AIRCRAFT IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM HAVING A MULTI-BEAM PHASED ARRAY ANTENNA AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

• US 20090096857A1
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LiveTV LLC (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: LiveTV LLC (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Anderson, Brian D., Lynch, Michael J., Frisco, Jeffrey A., Keen, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,917,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.02
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/125 Means for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1257 using the received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• 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: 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 21/226 Characteristics of the server or Internal components of the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

An in-flight entertainment (IFE) system for an aircraft includes a phased array antenna and control circuitry associated therewith to be carried by the aircraft and to generate dual antenna beams for television programming and Internet data from respective spaced apart satellites. A television programming distribution system is to be carried by the aircraft and coupled to the phased array antenna and control circuitry to provide television programming within the aircraft. At least one access point is to be carried by the aircraft and coupled to the phased array antenna and control circuitry to provide a wireless local area network (WLAN) within the aircraft for the Internet data.

Claims

1. An in-flight entertainment (IFE) system for an aircraft and comprising:

a phased array antenna and control circuitry associated therewith to be carried by the aircraft and to generate dual antenna beams for television programming and Internet data from respective spaced apart satellites;

a television programming distribution system to be carried by the aircraft and coupled to said phased array antenna and control circuitry to provide television programming within the aircraft; and

at least one access point to be carried by the aircraft and coupled to said phased array antenna and control circuitry to provide a wireless local area network (WLAN) within the aircraft for the Internet data.

2. The IFE system according to claim 1 wherein said control circuitry comprises:

a plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to said phased array antenna; and

a controller coupled to said plurality of antenna beam shaping elements for control thereof so that said phased array antenna generates respective antenna beams toward the spaced apart satellites.

3. The IFE system according to claim 1 wherein said phased array antenna has different orthogonal polarizations associated therewith;

and wherein said control circuitry adjusts at least one of the polarizations based upon aircraft position.

4. The IFE system according to claim 2 wherein said phased array antenna comprises a first pair of sub-arrays and a second pair of sub-arrays;

and wherein said controller cooperates with said plurality of antenna beam shaping elements to provide orthogonal polarizations at said first pair of sub-arrays and different orthogonal polarizations at said second pair of sub-arrays; and

wherein said control circuitry further comprises;

a first polarization correction module associated with said first pair of sub-arrays for adjusting the corresponding polarizations based upon aircraft position; and

a second polarization correction module associated with said second pair of sub-arrays for adjusting the corresponding polarizations based upon aircraft position.

5. The IFE system according to claim 2 wherein said control circuitry further comprises a plurality of signal splatters coupled to said phased array antenna, each signal splitter having first and second outputs;

and wherein said plurality of antenna beam shaping elements comprise;

a first plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to the first outputs of said plurality of signal splitters, and

a second plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to the second outputs of said plurality of signal splatters.

6. The IFE system according to claim 5 wherein said control circuitry further comprises:

a first signal combiner coupled to said first plurality of antenna beam shaping elements for providing a first composite signal corresponding to the television programming; and

a second signal combiner coupled to said second plurality of antenna beam shaping elements for providing a second composite signal corresponding to the Internet data.

7. The IFE system according to claim 2 wherein said phased array antenna comprises a first plurality of antenna elements sized to operate at a first frequency, and a second plurality of antenna elements sized to operate at a second frequency different from the first frequency;

and wherein said plurality of antenna beam shaping elements comprise;

a first plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to said first plurality of antenna elements; and

a second plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to said second plurality of antenna elements.

8. The IFE system according to claim 7 wherein said first and second plurality of antenna elements are interspersed with one another.

9. The IFE system according to claim 1 wherein said phased array antenna and control circuitry simultaneously generate the dual antenna beams, with each antenna beam having a respective antenna beam boresight.

10. The IFE system according to claim 1 wherein said phased array antenna and control circuitry are configured to transmit to the satellite providing the Internet data.

11. The IFE system according to claim 1 wherein said phased array antenna is configured to operate over a frequency range of 10.7 to 18 GHz.

12. The IFE system according to claim 1 further comprising a radome to be carried by the aircraft for protecting said phased array antenna.

13. The IFE system according to claim 1 wherein said television programming distribution system comprises cabling extending throughout the aircraft;

and at least one video display coupled to said cabling for displaying the television programming.

14. The IFE system according to claim 1 wherein said at least one access point is to communicate with personal electronic devices (PEDs) within the aircraft.

15. The IFE system according to claim 1 wherein said at least one access point comprises a pico-cell.

16. The IFE system according to claim 1 wherein the WLAN comprises at least one of an 802.11 WLAN and an 802.16 WLAN.

17. An in-flight entertainment (IFE) system for an aircraft and comprising:

a radome to be carried by the aircraft;

a phased array antenna to be carried by the aircraft and protected by said radome, said phased array antenna comprising a substrate and a plurality of antenna elements thereon;

control circuitry to be carried by the aircraft and associated with said phased array antenna to simultaneously generate dual antenna beams for television programming and Internet data from respective spaced apart satellites, with each antenna beam having a respective antenna beam boresight;

a television programming distribution system to be carried by the aircraft and coupled to said phased array antenna and control circuitry to provide television programming within the aircraft; and

at least one access point to be carried by the aircraft and coupled to said phased array antenna and control circuitry to provide a wireless local area network (WLAN) within the aircraft for the Internet data.

18. The IFE system according to claim 17 wherein said control circuitry comprises:

a plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to said phased array antenna; and

a controller coupled to said plurality of antenna beam shaping elements for control thereof so that said phased array antenna generates respective antenna beams toward the spaced apart satellites.

