System for transmitting wireless high-speed data signals between a terrestrial-based antenna and an aircraft

• US 8,032,135 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gogo Business Aviation LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: GTE Wireless Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Redford, Stephen, Mielke, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): AL AUBAIDI, RASHA S
• Application Number:
  US10/378,203
• Time in Patent Office: 3,137 Days
• Field of Search: 455/431, 455/561
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

A system and method for providing wireless high-speed data services for an aircraft. Wireless data signals can be received and transmitted by one or more directional antennae on the aircraft which can be dynamically directed to track one or more terrestrial-based antennae. The terrestrial-based antennae, for receiving and transmitting wireless data signals, are directional and can also be dynamically directed in order to track the aircraft.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system for providing high-speed data services to an aircraft, comprising:

one or more directional aircraft antennae on said aircraft for receiving and transmitting wireless data signals;

an aircraft antenna controller that selectively controls said one or more directional aircraft antennae;

a plurality of directional terrestrial-based antennae for receiving wireless data signals from and transmitting wireless data signals to said aircraft, said terrestrial-based antennae distributed amongst a plurality of terrestrial regions, said plurality of terrestrial regions each having an associated bandwidth distribution protocol included in a plurality of bandwidth distribution protocols;

a terrestrial-based antenna controller associated with and selectively controlling each of said plurality of directional terrestrial-based antennae; and

a system controller that monitors a location of said aircraft within a predetermined region and monitors and coordinates an operation of said plurality of directional terrestrial-based antennae located within said predetermined region;

wherein said system controller is configured to dynamically adjust an amount of bandwidth supplied by said data signals, said amount of bandwidth adjusted based upon a first one of the bandwidth distribution protocols when the aircraft is in a first one of the terrestrial regions, said amount of bandwidth adjusted based upon a second one of the bandwidth distribution protocols when the aircraft is in a second one of the terrestrial regions.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of said one or more directional aircraft antennae comprises a mechanically antenna.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of said one or more directional aircraft antennae comprises an electrically dynamic multi-array antenna.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of directional terrestrial-based antennae comprises a dish antenna.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a global positioning satellite (GPS) device on said aircraft for determining a location of said aircraft.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein location information of said aircraft generated by said GPS device is provided to said system.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said location information is communicated from said aircraft to said system by means of one or more of said current system for providing high-speed data services, a communication system separate from said current system for providing high-speed data services, or a combination of said current system and said separate system.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said aircraft antenna controller selectively directs said one or more directional aircraft antennae toward at least one of said plurality of directional terrestrial-based antennae.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said aircraft antenna controller selectively directs said one or more directional aircraft antennae based on a location of said aircraft and a location of said at least one of said plurality of directional terrestrial-based antennae.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said aircraft antenna controller selectively directs said one or more directional aircraft antennae based on a measured strength of said wireless data signals received by said one or more directional aircraft antennae.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said system controller can transfer control of said transmission and reception of data signals from a first of said plurality of directional terrestrial-based antennae to a second of said directional terrestrial-based antennae without generating a perceived disruption in high-speed data service to said aircraft.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said dynamic adjustment of bandwidth is at least partially based upon a number of aircraft seeking high-speed data service by said system.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein said dynamic adjustment of bandwidth is at least partially based upon bandwidth demand of at least one aircraft.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein said dynamic adjustment of bandwidth is at least partially based upon a predetermined protocol that allocates an amount of bandwidth available for an aircraft.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said protocol is implemented when there is a high demand for high-speed data services.

16. A system for providing wireless high-speed data communication with an aircraft, comprising:

an aircraft transceiver for transmitting and receiving data signals;

one or more antennae on said aircraft connected to said aircraft transceiver;

a plurality of terrestrial-based antennae for receiving data signals from and transmitting data signals to said aircraft, said terrestrial-based antennae distributed amongst a plurality of terrestrial regions, said plurality of terrestrial regions each having an associated bandwidth distribution protocol included in a plurality of bandwidth distribution protocols;

one or more terrestrial-based transceivers for connecting to one or more of said plurality of terrestrial-based antennae; and

a system controller that monitors a location of said aircraft within a predetermined region and monitors and coordinates an operation of said plurality of terrestrial-based antennae located within said predetermined region;

wherein said terrestrial-based transceiver may dynamically adjust an amount of bandwidth supplied by said data signals in response to instructions from said system controller, said amount of bandwidth adjusted based upon a first one of the bandwidth distribution protocols when the aircraft is in a first one of the terrestrial regions, said amount of bandwidth adjusted based upon a second one of the bandwidth distribution protocols when the aircraft is in a second one of the terrestrial regions.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the bandwidth distribution protocols include at least one of a code-division multiple access (CDMA) approach, a frequency division multiple access approach (FDMA), a space division multiple access approach (SDMA) and a time division multiple access approach (TDMA).

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein said system controller can transfer control of said transmission and reception of data signals from a first of said plurality of terrestrial-based antennae to a second of said terrestrial-based antennae without generating a perceived disruption in high-speed data service to said aircraft.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said transceiver associated with said first of said plurality of terrestrial-based antennae allocates bandwidth according to a first approach and said transceiver associated with said second of said plurality of terrestrial-based antennae allocates bandwidth according to a second approach.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein said dynamic adjustment of bandwidth is at least partially based upon a number of aircraft seeking high-speed data service by said system.

21. The system according to claim 16, wherein said dynamic adjustment of bandwidth is at least partially based upon bandwidth demand of at least one aircraft.

22. The system according to claim 16, wherein said dynamic adjustment of bandwidth is at least partially based upon a predetermined protocol that allocates an amount of bandwidth available for an aircraft.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein said protocol is implemented when there is a high demand for bandwidth.

24. The system according to claim 16, wherein said one or more aircraft antennae and said plurality of terrestrial-based antennae are directional antennae;

and wherein said one or more aircraft antennae selectively track at least one of said plurality of terrestrial-based antennae, and at least one of said plurality of terrestrial-based antennae track said aircraft.

25. A method of wirelessly providing high-speed data services within an aircraft, comprising the steps of:

generating a first data signal by a transceiver in said aircraft;

transmitting said first data signal from one or more directional aircraft antennae that can be dynamically directed to a plurality of directional terrestrial-based antennae that can be dynamically directed, said plurality of terrestrial-based antennae distributed amongst a plurality of terrestrial regions, said plurality of terrestrial regions each having an associated bandwidth distribution protocol included in a plurality of bandwidth distribution protocols;

processing said first data signal by a terrestrial-based transceiver;

generating a second data signal in response to said processed first data signal;

transmitting said second data signal from said terrestrial-based antenna to said one or more aircraft antennae;

processing said second data signal by said transceiver in said aircraft; and

dynamically adjusting a bandwidth size of said data signal, said bandwidth size adjusted based upon a first one of the bandwidth distribution protocols when the aircraft is in a first one of the terrestrial regions, said bandwidth size adjusted based upon a second one of the bandwidth distribution protocols when the aircraft is in a second one of the terrestrial regions.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

directing said terrestrial-based antenna to track said aircraft; and

directing said one or more airplane antennae to track said terrestrial-based antenna.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein said bandwidth size of said data signal is adjusted in response to a demand for increased bandwidth from said aircraft.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of adjusting said bandwidth size according to a first or second technique in response to instructions from a system controller.