Multiple antenna system and method for mobile platforms

• US 9,553,657 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2014
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gogo Business Aviation LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gogo LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cordone, Sean Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): GREGORY, BERNARR E
• Application Number:
  US14/177,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20140225767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/27 Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies H01Q1/08, H01Q1/12, H01Q1/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/285 Aircraft wire antennas means for trailing H01Q1/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/42 Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/22 Antenna units of the array energised non-uniformly in amplitude or phase, e.g. tapered array or binomial array
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/02 providing sum and difference patterns H01Q25/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18515 Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18519 Operations control, administration or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18573 for operations control, administration or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

A method and system facilitate communication between a constellation of satellites and a mobile platform-mounted mobile communicator. The method and system may include the use of a first antenna suited for operation using a first frequency band in a first geographic region and a second antenna suited for operation using either the first or a second frequency band in a second geographic region. The method and system may use a controller to determine which antenna to activate based on one or more of a geographic indicator or a signal indicator. The system used by the method to facilitate the communication may have one or more enclosures over the antennas and controller for mounting to a mobile platform.

Claims

1. A mobile platform-mounted mobile communicator for communicating with a constellation of satellites comprising:

a first antenna optimized for operation using a first frequency band in a first geographic region;

a second antenna optimized for operation using a second frequency band in a second geographic region;

a controller configured to determine which antenna to activate based on a geographic indicator; and

a radome enclosure for the platform-mounted mobile communicator configured to enclose the first antenna, the second antenna or both the first and second antennas.

2. The mobile platform-mounted mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the mobile platform-mounted mobile communicator is mounted to one of an airplane, an automobile, or a ship.

3. The mobile platform-mounted mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the first geographic region is proximate to the North Pole or South Pole and wherein the second geographic region is proximate to the Equator.

4. The mobile platform-mounted mobile communicator of claim 1 wherein the first frequency band is one of a K_u-band or K_a-band and the second frequency band is the other one of the K_u-band or K_a-band.

5. The mobile platform-mounted mobile communicator of claim 1 wherein the geographic indicator is a set of GPS coordinates.

6. A method of communicating with a constellation of satellites using a mobile platform comprising:

communicating with the constellation of satellites on a first frequency band using a first antenna, wherein the first antenna is optimized for operation using the first frequency band in a first geographic location;

determining, with a processor, to terminate communication via the first antenna and begin communication via a second antenna based on a geographic indicator;

wherein the second antenna is optimized for operation using a second frequency band in a second geographic location; and

communicating with the constellation of satellites on the second frequency band using the second antenna.

7. The method of communicating with a constellation of satellites of claim 6, further comprising mounting the mobile platform-mounted mobile communicator to one of an airplane, an automobile, or a ship.

8. The method of communicating with a constellation of satellites of claim 6, further comprising optimizing the first antenna for operation proximate to the North Pole or South Pole and optimizing the second antenna for operation proximate to the Equator.

9. The method of communicating with a constellation of satellites of claim 6, the first frequency band corresponding to a K_u-band and the second frequency band corresponding to a K_a-band.

10. The method of communicating with a constellation of satellites of claim 6, wherein determining to terminate communication via the first antenna and begin communication via the second antenna based on the geographic indicator comprises determining to terminate communication via the first antenna and begin communication via the second antenna based on a set of GPS coordinates or similar positional data.

11. A method of communicating with a mobile communicator mounted to a mobile platform comprising:

configuring a first antenna of the mobile communicator to establish communication with a first satellite, the first antenna being optimized for operation using a first frequency band in a first geographic region;

communicating data packets with the first satellite via the first antenna using the first frequency band;

receiving the geographic indicator;

based on a geographic indicator, determining, by a processor, to terminate communication via the first antenna and begin communication via a second antenna of the mobile communicator, the second antenna being optimized for operation using a second frequency band in a second geographic region;

terminating communication via the first antenna;

configuring the second antenna to establish communication with one of the first satellite or a second satellite; and

communicating data packets with one of the first satellite or the second satellite via the second antenna using the second frequency band.

12. The method of communicating with a mobile communicator mounted to a mobile platform of claim 11, further comprising mounting the mobile platform-mounted mobile communicator to one of an airplane, an automobile, or a ship.

13. The method of communicating with a mobile communicator mounted to a mobile platform of claim 11, further comprising optimizing the first antenna for operation proximate to the North Pole or South Pole and optimizing the second antenna for operation proximate to the Equator.

14. The method of communicating with a mobile communicator mounted to a mobile platform of claim 11, the first frequency band corresponding to a K_u-band and the second frequency band corresponding to a K_a-band.

15. The method of communicating with a mobile communicator mounted to a mobile platform of claim 11, wherein determining to terminate communication via the first antenna and begin communication via the second antenna based on the geographic indicator comprises determining to terminate communication via the first antenna and begin communication via the second antenna based on a set of GPS coordinates or similar positional data.