Doppler compensated communications link

• US 8,599,956 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Mitchell, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Chieh M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Badipour, Bahman
• Application Number:
  US12/891,107
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 375/285
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0035 detecting errors in frequency or phase

Abstract

A system for compensating for a Doppler frequency shift in communications between a mobile node and a fixed node. The system includes a Doppler frequency shift estimation unit configured to estimate the Doppler frequency shift experienced in a communication signal between the mobile node and the fixed node, wherein the Doppler frequency shift is estimated based on a location of the mobile node, a heading of the mobile node, and speed of the mobile node, and a location of the fixed node. The system also includes a frequency shift unit configured to shift a frequency of the communication signal in accordance with the estimated Doppler frequency shift.

Claims

1. A system for compensating for a Doppler frequency shift in communications between a plurality of mobile nodes and a fixed node, comprising:

a mobile transmission source housed within an aircraft, the mobile transmission source being configured to repeat communications between the a plurality of mobile nodes and the fixed node;

a GPS unit for determining a location associated with the mobile transmission source;

an INS unit for determining a heading and a speed associated with the mobile transmission source;

a Doppler frequency shift estimation unit located external to the mobile transmission source, the Doppler frequency shift estimation unit being configured to estimate the Doppler frequency shift experienced in a communication signal between the mobile transmission source and the fixed node, wherein the Doppler frequency shift is estimated based on the location, the heading, and the speed associated with the mobile transmission source and a location of the fixed node, wherein the location of the fixed node is determined by at least one of a microprocessor, a DSP, and an ASIC configured to detect a broadcast control channel transmitted by the fixed node including an identification code and further configured to cross-correlate the identification code with entries stored in a databased including a listing of a plurality of locations corresponding to a plurality of fixed nodes; and

a frequency shift unit located external to the mobile transmission source, the frequency shift unit being configured to shift a frequency of the communication signal in accordance with the estimated Doppler frequency shift, wherein the frequency shift unit comprises a digital synthesizer configured to produce a shifting frequency corresponding to the estimated Doppler frequency shift and RF mixer configured to mix the shifting frequency with the communication signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication signal is received by the mobile transmission source from the fixed node and transmitted to at least one of the plurality of mobile nodes.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication signal is received by the mobile transmission source from at least one of the plurality of mobile nodes and transmitted from the mobile transmission source to the fixed node.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile nodes include a plurality of mobile phones.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the Doppler frequency shift estimation unit estimates the Doppler frequency shift by computing a relative speed between the mobile transmission source and the fixed node.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the Doppler frequency shift estimation unit divides the relative speed by the speed of light.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the mobile transmission source comprises a cellular repeater in communication with the plurality of mobile phones.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the frequency shift unit is configured to receive the communication signal from the cellular repeater, the communication signal including at least one communication received by the cellular repeater from at least one of the plurality of mobile phones.

7. A method for compensating for a Doppler frequency shift in communications between a plurality of mobile nodes and a fixed node, comprising the steps of:

determining a location, speed, and heading associated with a mobile transmission source housed within an aircraft, the mobile transmission source being configured for repeating communications between the plurality of mobile nodes and the fixed node, wherein the location of the mobile transmission source is determined using a GPS unit, and wherein the heading and the speed of the mobile transmission source are determined using an INS unit;

determining a location of the fixed node by detecting a broadcast control channel transmitted by the fixed node including an identification code and cross-correlating the identification code with entries stored in a database including a listing of a plurality of locations corresponding to a plurality of fixed nodes;

estimating a Doppler frequency shift experienced in a communication signal between the mobile transmission source and the fixed node via a Doppler frequency shift unit located external to the mobile transmission source;

the estimated Doppler frequency shift being based on the location, the speed, and the heading associated with the mobile transmission source and the location of the fixed node; and

shifting a frequency of the communication signal in accordance with the estimated Doppler frequency shift, via a frequency shift unit located external to the mobile transmission source, by producing a shifting frequency corresponding to the estimated Doppler frequency shift and mixing the shifting frequency with the communication signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication signal is received by the mobile transmission source from the fixed node and transmitted to at least one of the plurality of mobile nodes.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication signal is received by the mobile transmission source from at least one of the plurality of mobile nodes and transmitted from the mobile transmission source to the fixed node.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the estimating step estimates a Doppler frequency shift by computing a relative speed between the mobile transmission source and the fixed node.