System and method for providing broadcast signals to aircraft

• US 7,634,268 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2001
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inmarsat Global Limited (Inmarsat PLC)
• Original Assignee: Inmarsat Global Limited (Inmarsat PLC)
• Inventors: Nemes, Johnny, Trachtman, Eyal
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/021,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20030008651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,918 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556, 455/430, 455/431, 455/12.1, 455/427, 455/3.02, 455/428, 455/3.06, 725/76, 725/72, 343/705, 343/708, 343/757
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A system for providing real-time television broadcasts to aircraft 4 via satellite 2 is described. The broadcast signal 11 is transmitted to the aircraft 4 together with a communications signal 10, forming part of an existing communications network air interface. The system separates the communications signal 10 from the broadcast signal 11 and enables the real-time broadcast to be displayed on-board the aircraft.

Claims

1. Apparatus for receiving signals transmitted by a satellite, including:

a. an antenna for receiving said signals;

b. a communications demodulator, connected to said antenna, for demodulating one or more communications channels among said signals;

c. and a broadcast demodulator, separate from said communications demodulator and connected to said antenna, for demodulating one or more broadcast channels among said signals, wherein said one or more communications channels are separate in frequency from said broadcast channels, and the apparatus further includes a frequency splitter for separating said communications channels and said broadcast channels, directing the separated communications channels to said communications demodulator, and directing the separated broadcast channels to said broadcast demodulator.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said antenna is a directional antenna, the apparatus further including means for steering said antenna to point towards a signal source according to a property of the one or more communications channels demodulated by the communications demodulator.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said property is a signal strength of said one or more communications channels.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a communications modulator connected to said antenna, for receiving and modulating communications signals received from one or more communications terminals and transmitting said modulated communications signals through said antenna.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said communications terminals is a broadcast control terminal for transmitting broadcast control signals so as to control the content of said broadcast channels.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, including means for decoding said one or more communications channels and distributing said decoded communications channels to said one or more communications terminals.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4, including means for decoding said one or more communications channels and distributing said decoded communications channels to said one or more communications terminals.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, including means for decoding said demodulated one or more broadcast channels and distributing said one or more broadcast channels to one or more broadcast content servers.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said antenna is a satellite communications antenna.

10. An aircraft including apparatus according to claim 1.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said antenna is a directional antenna, the apparatus further including means for steering said antenna to point towards a signal source according to a property of the one or more communications channels demodulated by the communications demodulator.

12. Apparatus for receiving real-time broadcasts on aircraft, said apparatus comprising decoding means for separating broadcast data from other data contained within a signal received on-board the aircraft, in which the broadcast data comprises a signal allocated a frequency sub-band separate from the frequency sub-band allocated to the signal comprising the other data, wherein the decoding means is operable to separate the data relating to the broadcast from the other data by splitting the signal received on-board the aircraft into signals in the respective frequency sub-bands, and the decoding means is further operable to direct the signals in the respective frequency sub-bands to a respective demodulator.

13. A method of providing real-time broadcasts to aircraft comprising the steps of:

transmitting a signal via a satellite to an aircraft, the signal including communications data and broadcast data, wherein the communications data is separate in frequency from the broadcast data;

receiving the signal on-board the aircraft;

separating the broadcast data from the communications data; and

processing the separated broadcast data so as to distribute the broadcast on-board the aircraft.