Concentric cells in a wireless communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10945139-B2
Application number	US-202016934620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2020
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

Aspects described herein relate to a base station for providing air-to-ground wireless communication over various altitudes. The base station includes a first antenna array comprising one or more antennas configured to form a first cell coverage area extending substantially from a horizon up to a first elevation angle away from the first antenna array to a predetermined distance from the first antenna array. The base station further includes a second antenna array configured at an uptilt elevation angle to form a second cell coverage area extending at least from the first elevation angle to a second elevation away from the second antenna array, wherein the first cell coverage area and the second cell coverage area are concentric to define the ATG cell at least to the predetermined distance and up to a predetermined elevation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air-to-ground (ATG) wireless communication network comprising:
a plurality of base stations deployed to define three dimensional coverage up to a predetermined altitude over a geographic area,
wherein a plurality of the base stations each comprise:
a first antenna array comprising one or more antennas configured to form a first cell coverage area extending away from the first antenna array at least a first predetermined distance and having an increasing vertical beamwidth between a first elevation angle and a second elevation angle as distance from the first antenna array increases, the first antenna array comprising antennas corresponding to each of at least four sectors, the at least four sectors of the first antenna array combining to define the first cell coverage area 360 degrees around the first antenna array; and
a sky cell disposed concentric with the first antenna array and defining a conical coverage area with an apex of the cone at a respective one of the base stations, the sky cell providing coverage above the second elevation angle 360 degrees around the sky cell.

2. The network of claim 1 , further comprising a second antenna array at a downtilt elevation angle relative to the first antenna array,
wherein the second antenna array forms a second cell coverage area that extends away from the second antenna array by at least a second predetermined distance and also has the increasing vertical beamwidth between the first elevation angle and the horizon as the distance from the second antenna array increases,
wherein the first and second cell coverage areas are concentric with each other.

3. The network of claim 2 , wherein the first cell coverage area, the conical coverage area and the second cell coverage area form a continuous coverage area from the horizon to the predetermined altitude at least to the second predetermined distance.

4. The network of claim 2 , wherein a first and second cell coverage areas overlap each other about the second elevation angle.

5. The network of claim 2 , wherein the first and second predetermined distances are substantially a same radial distance.

6. The network of claim 5 , wherein the radial distance is at least 100 miles.

7. The network of claim 2 , wherein the first antenna array, the sky cell and the second antenna array each employ different operational frequencies to enable the first and second antenna arrays and the sky cell to transmit signals concurrently.

8. The network of claim 2 , wherein the base stations each further comprise a radio having a switch, the switch being configured to switch between activation of the first antenna array, the sky cell and the second antenna array in order to maintain communication with a moving aircraft as the moving aircraft moves between the first coverage area, the conical coverage area and the second coverage area.

9. The network of claim 2 , wherein a difference between the first elevation angle and the second elevation angle defines about 5 to 10 degrees of vertical beamwidth.

10. The network of claim 2 , wherein the first and second cell coverage areas overlap each other at an overlap region that extends radially away from a corresponding one of the base stations and that extends in elevation as radial distance from the corresponding one of the base stations increases.

11. The network of claim 2 , wherein the first antenna array is configured to transmit signals at a higher elevation and vertical beamwidth than antennas of the second antenna array at a given radial distance from the base station.

12. The network of claim 2 , wherein the second antenna array comprises antennas corresponding to each of at least four sectors, the at least four sectors of the second antenna array combining to define the second cell coverage area 360 degrees around the second antenna array.

13. The network of claim 12 , wherein the at least four sectors of the first antenna array are substantially aligned with the at least four sectors of the second antenna array.

14. The network of claim 2 , wherein the first and second antenna arrays each comprise independent radio.

15. A base station in an air-to-ground (ATG) wireless communication network, the base station comprising:
a first antenna array comprising one or more antennas configured to form a first cell coverage area extending away from the first antenna array at least a first predetermined distance and having an increasing vertical beamwidth between a first elevation angle and a second elevation angle as distance from the first antenna array increases, the first antenna array comprising antennas corresponding to each of at least four sectors, the at least four sectors of the first antenna array combining to define the first cell coverage area 360 degrees around the base station; and
a sky cell disposed concentric with the first antenna array and defining a conical coverage area with an apex of the cone at the base station, the sky cell providing coverage above the second elevation angle 360 degrees around the base station.

16. The base station of claim 15 , further comprising a second antenna array at a downtilt elevation angle relative to the first antenna array,
wherein the second antenna array forms a second cell coverage area that extends away from the second antenna array by at least a second predetermined distance and also has the increasing vertical beamwidth between the first elevation angle and the horizon as the distance from the second antenna array increases,
wherein the first and second cell coverage areas are concentric with each other.

17. The base station of claim 16 , wherein the first cell coverage area, the conical coverage area and the second cell coverage area form a continuous coverage area from the horizon to the predetermined altitude at least to the second predetermined distance.

18. The base station of claim 16 , wherein the first antenna array, the sky cell and the second antenna array each employ different operational frequencies to enable the first and second antenna arrays and the sky cell to transmit signals concurrently.

19. The base station of claim 16 , further comprising a radio having a switch, the switch being configured to switch between activation of the first antenna array, the sky cell and the second antenna array in order to maintain communication with a moving aircraft as the moving aircraft moves between the first coverage area, the conical coverage area and the second coverage area.

20. The base station of claim 16 , wherein the second antenna array comprises antennas corresponding to each of at least four sectors, the at least four sectors of the second antenna array combining to define the second cell coverage area 360 degrees around the base station, and
wherein the at least four sectors of the first antenna array are substantially aligned with the at least four sectors of the second antenna array.

Assignees

• Smartsky Networks LLC

Inventors

• Hyslop Douglas
• Caplan Andrew P

Classifications

• H04W16/24

  Cell structures · CPC title

• H04B7/18506

  Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service · CPC title

• H04W88/08

  Access point devices · CPC title

• H01Q1/246

  specially adapted for base stations · CPC title

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title