System for providing high speed communications service in an airborne wireless cellular network
First Claim
1. A system for providing wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in an aircraft that is operational in a selected coverage area, comprising:
- a ground-based communications network having a plurality of base stations located on the ground, each of which operates at least one transceiver to create a coverage area that provides wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in an aircraft that is operational in the coverage area, comprising;
Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency transceiver for providing at least one bidirectional radio frequency communication link, operating at a first radio frequency band and having a first bandwidth, for transmitting network access signals, mobility management signals, and data communications signals between the aircraft and the at least one transceiver to enable the wireless subscriber devices located in the aircraft to bidirectionally communicate with the Internet over the bidirectional radio frequency communication link, andBroadband Ground-To-Air Data Channel transmitter for dynamically establishing at least one Ground-To-Air Radio Frequency communications link, operating at a second radio frequency band which has a second bandwidth which is greater than the first bandwidth, for transmitting data communications signals to the aircraft to supplement the first bandwidth provided by the at least one bidirectional radio frequency communication link between the aircraft and the at least one transceiver.
15 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present Broadband Link System supplements the existing Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency communications link with an additional, separate high speed Broadband Ground-To-Air Data Channel to provide additional data communication capacity for aircraft. This Broadband Ground-To-Air Data Channel is typically a uni-directional (Ground-To-Air) link directed via a focused beam to selected aircraft which are operational in the coverage area of the Broadband Ground-To-Air Data Channel. The routing of the various data transmissions on both the Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency communications link and the Broadband Ground-To-Air Data Channel are managed in a unified manner to maximize the utilization of the two transmission facilities.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A system for providing wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in an aircraft that is operational in a selected coverage area, comprising:
a ground-based communications network having a plurality of base stations located on the ground, each of which operates at least one transceiver to create a coverage area that provides wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in an aircraft that is operational in the coverage area, comprising; Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency transceiver for providing at least one bidirectional radio frequency communication link, operating at a first radio frequency band and having a first bandwidth, for transmitting network access signals, mobility management signals, and data communications signals between the aircraft and the at least one transceiver to enable the wireless subscriber devices located in the aircraft to bidirectionally communicate with the Internet over the bidirectional radio frequency communication link, and Broadband Ground-To-Air Data Channel transmitter for dynamically establishing at least one Ground-To-Air Radio Frequency communications link, operating at a second radio frequency band which has a second bandwidth which is greater than the first bandwidth, for transmitting data communications signals to the aircraft to supplement the first bandwidth provided by the at least one bidirectional radio frequency communication link between the aircraft and the at least one transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for providing wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in an aircraft that is operational in a selected coverage area, via a ground-based communications network having a plurality of base stations located on the ground, each of which operates at least one transceiver to create a coverage area that provides wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in an aircraft that is operational in the coverage area, comprising:
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providing at least one bidirectional Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency link, operating at a first radio frequency band and having a first bandwidth, for transmitting network access signals, mobility management signals, and data communications signals between the aircraft and the at least one transceiver to enable the wireless subscriber devices located in the aircraft to bidirectionally communicate with the Internet over the bidirectional radio frequency communication link; and establishing at least one Ground-To-Air Radio Frequency communications link, operating at a second radio frequency band and having a second bandwidth which is greater than the first bandwidth, with selected ones of the aircraft for transmitting data communications signals to the aircraft to supplement the first bandwidth provided by the at least one bidirectional radio frequency communication link between the aircraft and the at least one transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for providing wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in a plurality of aircraft that are operational in a selected coverage area, comprising:
a ground-based communications network having a plurality of base stations located on the ground, each of which operates at least one transceiver to create a coverage area that provides wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in a plurality of aircraft that are operational in the coverage area, comprising; Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency transceiver for providing bidirectional radio frequency communication links, operating at a first radio frequency band and having a first bandwidth, for transmitting network access signals, mobility management signals, and data communications signals between each of the aircraft and the transceiver to enable the wireless subscriber devices located in the aircraft to bidirectionally communicate with the Internet over the bidirectional radio frequency communication link, and Broadband Ground-To-Air Data Channel transmitter for dynamically establishing at least one Ground-To-Air Radio Frequency communications link, operating at a second radio frequency band which has a second bandwidth which is greater than the first bandwidth, with selected ones of the aircraft for transmitting data communications signals to the selected aircraft to supplement the first bandwidth provided by the at least one bidirectional radio frequency communication link between the aircraft and the at least one transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for providing wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in a plurality of aircraft that are operational in a selected coverage area, via a ground-based communications network having a plurality of base stations located on the ground, each of which operates at least one transceiver to create a coverage area that provides wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in a plurality of aircraft that are operational in the coverage area, comprising:
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providing at least one bidirectional Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency link, operating at a first radio frequency band and having a first bandwidth, for transmitting network access signals, mobility management signals, and data communications signals between each of the aircraft and the transceiver to enable the wireless subscriber devices located in the aircraft to bidirectionally communicate with the Internet over the bidirectional radio frequency communication link; and establishing at least one Ground-To-Air Radio Frequency communications link, operating at a second radio frequency band which has a second bandwidth which is greater than the first bandwidth, with selected ones of the aircraft for transmitting data communications signals to the aircraft to supplement the first bandwidth provided by the at least one bidirectional radio frequency communication link between the aircraft and the at least one transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification