Wedge shaped cells in a wireless communication system

• US 9,503,912 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2016
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartsky Networks Llc
• Original Assignee: Smartsky Networks Llc
• Inventors: Hyslop, Douglas, Caplan, Andrew P., Dodson, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzalez, Amancio
• Application Number:
  US15/017,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20160157107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 455/446, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/30 Special cell shapes, e.g. doughnuts or ring cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/328 by altitude
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Aspects described herein relate to a network for providing air-to-ground wireless communication in various cells. The network includes a first base station array, each base station of which includes a respective first antenna array defining a directional radiation pattern that is oriented in a first direction, wherein each base station of the first base station array is disposed spaced apart from another base station of the first base station array along the first direction by a first distance. The network also includes a similar second base station array where the second base station array extends substantially parallel to the first base station array and is spaced apart from the first base station array by a second distance to form continuous and at least partially overlapping cell coverage areas between respective base stations of the first and second base station arrays.

Claims

1. A network for providing air-to-ground (ATG) wireless communication in various cells, comprising:

a first base station array, each base station of which includes a respective first antenna array defining a directional radiation pattern that is oriented in a first direction, wherein each base station of the first base station array is disposed spaced apart from another base station of the first base station array along the first direction; and

a second base station array, each base station of which includes a respective second antenna array defining a directional radiation pattern that is oriented in the first direction, wherein each base station of the second base station array is disposed spaced apart from another base station of the second base station array along the first direction, and wherein the second base station array extends substantially parallel to the first base station array and is spaced apart from the first base station array to form continuous and at least partially overlapping cell coverage areas between respective base stations of the first and second base station arrays,

wherein directional radiation patterns of the base stations of the first base station array and the second base station array each define substantially wedge shaped radiation patterns,

wherein the direction radiation patterns of adjacent base stations of the first base station array overlap each other to extend coverage of the first base station array up to a predetermined altitude, and directional radiation patterns of adjacent base stations of overlap each other to extend coverage of the second base station array up to the predetermined altitude; and

wherein for a given base station of each of the first and second base station arrays, coverage up to the predetermined altitude immediately above the given base station is provided by at least one other base station of the corresponding base station array.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein each base station of the first base station array is disposed spaced apart from another base station of the first base station array along the first direction by a first distance and each base station of the second base station array is disposed spaced apart from another base station of the second base station array along the first direction by the first distance.

3. The network of claim 2, wherein the first base station array is spaced apart from the second base station array by a second distance.

4. The network of claim 3, wherein the second distance is double the first distance.

5. The network of claim 1, wherein the predetermined elevation is about 45,000 feet.

6. The network of claim 1, wherein all of the coverage immediately above the given base station is provided by the at least one other base station of the corresponding base station array.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein the first antenna array and the second antenna array each form semicircular radiation patterns.

8. The network of claim 7, wherein the first antenna array and the second antenna array each include six sectors of about thirty degrees.

9. The network of claim 1, wherein the base stations of the first base station array and the second base station array each operate at unlicensed band frequencies.

10. The network of claim 1, wherein the base stations of the first base station array and the second base station array each operate at frequency bands in a licensed spectrum.

11. The network of claim 1, wherein the first direction is a cardinal direction.