Aeronautical broadcast and communication system

• US 7,505,736 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nubron Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nubron Incorporated
• Inventors: Min, Byung Kon
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rego; Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US10/921,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20060040612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.02, 455/427, 455/12.1, 455/13.2, 455/98, 701/120, 701/13, 701/215, 342/352, 370/316, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1858 Arrangements for data transmission on the physical system, i.e. for data bit transmission between network components

Abstract

A method and system for a plurality of airplanes in flight to receive from and send to a plurality of ground stations broadcast and communication signals through a single or a plurality of geostationary satellites, wherein at least the mobile link between said airplanes and said satellite, uplink or downlink, uses the high frequency radio waves at 17 GHz or higher, such as Ka-band. The fixed link between said satellite and said ground stations may use any radio frequencies below the frequencies used to communicate between the satellite and the aircraft. The lower frequencies tend to be less susceptible to rain attenuation and hence suitable for closing the fixed broadcast and communication link. Frequencies such as C-band or Ku-band, or even Ka-band, are applied between satellite and ground such that the available link margin is sufficient to overcome rain attenuation at said ground stations. Said satellite carries a plurality of transponders that may include a plurality of frequency converters to enable the conversion between different frequencies. Said satellite generates a plurality of spot beams, shaped or unshaped, which collectively cover the flight routes of said airplanes, preferably the geodesic path between two highly populated regions.

Claims

1. A method of moving broadband data in a communication link extending across a free-space region between a ground station at an altitude substantially below that of rain clouds and an airborne vehicle at an altitude substantially above that of rain clouds via a satellite in earth orbit or in outer space, comprising the steps of:

communicating broadband data between the airborne vehicle and the satellite in a radio wave at frequencies substantially above 17 Ghz;

communicating broadband data between to ground station and the satellite in a radio wave at frequencies below 17 Ghz and so low that any rain attenuation is small enough for the communication link to close;

converting the radio wave at frequencies substantially above 17 Ghz that communicates broadband data from the airborne vehicle to the satellite into to radio wave at frequencies below 17 Ghz and so low that any rain attenuation is small enough for the communication link to close that communicates broadband data from the satellite to the ground station; and

converting the radio wave at frequencies below 17 Ghz and so low that any rain attenuation is small enough for the communication link to close that communicates broadband data from the ground station to the satellite into the radio wave at frequencies substantially above 17 Ghz that communicates broadband data from the satellite to the airborne vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

covering the flight routes of one or more of said airborne vehicles by generating a plurality of satellite spot beams.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

flexibly moving the spot beams by space based steerable antennas for coverage of the one or more airborne vehicles.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

aggregating Direct Broadcast Service (DBS) in the broadband data.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

aggregating Internet downlink and uplink in the broadband data.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

including one or more private networks in a ground data network connected to the ground station.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

aggregating video information, audio information and textual information in the broadband data.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

aggregating any or all of flight command data and weather data in the broadband data for communication from to ground station to the airborne vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

aggregating any or all of airplane health data, security data, cabin and cockpit status video, and closed circuit TV, in the broadband data for communication from the airborne vehicle to the ground station.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the frequencies above 17 GHz include at least one of Ka-band frequencies, V-band frequencies, and optical frequencies, and wherein the frequencies below 17 GHz include C-band frequencies or Ku-band frequencies or both.

11. A ground to air, forward link, communication system, comprising

at least one ground station at an altitude substantially below that of rain clouds,

at least one satellite in earth orbit or in outer space,

at least one airborne vehicle at an altitude substantially above that of rain clouds,

said ground station further comprising a ground data network connected to a ground based transceiver and a ground based antenna,

said satellite further comprising first space based antenna connected to a space based transceiver and second space based antenna,

said airborne vehicle further comprising an airborne antenna connected to an airborne transceiver, an airborne means to interface with airborne user terminals,

wherein said ground station transmits a first forward link signal at frequencies below 17 Ghz and so low that any rain attenuation of first signal when propagated from said ground station to said satellite is small enough for the communication link to close,

wherein said satellite transmits a second forward link signal at frequencies above 17 Ghz,

a means to convert the first forward link signal to the second forward link signal on board said satellite,

wherein broadband data are uplinked in the first forward link signal through a free-space path from said ground station to said satellite, transmitted by said ground data network, said ground based transceiver, and said ground based antenna, and received by said first space based antenna and said space based transceiver,

wherein the first forward link signal is converted to the second forward link signal on board said satellite by said means to convert, and

wherein the broadband data are down linked in the second forward link signal through a free-space path from said satellite to said airborne vehicle, transmitted by said space based transceiver connected to said space based second antenna, and received by said airborne antenna connected to said airborne transceiver and said airborne means to interface with airborne user terminals.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the frequencies above 17 GHz include at least one of Ka-band frequencies, V-band frequencies, or optical frequencies, and wherein the frequencies below 17 GHz include C-band frequencies or Ku-band frequencies, or both.

16. The system according to claim 11 or claim 13 or claim 15, wherein said satellite further comprises a means of generating a plurality of spot beams to cover the flight routes of said at least one airborne vehicle.