19. The IFE system according to claim 17 wherein said phased array antenna has different orthogonal polarizations associated therewith;

and wherein said control circuitry adjusts at least one of the polarizations based upon aircraft position.

20. The IFE system according to claim 18 wherein said phased array antenna comprises a first pair of sub-arrays and a second pair of sub-arrays;

and wherein said controller cooperates with said plurality of antenna beam shaping elements to provide orthogonal polarizations at said first pair of sub-arrays and different orthogonal polarizations at said second pair of sub-arrays; and

wherein said control circuitry further comprises;

a first polarization correction module associated with said first pair of sub-arrays for adjusting the corresponding polarizations based upon aircraft position; and

a second polarization correction module associated with said second pair of sub-arrays for adjusting the corresponding polarizations based upon aircraft position.

21. The IFE system according to claim 18 wherein said control circuitry further comprises a plurality of signal splitters coupled to said phased array antenna, each signal splitter having first and second outputs;

and wherein said plurality of antenna beam shaping elements comprise;

a first plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to the first outputs of said plurality of signal splitters, and

a second plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to the second outputs of said plurality of signal splitters.

22. The IFE system according to claim 21 wherein said control circuitry further comprises:

a first signal combiner coupled to said first plurality of antenna beam shaping elements for providing a first composite signal corresponding to the television programming; and

a second signal combiner coupled to said second plurality of antenna beam shaping elements for providing a second composite signal corresponding to the Internet data.

23. The IFE system according to claim 18 wherein said plurality of antenna elements comprise a first plurality of antenna elements sized to operate at a first frequency, and a second plurality of antenna elements sized to operate at a second frequency different from the first frequency;

and wherein said plurality of antenna beam shaping elements comprise;

a first plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to said first plurality of antenna elements; and

a second plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to said second plurality of antenna elements.

24. The IFE system according to claim 17 wherein said phased array antenna and control circuitry are configured to transmit to the satellite providing the Internet data.

25. The IFE system according to claim 17 wherein said phased array antenna is configured to operate over a frequency range of 10.7 to 18 GHz.

26. The IFE system according to claim 17 wherein said television programming distribution system comprises cabling extending throughout the aircraft;

and at least one video display coupled to said cabling for displaying the television programming; and

wherein said at least one access point is to communicate with personal electronic devices (PEDs) within the aircraft.

27. A method for operating an in-flight entertainment (IFE) system for an aircraft, the IFE system comprising a phased array antenna and control circuitry associated therewith to be carried by the aircraft, a television programming distribution system to be carried by the aircraft and coupled to the phased array antenna and control circuitry to provide television programming within the aircraft, and at least one access point to be carried by the aircraft and coupled to the phased array antenna and control circuitry to provide a wireless local area network (WLAN) within the aircraft, the method comprising:

controlling the control circuitry so that the phased array antenna generates dual antenna beams for television programming and Internet data from respective spaced apart satellites;

providing the television programming to aircraft passengers via the television programming distribution system; and

providing the Internet data to the aircraft passengers via the WLAN.

28. The method according to claim 27 wherein the control circuitry comprises:

a plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to the phased array antenna; and

a controller coupled to the plurality of antenna beam shaping elements for control thereof so that the phased array antenna generates respective antenna beams toward the spaced apart satellites.

29. The method according to claim 27 wherein the phased array antenna has different orthogonal polarizations associated therewith;

and wherein the control circuitry adjusts at least one of the polarizations based upon aircraft position.

30. The method according to claim 28 wherein the phased array antenna comprises a first pair of sub-arrays and a second pair of sub-arrays;

and wherein the controller cooperates with the plurality of antenna beam shaping elements to provide orthogonal polarizations at the first pair of sub-arrays and different orthogonal polarizations at the second pair of sub-arrays; and

wherein the control circuitry further comprises;

a first polarization correction module associated with the first pair of sub-arrays for adjusting the corresponding polarizations based upon aircraft position; and

a second polarization correction module associated with the second pair of sub-arrays for adjusting the corresponding polarizations based upon aircraft position.

31. The method according to claim 28 wherein the control circuitry further comprises a plurality of signal splitters coupled to the phased array antenna, each signal splitter having first and second outputs;

and wherein the plurality of antenna beam shaping elements comprise;

a first plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to the first outputs of the plurality of signal splitters; and

a second plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to the second outputs of the plurality of signal splitters.

32. The method according to claim 31 wherein the control circuitry further comprises:

a first signal combiner coupled to the first plurality of antenna beam shaping elements for providing a first composite signal corresponding to the television programming; and

a second signal combiner coupled to the second plurality of antenna beam shaping elements for providing a second composite signal corresponding to the Internet data.

33. The method according to claim 28 wherein the phased array antenna comprises a first plurality of antenna elements sized to operate at a first frequency, and a second plurality of antenna elements sized to operate at a second frequency different from the first frequency;

and wherein the plurality of antenna beam shaping elements comprise;

a first plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to the first plurality of antenna elements; and

a second plurality of antenna beam shaping elements coupled to the second plurality of antenna elements.

34. The method according to claim 27 wherein the phased array antenna and control circuitry simultaneously generate the dual antenna beams, with each antenna beam having a respective antenna beam boresight.

35. The method according to claim 27 wherein the phased array antenna and control circuitry are configured to transmit to the satellite providing the Internet data.

36. The method according to claim 27 wherein the phased array antenna is configured to operate over a frequency range of 10.7 to 18 GHz.

37. The method according to claim 27 wherein the television programming distribution system comprises cabling extending throughout the aircraft;

and at least one video display coupled to the cabling for displaying the television programming; and

wherein the at least one access point is to communicate with personal electronic devices (PEDs) within the aircraft.