Antenna for nonterrestrial mobile telecommunication system

• US 5,878,345 A
• Filed: 09/06/1996
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gogo LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aircell LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Inventors: McKenna, Daniel B., George, Robert L., Ray, J. C.
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, DORIS HA
• Application Number:
  US08/709,264
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 455/431, 455/426, 455/422, 455/434, 455/436, 455/443, 455/444, 455/446, 455/447, 455/448, 455/517, 455/524, 455/561, 455/562, 455/25, 455/7, 343/874, 343/875, 343/879, 343/890, 343/891, 343/893, 343/912, 343/833
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

The multidimensional cellular mobile telecommunication system extends the usage of existing cellular mobile telecommunication radio frequencies allocated for ground-based communications to non-terrestrial mobile subscriber stations by adding an overlay of non-terrestrial cells of predetermined geometry and locus in space to the existing ground-based cellular cell site network. The polarization of the signals produced by the non-terrestrial antenna elements is a polarization that is different than and preferably substantially orthogonal to the polarization of the cellular radio signals produced by the ground-based antennas, such as a horizontal polarization, to thereby minimize the possibility of interference with the vertically polarized ground-based radio signals. Furthermore, the control signals exchanged between the non-terrestrial mobile subscriber stations and the non-terrestrial cell site controller are architected to avoid the possibility of interference with ground-based cell site transmitter-receiver pairs. In particular, the control channels used for the non-terrestrial mobile subscriber stations are selected such that the control signals transmitted in these channels are unrecognizable to the ground-based mobile subscriber stations and cell site transmitter-receiver pairs, so that even if broadcasts from a non-terrestrial mobile subscriber station reach a ground-based mobile subscriber station or cell site receiver, they cannot be interpreted and are rejected out of hand.

Claims

1. A cellular mobile telecommunication system for providing radio communication with non-terrestrial cellular mobile telecommunication stations using radio frequencies allocated for ground based cellular mobile telecommunication stations, comprising:

at least one radio transmitter for generating signals for producing at least one telecommunication cell, each having three-dimensional extent and serving non-terrestrial cellular mobile telecommunication stations with communication signals generated by said at least one transmitter being at wavelengths allocated for ground based cellular mobile telecommunication stations; and

at least one radio receiver for receiving communication signals generated by cellular mobile telecommunication stations extant in said at least one telecommunication cell;

at least one antenna mast; and

non-terrestrial antenna means, mounted on said at least one antenna mast, having an antenna characteristic pattern which points skyward, and connected to said at least one transmitter for broadcasting said signals generated by said at least one transmitter to produce said at least one telecommunication cell.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

ground-based antenna means, mounted on said at least one antenna mast and substantially collocated with said non-terrestrial antenna means, having an antenna characteristic pattern which points downward from its point of mounting on said at least one antenna mast, wherein said ground-based antenna means is operable with both one of said at least one radio transmitter for generating at least one ground-based telecommunication cell, having three-dimensional extent and serving terrestrial cellular mobile telecommunication stations with communication signals generated by said at least one transmitter being at wavelengths allocated for ground based cellular mobile telecommunication stations, and with at least one radio receiver for receiving communication signals generated by cellular mobile telecommunication stations extant in said at least one ground-based telecommunication cell.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said ground-based antenna means is operated at a frequency which is unequal to a frequency at which said non-terrestrial antenna is operated.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein communication signals transmitted to ground-based mobile subscriber stations by said ground-based antenna means comprise radio signals of a first polarization and communication signals transmitted to said non-terrestrial mobile subscriber stations by said non-terrestrial antenna means comprise radio signals of a second polarization, said second polarization being different than said first polarization.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said communication signals transmitted to ground-based mobile subscriber stations by said ground-based antenna means comprise radio signals of a first polarization and communication signals transmitted to said non-terrestrial mobile subscriber stations by said non-terrestrial antenna means comprise radio signals of a polarization which is substantially orthogonal to said first polarization.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said radio signals of a first polarization are polarized in a vertical direction, said radio signals of a second polarization are polarized in a one of substantially orthogonal polarizations from the class of polarizations including:

