Airliner-mounted cellular base station

• US 8,868,069 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2012
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Bennett, Steven John, Vos, Gerald Gustav
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHRA, INDER P
• Application Number:
  US13/482,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20130324070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404, 455/431, 455/445, 455/12.1, 455/11.1, 455/345, 455/522, 455/60, 455/427, 455/456.1, 455/63.4, 455/446, 455/4, 455/44, 455/561, 455/560, 455/428, 455/453, 370/316, 370/208, 370/338, 370/319, 370/335, 370/329
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

An aircraft-mounted base transceiver station (mBTS) for providing intermittent coverage in a cellular radio network. The mBTS utilizes the existing protocol of its terrestrial counterparts, thereby avoiding dual-mode devices and enabling common usage of terminal monitoring and device management systems for devices connected to a single radio access network even when outside terrestrial coverage areas. The aircraft follows a transient flight pattern, providing intermittent flyover connectivity for remote radio device such as machine-type devices. Connectivity may be store and forward. Channel usage may be adjusted to avoid interfering with terrestrial communication cells during flyover. Doppler effects due to aircraft speed may be accounted for. The mBTS may be configured to service in-range radio devices which are outside a Doppler-inhibited region and/or to prioritize communication with devices based on expected time outside the Doppler-inhibited region. An aircraft mounted antenna may have a radiation pattern focused toward devices outside the Doppler-inhibited region.

Claims

1. A mobile base transceiver station configured to operate as part of a cellular communication network comprising plural terrestrial base transceiver stations and plural terrestrial radio devices, the terrestrial radio devices configured for communication with the mobile base transceiver station and the terrestrial base transceiver stations via a common predetermined protocol, the mobile base transceiver station mounted aboard an aircraft, wherein motion of the aircraft induces a Doppler shift in radio communication between the mobile base transceiver station and one or more of the terrestrial radio devices in range thereof, and wherein operation of the mobile base transceiver station is adjusted in light of said Doppler shift, the mobile base transceiver station further configured to concentrate communication resources toward a set of feasible terrestrial radio devices, said set defined at least in part in that said Doppler shift is below a predetermined threshold.

2. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft executes a substantially transient flight pattern.

3. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 2, further configured to provide transient flyover connectivity to one or more remote terrestrial radio devices.

4. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 2, wherein the terrestrial radio devices comprise remote machine-type devices.

5. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 1, wherein an antenna or antenna array of the mobile base transceiver station is configured to have a radiation pattern which is focused toward one or more regions encompassing the set of feasible terrestrial radio devices.

6. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 5, wherein a first region of the one or more regions is situated in front of the aircraft and a second region of the one or more regions is situated to one or both sides of the first region, at least a portion of the second region adjacent to the first region.

7. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 5, wherein a first region of the one or more regions is situated below and to the sides of the aircraft and a second region of the one or more regions is situated in front of or behind the aircraft and to the sides of the aircraft, at least a portion of the second region adjacent to the first region.

8. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 5, wherein a first region of the one or more regions is actively positioned around a predetermined terrestrial radio device.

9. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 1, further configured to determine an expected membership time for each of one or more members of the set of feasible terrestrial radio devices and to prioritize communication based at least in part on said membership time.

10. The mobile base transceiver station of claim 1, wherein the terrestrial radio devices are configured to adjust operation in light of said Doppler shift.

11. The mobile base transceiver station of claim 10, wherein the terrestrial radio devices are configured to adjust scanning of frequency ranges in light of said Doppler shift.

12. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 1, further configured to facilitate store-and-forward communication with at least one of the terrestrial radio devices.

13. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 12, wherein said store-and-forward communication is initiated in response to an emergency communication, and wherein upon receipt of the emergency communication, the mobile base transceiver station is configured to initiate a voice recording for recording emergency information, and to forward the voice recording to facilitate an emergency response.

14. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 1, further configured to adjust operation to avoid interference with terrestrial portions of the cellular communication network during flyover.

15. The mobile base transceiver station of claim 1, the mobile base transceiver station communicatively coupled to the cellular communication network via one or more of:

a satellite link, an Airfone™

link, and an air-to-ground radio link.

