Transportable infrastructure for airborne cellular system

• US 6,804,515 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2000
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CDC Propriete Intellectuelle
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Madine, Mary M., McCraw, Dawn M., Fullerton, Craig L., St. Peter, John Daniel, Matthews, Cynthia C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): PERSINO, RAYMOND B
• Application Number:
  US09/604,143
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 455/431, 455/422, 455/404, 455/428, 455/7, 455/11.1, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/560, 455/561, 455/462, 455/463, 455/465, 455/16, 455/554.1, 455/66.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.9, 455/90.3
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform

Abstract

A wireless communications system infrastructure includes an integrated unit of RF and switch components mounted on a transportable platform for providing a communications link to a public switched telephone network. An airplane for executing a predetermined flight pattern includes a repeater for communicating with the integrated unit of RF and switch components and provides a link between the integrated RF and switch components and operational handsets within a repeater geographic area of coverage corresponding to the flight pattern. The wireless communications system infrastructure is therefore capable of being positioned strategically with respect to terrestrial cell stations and with respect to a flight pattern of the plane carrying the repeater to provide coverage to areas that otherwise may be out of range of an airborne repeater and conventional wireless system infrastructure components.

Claims

1. A wireless communications system infrastructure, comprising:

a transportable switching office for the wireless communications system infrastructure comprising an integrated unit of RF and switch components mounted on a transportable ground-based platform and being movable for providing a communications link to a public switched telephone network, wherein the transportable switching office further comprises a ground-based antenna in communication with the integrated unit of RF and switch components; and

an airplane for executing a predetermined flight pattern and including a repeater for communicating with the integrated RF, an aircraft antenna, and switch components to provide a plurality of links between the integrated RF and switch components and operational handsets within a repeater geographic area of coverage, wherein each link is established via a connection between the ground-based antenna and the aircraft antenna, and wherein the airplane is further configured for providing a plurality of communications beams to provide the plurality of links to the operational handsets, and wherein the beams are configured to rotate about each other such that each operational handset periodically receives a new beam of the plurality of communications beams from the airplane.

2. The wireless communications system infrastructure of claim 1, further comprising an airplane operations center for providing operational information to the airplane.

3. The wireless communications system infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the integrated unit of RF and switch components comprises:

a ground converter for converting signals transmitted to and received from the repeater to signals within acceptable transmission and reception frequencies;

a base transceiver for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the ground converter;

a transportable switching office for linking the base transceiver station to a publicly switched telephone network; and

an operations and maintenance controller for controlling switching operation of the transportable switching office and for controlling communications traffic via the base transceiver.

4. The wireless communications system infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the integrated unit of RF and switch components is mounted on one of an automotive-based platform, a water vessel, and an infrastructure-carrying plane.

5. The wireless communications system infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the repeater is protocol independent.

6. The wireless communications system infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the integrated unit of RF and switch components and the repeater are capable of supporting cellular, PCS and higher frequencies.

7. The wireless communications system infrastructure of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional base transceiver located within the integrated unit of RF and switch components.

8. The wireless communications system infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the integrated unit of RF and switch components and the repeater provide terrestrial communications coverage to an area that is between 100-300 km in radius.

9. The wireless communications system infrastructure of claim 1 wherein the airplane executes the predetermined flight pattern at an altitude of less than 40,000 feet.

10. The wireless communications system infrastructure of claim 1 wherein the airplane executes the predetermined flight pattern at an altitude between 25,000 feet and 35,000 feet above the surface of the earth.

11. The wireless communications system infrastructure of claim 1 wherein the transportable switching office is configured to perform handoffs when the operational handset receives the new beam to thereby avoid dropping one of the plurality of links between the integrated RF and switch components and the operational handset.

12. A transportable infrastructure for an airborne wireless communications system having an airborne repeater and a plurality of operational handsets, comprising:

a transportable platform positioned at a ground-based terrestrial location, wherein the transportable platform is movable to enable wireless communications coverage to be provided to a predetermined geographic area;

a ground converter and antenna mounted on the transportable platform for converting transmitted and received communications signals to signals having acceptable transmission and reception frequencies to communicate with the airborne repeater in an aircraft flying a pre-determined flight pattern corresponding to the predetermined geographic area, wherein the airborne repeater is configured to provide a plurality of communications beams to provide a plurality of links to the operational handsets, and wherein the beams are configured to rotate about each other such that each operational handset periodically receives a new beam of the plurality of communications beams from the airplane;

a base transceiver mounted on the transportable platform for transmitting and receiving the signals between the ground converter and the airborne repeater via the antenna;

a transportable switching office mounted on the transportable platform for linking the base transceiver to a publicly switched telephone network; and

an operations and maintenance controller mounted on the transportable platform for controlling switching operation of the transportable switching office and for controlling communications traffic between operational ground-based communications devices within the pre-determined geographic area and the base transceiver via the airborne repeater.

13. The transportable infrastructure of claim 12, wherein the integrated unit of RF and switch components is mounted on one of an automotive-based platform, a water vessel, and an infrastructure-carrying plane.

14. The transportable infrastructure of claim 12, wherein the integrated unit of RF and switch components is protocol independent.

15. The transportable infrastructure of claim 12, wherein the repeater is protocol independent.

16. The transportable infrastructure of claim 12, wherein the integrated unit of RF and switch components and the repeater are capable of supporting cellular, PCS and higher frequencies.

17. The transportable infrastructure of claim 12, further comprising at least one additional base transceiver located within the integrated unit of RF and switch components.

18. The transportable infrastructure of claim 12, wherein the integrated unit of RF and switch components and the repeater provide terrestrial communications coverage to an area that is between 100-300 km in radius.

19. A transportable switching office comprising an integrated unit of RF and switch components configured to provide a protocol-independent switching infrastructure for a wireless communications system, the integrated unit of RF and switch components being mounted on a ground-based transportable platform having an antenna that is configured to be positioned to provide a communications link to an airborne repeater to thereby establish a connection between a public switched telephone network and a plurality of communications devices operating within an integrated unit geographic area of coverage, and wherein the airborne repeater is configured to providing a plurality of communications beams to the plurality of communications devices, and wherein the plurality of communications beams are configured to rotate about each other such that each communications device periodically receives a new beam of the plurality of communications beams from the airborne repeater.