horizontal, linear, circular.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said non-terrestrial antenna means is operable to reject signals reflected from the surface of the earth as well as signals originating from below a horizon of said non-terrestrial antenna means.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said non-terrestrial antenna means comprises a nonscanning directional antenna for forming a shaped pattern beam to receive signals generated by mobile subscriber stations extant in a one of said non-terrestrial cells served by said non-terrestrial antenna means and to reject ground clutter.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said non-terrestrial antenna means exhibits high gain in said one non-terrestrial cell and low gain elsewhere.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said non-terrestrial antenna means exhibits low gain in said one non-terrestrial cell and low gain elsewhere.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said non-terrestrial antenna means has an antenna characteristic pattern which points skyward, and is connected to said at least one transmitter for broadcasting said signals generated by said at least one transmitter to produce a plurality of telecommunication cells, each cell being separably manageable.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said plurality of telecommunication cells, comprise at least two juxtaposed non-terrestrial cells.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said plurality of telecommunication cells comprise a non-terrestrial cell having an extent which at least partially overlaps an extent of another non-terrestrial cell.

14. A method of operating a cellular mobile telecommunication system for providing radio communication with non-terrestrial cellular mobile telecommunication stations using radio frequencies allocated for ground based cellular mobile telecommunication stations, comprising the steps of:

operating at least one radio transmitter to generate signals for producing at least one telecommunication cell, each having three-dimensional extent and serving non-terrestrial cellular mobile telecommunication stations with communication signals generated by said at least one transmitter being at wavelengths allocated for ground based cellular mobile telecommunication stations; and

operating at least one radio receiver to receive communication signals generated by cellular mobile telecommunication stations extant in said at least one telecommunication cell;

mounting a non-terrestrial antenna on at least one antenna mast, said non-terrestrial antenna having an antenna characteristic pattern which points skyward, and connected to said at least one transmitter for broadcasting said signals generated by said at least one transmitter to produce said at least one telecommunication cell.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

mounting a ground-based antenna on said at least one antenna mast and substantially collocated with said non-terrestrial antenna, having an antenna characteristic pattern which points downward from its point of mounting on said at least one antenna mast, wherein said ground-based antenna is operable with both one of said at least one radio transmitter for generating at least one ground-based telecommunication cell, having three-dimensional extent and serving terrestrial cellular mobile telecommunication stations with communication signals generated by said at least one transmitter being at wavelengths allocated for ground based cellular mobile telecommunication stations, and with at least one radio receiver for receiving communication signals generated by cellular mobile telecommunication stations extant in said at least one ground-based telecommunication cell.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of:

operating said ground-based antenna at a frequency which is unequal to a frequency at which said non-terrestrial antenna is operated.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of:

transmitting communication signals to ground-based mobile subscriber stations by said ground-based antenna which comprise radio signals of a first polarization and transmitting communication signals to said non-terrestrial mobile subscriber stations by said non-terrestrial antenna which comprise radio signals of a second polarization, said second polarization being different than said first polarization.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of:

transmitting communication signals to ground-based mobile subscriber stations by said ground-based antenna which comprise radio signals of a first polarization and transmitting communication signals to said non-terrestrial mobile subscriber stations by said non-terrestrial antenna which comprise radio signals of a polarization which is substantially orthogonal to said first polarization.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of:

polarizing said radio signals of a first polarization in a vertical direction, and polarizing said radio signals of a second polarization in a one of substantially orthogonal polarizations from the class of polarizations including;

horizontal, linear, circular.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

operating said non-terrestrial antenna to reject signals reflected from the surface of the earth as well as signals originating from below a horizon of said non-terrestrial antenna.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of:

using said non-terrestrial antenna to form a shaped pattern beam to receive signals generated by mobile subscriber stations extant in a one of said non-terrestrial cells served by said non-terrestrial antenna and to reject ground clutter.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of:

operating said non-terrestrial antenna means to exhibit high gain in said one non-terrestrial cell and low gain elsewhere.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of:

operating said non-terrestrial antenna means to exhibit low gain in said one non-terrestrial cell and low gain elsewhere.

24. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

operating said non-terrestrial antenna, which is connected to said at least one transmitter, for broadcasting said signals generated by said at least one transmitter to produce a plurality of telecommunication cells, each cell being 5 separably manageable.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of:

operating said non-terrestrial antenna to create at least two juxtaposed non-terrestrial cells.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of:

operating said non-terrestrial antenna to create a non-terrestrial cell having an extent which at least partially overlaps an extent of another non-terrestrial cell.