Terrestrial based high speed data communications mesh network

• US 9,985,717 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartsky Networks Llc
• Original Assignee: Smartsky Networks Llc
• Inventors: Alcorn, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Diane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haque, Abu-Sayeed
• Application Number:
  US15/068,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20160197668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1851 Systems using a satellite or space-based relay H04B7/18508, H04B7/18521 take precedence; providing specific services H04B7/18523 - H04B7/18576
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A network for providing high speed data communications may include multiple terrestrial transmission stations that are located within overlapping communications range and a mobile receiver station. The terrestrial transmission stations provide a continuous and uninterrupted high speed data communications link with the mobile receiver station employing a wireless radio access network protocol.

Claims

1. An airborne communication node configured to receive high speed wirelessly transmitted data communications on an in-flight aircraft, comprising:

a receiver station disposed on the in-flight aircraft, the receiver station configured to communicate with at least one of a plurality of ground transmission stations, the ground transmission stations being located such that at least some of the ground transmission stations are within overlapping communications range of respective other ones of the ground transmission stations, the ground transmission stations being configured to communicate with the receiver station to provide a high speed data communications link continuous and uninterrupted in time with the receiver station employing a wireless radio access network protocol,

wherein the high speed data communications link is maintained continuous and uninterrupted in time while the in-flight aircraft is within a coverage area provided by one of the plurality of ground transmission stations and as the in-flight aircraft moves from the coverage area provided by the one of the plurality of ground transmission stations to a coverage area provided by another of the plurality of ground transmission stations via a transition of a first communication link established with a first narrow beam provided by the one of the plurality of ground transmission stations to a second communication link established with a second narrow beam provided by the other of the plurality of ground transmission stations, the first and second narrow beams each being formed to have less than a four degree beamwidth.

2. The airborne communication node of claim 1, wherein the receiver station employs communication bands in about a 2 GHz to about a 6 GHz range utilizing Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM).

3. The airborne communication node of claim 1, wherein the high speed data communications link employs Long Term Evolution (LTE) terrestrial radio access network protocols.

4. The airborne communication node of claim 1, wherein a frame structure utilized for the high speed data communications link provides dynamically assignable uplink and downlink burst profiles based on link conditions.

5. The airborne communication node of claim 1, wherein multiple media access control protocol data units are linkable to a single burst.

6. The airborne communication node of claim 1, wherein the high speed data communications link provides internet access, streaming video, or voice-over IP to the receiver station.

7. The airborne communication node of claim 1, wherein the high speed data communications link transfers security data communications comprising video surveillance from the aircraft to one of the plurality of ground stations.

8. The airborne communication node of claim 1, wherein the high speed data communications link is maintained continuous and uninterrupted in time while the in-flight aircraft is experiencing Doppler shift due to speeds greater than 100 miles per hour.

9. The airborne communication node of claim 1, wherein the other of the plurality of ground transmission stations is a more distant node among the plurality of ground transmission stations than at least one closer node such that the second communication link is longer than a link capable of establishment with the at least one closer node.

10. The airborne communication node of claim 1, wherein the coverage area provided by the one of the plurality of ground transmission stations and the coverage area provided by the other of the plurality of ground transmission stations are each at least 100 km in size, and wherein the high speed data communications link comprises peak downlink from the in-flight aircraft at least ¼

peak uplink to the in-flight aircraft.

11. A terrestrial network configured to provide high speed wirelessly transmitted data communications to an in-flight aircraft, comprising:

a plurality of ground transmission stations, the ground transmission stations being located such that at least some of the ground transmission stations are within overlapping communications range of respective other ones of the ground transmission stations, the ground transmission stations being configured to communicate with a receiver station located on board the in-flight aircraft to provide a high speed data communications link continuous and uninterrupted in time with the receiver station employing a wireless radio access network protocol,

wherein the high speed data communications link is maintained continuous and uninterrupted in time while the in-flight aircraft is within a coverage area provided by one of the plurality of ground transmission stations and as the in-flight aircraft moves from the coverage area provided by the one of the plurality of ground transmission stations to a coverage area provided by another of the plurality of ground transmission stations via a transition of a first communication link established with a first narrow beam provided by the one of the plurality of ground transmission stations to a second communication link established with a second narrow beam provided by the other of the plurality of ground transmission stations, the first and second narrow beams each being formed to have less than a four degree beamwidth.

12. The terrestrial network of claim 11, wherein the ground transmission stations employ communication bands in about a 2 GHz to about a 6 GHz range utilizing Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM).

13. The terrestrial network of claim 11, wherein the high speed data communications link employs Long Term Evolution (LTE) terrestrial radio access network protocols.

14. The terrestrial network of claim 11, wherein a frame structure utilized for the high speed data communications link provides dynamically assignable uplink and downlink burst profiles based on link conditions.

15. The terrestrial network of claim 11, wherein multiple media access control protocol data units are linkable to a single burst.

16. The terrestrial network of claim 11, wherein the high speed data communications link provides internet access, streaming video, or voice-over IP to the receiver station.

17. The terrestrial network of claim 11, wherein the high speed data communications link transfers security data communications comprising video surveillance from the aircraft to one of the plurality of ground stations.

18. The terrestrial network of claim 11, wherein the high speed data communications link is maintained continuous and uninterrupted in time while the in-flight aircraft is experiencing Doppler shift due to speeds greater than 100 miles per hour.

19. The terrestrial network of claim 11, wherein the other of the plurality of ground transmission stations is a more distant node among the plurality of ground transmission stations than at least one closer node such that the second communication link is longer than a link capable of establishment with the at least one closer node.

20. The terrestrial network of claim 11, wherein the coverage area provided by the one of the plurality of ground transmission stations and the coverage area provided by the other of the plurality of ground transmission stations are each at least 100 km in size, and wherein the high speed data communications link comprises peak downlink from the in-flight aircraft at least ¼

peak uplink to the in-flight aircraft.