16. The mobile base transceiver station of claim 1, further configured to monitor one or more emergency distress frequencies and to report detected emergency distress signals via air traffic control.

17. A mobile base transceiver station configured to operate as part of a cellular communication network comprising plural terrestrial base transceiver stations and plural terrestrial radio devices, the terrestrial radio devices configured for communication with the mobile base transceiver station and the terrestrial base transceiver stations via a common predetermined protocol, the mobile base transceiver station mounted aboard an aircraft, wherein motion of the aircraft induces a Doppler shift in radio communication between the mobile base transceiver station and one or more of the terrestrial radio devices in range thereof, and wherein operation of the mobile base transceiver station is adjusted in light of said Doppler shift, the mobile base transceiver station further configured to:

anticipate an amount of Doppler shift observed, in a signal transmitted by the mobile base transceiver station, by one of the plural terrestrial radio devices; and

to adjust a transmission frequency to at least partially compensate for said anticipated amount of Doppler shift.

18. A mobile base transceiver station configured to operate as part of a cellular communication network comprising plural terrestrial base transceiver stations and plural terrestrial radio devices, the terrestrial radio devices configured for communication with the mobile base transceiver station and the terrestrial base transceiver stations via a common predetermined protocol, the mobile base transceiver station mounted aboard an aircraft, wherein motion of the aircraft induces a Doppler shift in radio communication between the mobile base transceiver station and one or more of the terrestrial radio devices in range thereof, and wherein operation of the mobile base transceiver station is adjusted in light of said Doppler shift, the mobile base transceiver station further configured to:

anticipate an amount of Doppler shift observed, in a signal transmitted by one of the plural terrestrial radio devices, by the mobile base transceiver station, and to adjust monitoring for received signals by the mobile base transceiver station based on said anticipated amount of Doppler shift.

19. A mobile base transceiver station configured to operate as part of a cellular communication network comprising plural terrestrial base transceiver stations and plural terrestrial radio devices, the terrestrial radio devices configured for communication with the mobile base transceiver station and the terrestrial base transceiver stations via a common predetermined protocol, the mobile base transceiver station mounted aboard an aircraft, wherein motion of the aircraft induces a Doppler shift in radio communication between the mobile base transceiver station and one or more of the terrestrial radio devices in range thereof, and wherein operation of the mobile base transceiver station is adjusted in light of said Doppler shift, wherein the mobile base transceiver station is configured to compensate for the induced Doppler shift by adjusting one or more frequencies at which scanning for terrestrial radio devices is performed, said adjusting based at least in part on a speed of the aircraft.

20. A mobile base transceiver station configured to operate as part of a cellular communication network comprising plural terrestrial base transceiver stations and plural terrestrial radio devices, the terrestrial radio devices configured for communication with the mobile base transceiver station and the terrestrial base transceiver stations via a common predetermined protocol, the mobile base transceiver station mounted aboard an aircraft, wherein motion of the aircraft induces a Doppler shift in radio communication between the mobile base transceiver station and one or more of the terrestrial radio devices in range thereof, and wherein operation of the mobile base transceiver station is adjusted in light of said Doppler shift, wherein the mobile base transceiver station is configured to compensate for the induced Doppler shift by adjusting one or both of frequencies at which monitoring for signals from terrestrial radio devices is performed;

and frequencies at which the mobile base transceiver station transmits signals to terrestrial radio devices, wherein said adjusting is based at least in part on a speed of the aircraft.

21. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 20, further configured to facilitate store-and-forward communication with at least one of the terrestrial radio devices.

22. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 21, wherein said store-and-forward communication is initiated in response to an emergency communication, and wherein upon receipt of the emergency communication, the mobile base transceiver station is configured to initiate a voice recording for recording emergency information, and to forward the voice recording to facilitate an emergency response.

23. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 20, further configured to adjust operation to avoid interference with terrestrial portions of the cellular communication network during flyover.

24. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 20, wherein said adjusting is further based at least in part on a rate of change of distance between the mobile base transceiver station and a predetermined ground location comprising or potentially comprising a terrestrial radio device.