17. The system according to claim 11 or claim 13 or claim 15, wherein said second space based antenna is of steerable type to allow the coverage to be moved flexibly.

18. The system according to claim 11 or claim 13 or claim 15, wherein the data include Direct Broadcast Service (DBS).

19. The system according to claim 11 or claim 13 or claim 15, wherein the data include Internet uplink and down link.

20. The system according to claim 11 or claim 13 or claim 15, wherein said ground data network includes one or more private networks.

21. The system according to claim 11 or claim 13 or claim 15, wherein the data include video information, audio information, and textual information.

22. The system according to claim 11 or claim 13 or claim 15, wherein the forward link communication includes any or all of flight command data and weather data.

23. The system according to claim 11 or claim 13 or claim 15, wherein the return link data include any or all of airplane health data, security data, cabin and cockpit status video, and closed circuit TV.

13. A ground to air, forward link, and air to ground, return link, communication system, comprising:

at least one airborne vehicle at an altitude substantially above that of rain clouds,

at least one satellite in earth orbit or in outer space,

at least one ground station at an altitude substantially below that of rain clouds,

said satellite further comprising a space based transceiver connected to a first space based antenna and to a second space based antenna,

said ground station further comprising a ground based antenna connected to a ground based transceiver and a ground data network,

said airborne vehicle further comprising an airborne antenna connected to an airborne transceiver and an airborne means to interface with an airborne user terminal,

wherein said ground station transmits a first forward link signal at frequencies below 17 Ghz and so low that any rain attenuation of the first forward link signal when propagated from said ground station to said satellite is small enough for the communication link to close,

wherein said satellite transmits a second forward link signal at frequencies substantially above 17 GHz,

means for converting the first forward link signal to the second forward link signal on board said satellite,

wherein broadband data are uplinked in the first forward link signal through a free-space path from said ground station to said satellite, and received by said first space based antenna and said space based transceiver,

wherein the first forward link signal is convened to the second forward link signal on board said satellite by said means for converting,

wherein broadband data are down linked in the second forward link signal through a free-space path from said satellite to said airborne vehicle, and received by said airborne antenna connected to said airborne transceiver and said airborne means to interface with the airborne user terminal,

wherein said airborne vehicle transmits a first return link signal at frequencies substantially above 17 GHz,

wherein said satellite transmits a second return link signal at frequencies below 17 GHz and so low that any rain attenuation of the second return link signal when propagated from said satellite to said ground station is small enough for the communication link to close,

means for converting the first return link signal to the second return link signal on board said satellite,

wherein broadband data are uplinked in the first return link signal through a free-space path from said airborne vehicle to said satellite, received by said second space based antenna and said space based transceiver, and

wherein the broadband data are down linked in the second return link signal through a free-space path from said satellite to said ground station, transmitted by said space based transceiver connected to said first space based antenna and received by said ground based antenna connected to said ground based transceiver and ground data network.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the frequencies above 17 GHz include at least one of Ka-band frequencies, V-band frequencies, or optical frequencies, and wherein the frequencies below 17 GHz include C-band frequencies or Ku-band frequencies, or both.

15. A communication system providing a ground to air forward link and an air to ground return link, said communication system comprising:

at least one ground station at an altitude below that of rain clouds, said ground station further comprising a ground based antenna connected via a ground based transceiver to a ground data network;

at least one satellite in an earth orbit or in outer space, said satellite further comprising a space based transceiver for coupling a first satellite based antenna and a second satellite based antenna;

at least one airborne vehicle able to be located at an altitude above that of rain clouds, said airborne vehicle further comprising an airborne antenna connected to an airborne transceiver, and to an interface for an airborne user terminal;

wherein said ground station transmits a first forward link signal to said satellite at frequencies below 17 GHz and so low that any rain attenuation of the first forward link signal when propagated from said ground station to said satellite is small enough to permit communication therebetween;

wherein said satellite transmits a second forward link signal at frequencies substantially above 17 GHz;

wherein said airborne vehicle transmits a first return link signal at frequencies substantially above 17 GHz; and

wherein said satellite transmits a second return link signal at frequencies below 17 GHz and so low that any rain attenuation of the second return link signal when propagated from said satellite to said ground station is small enough to permit communication therebetween;

said satellite further including means for converting the first forward link signal to the second forward link signal and for converting the first return link signal to the second return link signal;

whereby broadband data may be unlinked via the first forward link signal through a free-space path from said ground station to said satellite, and received by said first space based antenna,

whereby the uplinked broadband data is down linked via the second forward link signal through a free-space path from said satellite to said airborne vehicle for communication with an airborne user terminal,

whereby broadband data may be uplinked via the first return link signal through a free-space path from said airborne vehicle to said satellite, and received by said second space based antenna, and

whereby the broadband data may be down linked via the second return link signal through a free-space path from said satellite to said ground station, and may be communicated to the ground data network.

24. The system according to claim 15, wherein the frequencies above 17 GHz include at least one of Ka-band frequencies, V-band frequencies, or optical frequencies, and wherein the frequencies below 17 GHz include C-band frequencies or Ku-band frequencies, or both.