Concentric cells in a wireless communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11570631-B2
Application number	US-202117167628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2021
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

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,
wherein the base stations comprise:
a first antenna array comprising a first set of four antennas installed at four respective different 90 degree sectors to define 360 degrees of coverage around the base station between the horizon and a first elevation angle, the first antenna array forming a first cell coverage area; and
a second antenna array configured at an uptilt elevation angle, the second antenna array comprising a second set of four antennas installed at four respective different 90 degree sectors to define 360 degrees of coverage around the base station to form a second cell coverage area.

2. The network of claim 1 , wherein the second cell coverage area extends above the first elevation angle and is concentric with the first cell coverage area.

3. The network of claim 2 , wherein the first cell coverage area and the second cell coverage area each extend away from the base stations substantially a same radial distance.

4. The network of claim 3 , wherein the radial distance is at least 100 miles.

5. The network of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna array and the second antenna array each employ different respective radios to enable the first and second antenna arrays to transmit signals concurrently.

6. The network of claim 1 , wherein the first and second cell coverage areas overlap each other at an overlap region that extends radially away from the base stations and that extends in elevation as radial distance from the base stations increases.

7. The network of claim 1 , wherein the second antenna array is configured to transmit signals at a higher elevation and vertical beam width than the first set of four antennas of the first antenna array at a given radial distance from the base stations.

8. The network of claim 1 , wherein the base stations are geographically separated to overlap each other to provide complete horizontal plane coverage of a geographic area.

9. The network of claim 1 , wherein each of the base stations of the network includes a corresponding instance of the first antenna array and the second antenna array and a sky cell providing coverage directly above the each of the base stations.

10. The network of claim 1 , wherein the second cell coverage area extends from the first elevation angle to a second elevation angle.

11. The network of claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the base stations further comprises a patch antenna providing coverage from the second elevation angle to a zenith directly above the at least one of the base stations.

12. The network of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined altitude is about 45,000 ft.

13. The network of claim 1 , wherein the first and second cell coverage areas each cover a range of altitudes that increase as radial distance from the base stations increases.

14. The network of claim 13 , wherein the second cell coverage area extends over a first range of altitudes that is overlaid above a second range of altitudes associated with the first cell coverage area.

15. The network of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna array and the second antenna array are configured such that the first cell coverage area and the second cell coverage area are concentric over a similar azimuth and combine to provide full coverage up to the predetermined altitude out to a radial distance defined from the at least one of the base stations.

16. The network of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second coverage areas has a clover shape.

17. The network of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second coverage areas has a cylindrical shape.

18. The network of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second coverage areas has a same shape.

Assignees

• Smartsky Networks LLC

Inventors

• Hyslop Douglas
• Caplan Andrew P

Classifications

• H01Q25/00

  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 title

• H01Q21/28

  Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems {(multiple beam H01Q25/00)} · CPC title

• H04W16/28

  using beam steering · CPC title

• H04W16/30 Primary

  Special cell shapes, e.g. doughnuts or ring cells · CPC title

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title