25. The mobile base transceiver station of claim 20, the mobile base transceiver station communicatively coupled to the cellular communication network via one or more of:

a satellite link, an Airfone™

link, and an air-to-ground radio link.

26. The mobile base transceiver station of claim 20, further configured to monitor one or more emergency distress frequencies and to report detected emergency distress signals via air traffic control.

27. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 20, wherein the aircraft executes a substantially transient flight pattern.

28. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 27, further configured to provide transient flyover connectivity to one or more remote terrestrial radio devices.

29. The mobile base transceiver station according to claim 27, wherein the terrestrial radio devices comprise remote machine-type devices.

30. The mobile base transceiver station of claim 20, wherein the terrestrial radio devices are configured to adjust operation in light of said Doppler shift.

31. The mobile base transceiver station of claim 30, wherein the terrestrial radio devices are configured to adjust scanning of frequency ranges in light of said Doppler shift.

32. A method for operating a mobile base transceiver station, the method comprising:

a) configuring the mobile base transceiver station to operate as part of a cellular communication network, the cellular communication network further comprising plural terrestrial base transceiver stations and plural terrestrial radio devices, the terrestrial radio devices configured for communication with the mobile base transceiver station and the terrestrial base transceiver stations via a common predetermined protocol; and

b) mounting the mobile base transceiver station aboard an aircraft;

wherein motion of the aircraft induces a Doppler shift in radio communication between the mobile base transceiver station and one or more of the terrestrial radio devices in range thereof, the method further comprising adjusting operation of the mobile base transceiver station in light of said Doppler shift, the method further comprising configuring the mobile base transceiver station to concentrate communication resources toward a set of feasible terrestrial radio devices, said set defined at least in part in that said Doppler shift is below a predetermined threshold.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising configuring an antenna or antenna array of the mobile base transceiver station to have a radiation pattern which is focused toward one or more regions encompassing the set of feasible terrestrial radio devices.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the one or more regions are expanded by adjusting transmission frequencies of the mobile base transceiver station to at least partially compensate for said Doppler shift.

35. The method according to claim 32, further comprising configuring the mobile base transceiver station to determine an expected membership time for each of one or more members of the set of feasible terrestrial radio devices and to prioritize communication based at least in part on said membership time.

36. The method according to claim 32, further comprising configuring the mobile base transceiver station to adjust operation to avoid interference with terrestrial portions of the cellular communication network during flyover.

37. The method according to claim 32, further comprising configuring the mobile base transceiver station to adjust operation to avoid interference with other mobile base transceiver stations when within range.

38. A method for operating a mobile base transceiver station, the method comprising:

a) configuring the mobile base transceiver station to operate as part of a cellular communication network, the cellular communication network further comprising plural terrestrial base transceiver stations and plural terrestrial radio devices, the terrestrial radio devices configured for communication with the mobile base transceiver station and the terrestrial base transceiver stations via a common predetermined protocol; and

b) mounting the mobile base transceiver station aboard an aircraft;

wherein motion of the aircraft induces a Doppler shift in radio communication between the mobile base transceiver station and one or more of the terrestrial radio devices in range thereof, the method further comprising adjusting operation of the mobile base transceiver station in light of said Doppler shift, the method further comprising configuring the mobile base transceiver station to compensate for the induced Doppler shift by adjusting one or both of;

one or more frequencies at which the mobile base transceiver station transmits signals to terrestrial radio devices, and one or more frequencies at which scanning for terrestrial radio devices is performed, wherein said adjusting is based at least in part on a speed of the aircraft.

39. The method according to claim 38, further comprising configuring the mobile base transceiver station to adjust operation to avoid interference with terrestrial portions of the cellular communication network during flyover.

40. The method according to claim 39, further comprising determining potential interference with terrestrial portions of the cellular communication network by one or more of consulting a geographic database, monitoring radio signals, and obtaining instructions from a coordination system.

41. The method according to claim 38, further comprising configuring the mobile base transceiver station to adjust operation to avoid interference with other mobile base transceiver stations when within range.