Stratospheric platforms communication system using adaptive antennas

• US 20020128045A1
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Donald C. D., Lim, Wah L., Chang, Ming U.
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/562.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

A communication system has a high altitude device having an adaptive antenna with a plurality of main array antenna elements for generating a plurality of communication beams. The system further includes a gateway station coupled to the high altitude device. The gateway station forms a plurality of beams commands by communicating plurality of a control signals to the high altitude device station to form the communication beams.

Claims

1. A communications system comprising:

a high altitude device having an adaptive antenna having a plurality of main array antenna elements for generating a plurality of communication beams;

a gateway station coupled to said high altitude device, said gateway station forming a plurality of beams commands by communicating plurality of a control signals to the high altitude device station to form the communication beams.

2. A communications system as recited in claim 1 wherein said high altitude device comprises a stratospheric platform.

3. A communications system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a first plurality of wireless base stations having adaptive antennas with a plurality of first main array antenna elements for generating a plurality of communication beams to communicate with said fixed user.

4. A communications system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a second plurality of wireless base stations having adaptive antennas with a plurality of first main array antenna elements for generating a plurality of communication beams to communicate with said mobile user.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said auxiliary element output is a function of a direction of the plurality of the communication beams.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the gateway station comprises a plurality of multiplication gates each having a respective weight, said auxiliary element output being a function of said weight.

7. A communications system as recited in claim 1 wherein said adaptive antenna comprises a plurality of panels comprising the plurality of main array elements.

8. A communications system as recited in claim 1 wherein said base station comprises a plurality of auxiliary elements for canceling interference between the communication beam.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said ground station is coupled to a terrestrial network.

10. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein said terrestrial network comprises the Internet.

11. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the terrestrial network comprises the public service telephone network.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said ground station comprises a gateway station.

14. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said ground station is coupled to a terrestrial network.

15. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein said terrestrial network comprises the internet.

16. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein the terrestrial network comprises the public service telephone network.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 further comprising forming a plurality of auxiliary element outputs comprises the step of weighting the auxiliary element control signals.

12. A communications system, comprising:

a ground station having;

a beam generator for generating a plurality of beam control signals,

a digital beam former circuit receiving the beam control signals and generating a plurality of first element control signals for multiple dynamic communication beams,

an rf subsystem for communicating an rf signal corresponding to the beam control signals;

a stratospheric platform having;

a payload receiver for receiving the rf signals,

a demultiplexer demultiplexing the rf signals into a second plurality of element control signals corresponding to the first element control signals and generating a plurality of multiple design communication beams in response to the second plurality of element control signals.

17. A method of controlling a communications system having a stratospheric platform with a phased array antenna with a plurality of main array elements, said method comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of multiple dynamic communication beams in a gateway station by scaling a plurality of elements;

coupling the multiple dynamic communication beams to a plurality of stratospheric platforms; and

generating the multiple dynamic communication beams in response to the scaling of elements by a plurality of stratospheric platforms.