frequency communication signals received from said ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations.

10. The cellular radio communication apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

means for disabling operation of digital cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in said aircraft.

11. The cellular radio communication apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

power management means for regulating operation of said ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations to a minimal power level to avoid interference.

12. A method of providing communication services to ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in an aircraft, via a non-terrestrial cellular mobile cellular communications, comprising:

amplifying, in response to receipt of radio frequency communication signals from non-terrestrial cell sites and in a mode compatible with non-terrestrial cellular communications, said received non-terrestrial cellular signals;

amplifying, in response to receipt of radio frequency communication signals from ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations and in a mode compatible with ground-based cellular communications, said received ground-based cellular signals;

exchanging control signals from control channels on said received ground-based cellular signals to control channels on non-terrestrial cellular control channels and from control channels on said received non-terrestrial cellular signals to control channels on ground-based cellular control channels;

transmitting said amplified received non-terrestrial cellular signals and said control signals, exchanged from control channels on said received non-terrestrial cellular signals to control channels on ground-based cellular control channels, to said ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in said aircraft; and

transmitting said amplified received ground-based cellular signals and said control signals, exchanged from control channels on said received ground-based cellular signals to control channels on non-terrestrial cellular control channels, to said non-terrestrial cell sites.

13. The method of providing communication services to ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in an aircraft of claim 12 further comprising:

deleting, in response to said amplified received non-terrestrial cellular signals, signals contained in channels of said amplified received non-terrestrial cellular signals that correspond to ground-based cellular control channels.

14. The method of providing communication services to ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in an aircraft of claim 13 further comprising:

inserting, in response to receipt of said amplified received non-terrestrial cellular signals, having signals deleted there from that correspond to ground-based cellular control channels, said control signals, exchanged from control channels on said received non-terrestrial cellular signals into control channels on ground-based cellular control channels.

15. The method of providing communication services to ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in an aircraft of claim 14 further comprising:

polarizing said amplified received non-terrestrial cellular signals, with said control signals, exchanged from control channels on said received non-terrestrial cellular signals inserted into control channels on ground-based cellular control channels, in a polarization that is substantially identical to a polarization of ground-based cellular radio frequency communication signals.

16. The method of providing communication services to ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in an aircraft of claim 12 further comprising:

demodulating said radio frequency communication signals received from said non-terrestrial cell sites.

17. The method of providing communication services to ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in an aircraft of claim 12 further comprising:

deleting, in response to said amplified received ground-based cellular signals, signals contained in channels of said amplified received ground-based cellular signals that correspond to ground-based cellular control channels.

18. The method of providing communication services to ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in an aircraft of claim 17 further comprising:

inserting, in response to receipt of said amplified received ground-based cellular signals having signals deleted there from that correspond to ground-based cellular control channels, said control signals, exchanged from control channels on said received ground-based cellular signals to control channels on non-terrestrial cellular control channels.

19. The method of providing communication services to ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in an aircraft of claim 18 further comprising:

polarizing said amplified received ground-based cellular signals, with said control signals, exchanged from control channels on said received ground-based cellular signals inserted into control channels on non-terrestrial cellular control channels, in a polarization that is substantially identical to a polarization of non-terrestrial cellular radio frequency communication signals.

20. The method of providing communication services to ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in an aircraft of claim 12 further comprising:

demodulating said radio frequency communication signals received from said ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations.

21. The method of providing communication services to ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in an aircraft of claim 12 further comprising:

disabling operation of digital cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in said aircraft.

22. The method of providing communication services to ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations that are located in an aircraft of claim 12 further comprising:

regulating operation of said ground-based cellular mobile subscriber stations to a minimal power level to avoid interference.