Stratospheric platforms communication system using adaptive antennas

• US 7,809,403 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Donald C. D., Lim, Wah L., Chang, Ming U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torres; Marcos L
• Application Number:
  US09/858,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20020128045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,430 Days
• Field of Search: 455/561, 455/562.1, 455/424, 455/429, 455/430, 455/431, 455/427, 455/11.1, 455/12.1
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A communication system has a high altitude device having an adaptive antenna with a plurality of main array antenna elements for generating a plurality of communication beams. The system further includes a gateway station coupled to the high altitude device. The gateway station forms a plurality of beams commands by communicating a plurality of control signals to the high altitude device station to form the communication beams.

Claims

1. A communications system for communicating with a plurality of users comprising:

a high altitude device having an adaptive antenna having a first plurality of panels, each panel having a plurality of main array antenna elements for simultaneously generating a plurality of dynamic communication beams for the plurality of users;

a gateway station coupled to said high altitude device, said gateway station forming a plurality of beam commands for each of the plurality of panels by communicating a plurality of control signals to the high altitude device station to form the plurality of dynamic communication beams so that a unique beam is assigned to and moves with each individual user.

2. A communications system as recited in claim 1 wherein said high altitude device comprises a stratospheric platform.

3. A communications system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a first plurality of wireless base stations having adaptive antennas with a plurality of first main array antenna elements for generating a plurality of communication beams to communicate with a fixed user.

4. A communications system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a first plurality of wireless base stations having adaptive antennas with a plurality of first main array antenna elements for generating a plurality of communication beams to communicate with a mobile user.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said adaptive antenna comprises an auxiliary element having an auxiliary element output, wherein said auxiliary element output is a function of a direction of the plurality of the communication beams.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said adaptive antenna comprises an auxiliary element having an auxiliary element output, wherein the gateway station comprises a plurality of multiplication gates each having a respective weight, said auxiliary element output being a function of said weight.

7. A communications system as recited in claim 1 wherein said high altitude device comprises a plurality of auxiliary elements for canceling interference with at least one of the plurality of beams.

8. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said ground station is coupled to a terrestrial network.

9. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein said terrestrial network comprises the Internet.

10. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein the terrestrial network comprises the public service telephone network.

11. A communications system for communicating with a plurality of users, comprising:

a ground station having;

a beam generator for generating a plurality of beam control signals,

a digital beam former circuit receiving the beam control signals and generating a plurality of first element control signals for multiple dynamic communication beams for the plurality of users, an rf subsystem for communicating an rf signal corresponding to the control signals;

a stratospheric platform having;

an adaptive antenna having a plurality of panels each having reconfigurable elements;

a payload receiver for receiving the rf signals,

a demultiplexer demultiplexing the rf signals into a second plurality of element control signals corresponding to the first element control signals and simultaneously generating a plurality of multiple dynamic communication beams from the reconfigurable elements of each panel for the plurality of users in response to the second plurality of element control signals so that a unique beam is assigned to and moves with each individual user.

12. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein said ground station comprises a gateway station.

13. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein said ground station is coupled to a terrestrial network.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein said terrestrial network comprises the internet.

15. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the terrestrial network comprises the public service telephone network.

16. A method of controlling a communications system having a stratospheric platform with a phased array antenna with a plurality of panels each having reconfigurable main array elements, said method comprising the steps of:

in a gateway station, forming a plurality of control signals for generating multiple dynamic communication beams at each of the plurality of panels using track files within the gateway station;

coupling the control signals for multiple dynamic communication beams to a plurality of stratospheric platforms; and

simultaneously generating the multiple dynamic communication beams at each of the plurality of panels for a plurality of users in response to the control signals so that a unique beam is assigned to and moves with each individual user.

17. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising forming a plurality of auxiliary element outputs by weighting auxiliary element control signals.