Method and apparatus for providing bi-directional data services and live television programming to mobile platforms

• US 9,055,195 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2014
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Bengeult, Greg A., Harrang, Jeffrey P., Richards, William R., Lynch, Michael G., De La Chapelle, Michael, Martens, Paulus J., Carson, Ronald S., Williams, Richard D. II, Miller, Daniel F., White, Geoffrey O., Fitzsimmons, George, Berkheimer, Russell, Higgins, Robert P., Morrison, Arthur F.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHANG, ANNAN Q
• Application Number:
  US14/171,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20140150033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 725 64- 66, 725 75- 77, 709217-232
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2146 located in mass transportation means, e.g. aircraft, train or bus flight-deck installations for entertainment or communications B64D11/0015; arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62; moving wireless networks H04W84/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A system for bi-directional data content transfer between a plurality of mobile platforms, such as aircraft or cruise ships, and a ground-based control segment. The system includes the ground-based control segment, a space segment and a mobile system disposed on each mobile platform. The ground-based control segment includes an antenna which is used to transmit encoded RF signals representative of data content to the space segment. The space segment includes a plurality of satellite transponders, with one of the transponders being designated by the ground-based control segment to transpond the encoded RF signals to the mobile system. The mobile system includes steerable receive and transmit antennas. The receive antenna receives the encoded RF signals from the satellite transponder, which are thereafter decoded, demodulated, D/A converted by a communications subsystem and transmitted to a server. The server filters off that data content not requested by any occupants on the mobile system. A local area network (LAN) receives the remaining data content and provides same to individual users on the mobile platform in accordance with previously submitted programming requests or data input by the users at access stations associated independently with each user. The transmit antenna is used to transmit data content from laptop computers, PDAs or other user electronic devices coupled to the access stations back to the designated satellite transponder. The satellite transponder then transponds the data back to the antenna of the ground-based control segment.

Claims

1. A system for providing data content to a plurality of mobile platforms via at least one satellite having a plurality of radio frequency (RF) transponders:

a ground-based antenna system associated with a ground-based control center configured to transmit encoded RF signals representative of said data content via said plurality of RF transponders to a plurality of mobile systems, the mobile systems comprising;

an on-board antenna system;

a communications subsystem responsive to said antennas for generating baseband video signals and data signals from said encoded RF signals received by said antennas, and for producing encoded RF signals from data transmissions input by a plurality of users;

a data content management system for filtering portions of said data content based on whether said data content is addressed to on the mobile platforms;

a network for distributing said baseband video signals and said data signals output from said data content management system to said plurality of users, whereby said plurality of users receive specific subportions of said baseband video signals and said data signals based on selections made by said plurality of users; and

said plurality of mobile systems operative to transmit inputs provided by said plurality of users via said on-board antenna system and one of said plurality of RF transponders over a return link transmission channel to said ground-based control center; and

a terrestrial based network operations center (NOC) configured to;

assign return link transmission channels to said plurality of mobile systems to form a plurality of point-to-point links over which said plurality of mobile systems mobile system can transmit information to the NOC; and

dynamically manage the return link transmission channels using a multiple access protocol to determine which ones of the mobile systems will be assigned to use which ones of the plurality of RF transponders.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said network comprises one or more access stations adapted to be coupled to personal computing devices operated by said users.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said data content management system comprises a file server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said NOC is further configured to designate one of said transponders to communicate in dedicated fashion with a designated one of said mobile systems.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said network comprises a local area network.

6. A system for providing real time video signals to users on a mobile receiving platform via a satellite having a plurality of radio frequency (RF) transponders, the system comprising:

a mobile receiving system disposed on said mobile receiving platform comprising;

an antenna for receiving RF signals representative of said video signals from said plurality of RF transponders;

an antenna control system for use in steering said antenna to track said satellite as said mobile receiving platform is in motion;

a communications system responsive to signals received by said antenna for generating baseband video signals in accordance therewith;

a data content management system responsive to said communications system for determining which portions of said baseband video signals are to be transmitted to each of a plurality of users on said mobile receiving platform; and

a distribution system for routing said portions of said baseband video signals in response to requests by said users, such that said users receive portions of said baseband video signals in accordance with requests made by said users;

wherein said RF signals are transmitted by a ground based system comprising a network operations center (NOC) configured to;

assign return link transmission channels to said mobile receiving system to form a point-to-point link over which said mobile receiving system transmits information to the NOC; and

dynamically manage the return link transmission channel using a multiple access transmission protocol to determine which ones of the plurality of RF transponders are available for use by the mobile receiving system.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said communications system comprises a plurality of integrated receiver/decoders for decoding, demodulating and digital-to-analog converting received RF signals into said baseband video signals.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said data content management system comprises a server.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said baseband video signals represent live television signals.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said baseband video signals represent direct broadcast television signals.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein said NOC is further configured to manage accounting and billing operations associated with access to the system by said users.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein said NOC is further configured to transmit encoded data signals to said plurality of RF transponders of said satellite;

and

wherein said communications system operates to de-modulate and D/A convert said RF signals to produce said baseband video signals.

13. A system for providing a plurality of channels of data content to a plurality of mobile receiving platforms operable to provide the data content to a plurality of users, said system comprising:

a ground based antenna for transmitting encoded radio frequency (RF) signals representative of said data content via at least one satellite having a plurality of RF transponders in orbit over a desired geographical coverage area for transponding said encoded RF signals;

a mobile receiving system disposed on said mobile receiving platforms comprising;

an antenna system including a receive antenna for receiving said encoded RF signals from a designated one of said RF transponders;

a transmit antenna for transmitting said data content to a designated one of said RF transponders;

an antenna system for steering said transmit and receive antennas to track said satellite as said mobile receiving platform is in motion;

a communications system responsive to said encoded RF signals received by said receive antenna for demodulating and decoding said encoded RF signals to produce baseband video signals and data signals;

said communications system including a system for transmitting data content from said users, via said transmit antenna, to said designated one of said transponders;

a data content management system responsive to said mobile receiving system for determining which portions of said baseband video signals and which portions of said data signals are to be transmitted to specific ones of said users; and

a network system for routing said portions of said baseband video signals and said data signals to specific ones of said users in response to requests by said users such that said users receives only a requested portion of said baseband video signals or a requested portion of said data signals; and

a ground based system comprising a terrestrial based network operations center (NOC) configured to;

assign specific individual return link transmission channels to said mobile receiving system to form a plurality of point-to-point links over which said mobile receiving system transmits information to the NOC; and

dynamically manage the individual return link transmission channels using a multiple access protocol to determine which ones of the mobile receiving systems will be assigned to use which ones of the plurality of RF transponders in forming the plurality of point-to-point links.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said communications system comprises a plurality of integrated receiver/decoders.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said data content management system comprises a server.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a data system for supplying crew information services to said data content management system.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising an air telephone system on board said mobile platforms for transmitting data services to at least one ground based voice telephony receiving station within said coverage area.