Method of communication between an aircraft and a ground station

• US 8,971,237 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Pichavant, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay P
• Application Number:
  US13/048,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20110228723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 370/316
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

The method of communication between an airplane and the ground, the aircraft communicates by radiowaves with the ground via at least one satellite and in a frequency band extending from 5030 MHz to 5091 MHz, bounds included, using a WiMax type transmission standard. The invention also provides an on-board communications terminal for an aircraft, suitable for communicating by radiowaves with the outside of the terminal in a frequency band extending from 5030 MHz to 5091 MHz, bounds included, in application of a WiMax type transmission standard.

Claims

1. An on-board communications terminal for an aircraft to communicate with a ground station via a satellite, the on-board communications terminal comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a first radiowave signal;

a transmitter configured to transmit a second radiowave signal;

the on-board communications terminal being configured to communicate by radiowaves with the outside of the on-board communications terminal in a frequency band extending from 5030 MHz to 5091 MHz, bounds included, in application of a WiMax transmission standard, and

at least one of the following parameters of the WiMax transmission standard is modified to enable communication during flight between the aircraft and the ground station via the satellite in the frequency band;

channel structure, modulation, coding, guard times, or guard bands.

2. The on-board communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein the on-board communications terminal is configured to communicate in a second frequency band extending from 5091 MHz to 5150 MHz, bounds included, in application of an AeroWimax transmission standard, the on-board communications terminal being configured to use the same antenna for communication in both frequency bands.

3. An aircraft, including the on-board communications terminal according to claim 1.

4. The on-board communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein the receiver and the transmitter both form a radio frequency unit configured to receive and transmit the first and second radiowave signal.

9. A communications system, comprising at least two of the following elements:

the aircraft according to claim 3;

the satellite configured to communicate with the outside of the satellite by radiowaves in the frequency band extending from 5030 MHz to 5091 MHz, bounds included, in application of the WiMax transmission standard; and

the ground station configured to communicate with the aircraft during flight, wherein the ground station is suitable for communicating by radiowaves with the outside of the station in the frequency band extending from 5030 MHz to 5091 MHz, bounds included, in application of the WiMax transmission standard.

5. A satellite for communicating with an outside of the satellite, the satellite comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a first radiowave signal;

a transmitter configured to transmit a second radiowave signal;

the satellite being configured to communicate with the outside of the satellite by radiowaves in a frequency band extending from 5030 MHz to 5091 MHz, bounds included, in application of a WiMax transmission standard, and

at least one of the following parameters of the WiMax transmission standard is modified to enable communication during flight between an aircraft and ground via satellite in the frequency band;

channel structure, modulation, coding, guard times, or guard bands.

6. The satellite according to claim 5, wherein the receiver and the transmitter both form a radio frequency unit configured to receive and transmit the first and second radiowave signal.

7. A ground station for communicating with aircraft, the ground station comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a first radiowave signal;

a transmitter configured to transmit a second radiowave signal;

the ground station being configured to communicate by radiowaves with the outside of the station in a frequency band extending from 5030 MHz to 5091 MHz, bounds included, in application of a WiMax transmission standard, and

at least one of the following parameters of the WiMax transmission standard is modified to enable communication during flight between the aircraft and ground via satellite in the frequency band;

channel structure, modulation, coding, guard times, or guard bands.

8. The ground station according to claim 7, wherein the receiver and the transmitter both form a radio frequency unit configured to receive and transmit the first and second radiowave signal.

10. A communications method between an aircraft and the ground, the method comprising:

communicating by radiowaves between the aircraft and the ground via at least one satellite and in a frequency band extending from 5030 MHz to 5091 MHz, bounds included, using a WiMax transmission standard,

wherein at least one of the following parameters of the WiMax transmission standard is modified to enable communication during flight between the aircraft and ground via satellite in the frequency band;

channel structure, modulation, coding, guard times, or guard bands.

11. A communications method for an aircraft and an outside of the aircraft, the method comprising:

communicating by radiowaves between the aircraft and the outside of the aircraft in a frequency band extending from 5030 MHz to 5091 MHz, bounds included, in application of a WiMax transmission standard,

wherein at least one of the following parameters of the WiMax transmission standard is modified to enable communication during flight between the aircraft and ground via satellite in the frequency band;

channel structure, modulation, coding, guard times, or guard bands.

12. A communications method for a satellite and an outside of the satellite, the method comprising:

communicating by radiowaves between the satellite and the outside of the satellite in a frequency band extending from 5030 MHz to 5091 MHz, bounds included, in application of a WiMax transmission standard,

wherein at least one of the following parameters of the WiMax transmission standard is modified to enable communication during flight between an aircraft and ground via satellite in the frequency band;

channel structure, modulation, coding, guard times, or guard bands.

13. A communications method for a ground station and an outside of the ground station, the method comprising:

communicating by radiowaves between the ground station and the outside of the station in a frequency band extending from 5030 MHz to 5091 MHz, bounds included, in application of a WiMax transmission standard,

wherein at least one of the following parameters of the WiMax transmission standard is modified to enable communication during flight between an aircraft and ground via satellite in the frequency band;

channel structure, modulation, coding, guard times, or guard bands.