Patent ID: 11968022
Assignee: SUNLIGHT AEROSPACE INC.
Field: Telecommunications (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. An airborne wireless service area, comprising:
an airborne fleet, comprised of a plurality of aircraft, wherein the airborne fleet is configured to transmit a plurality of first beams at a first radio frequency (RF), wherein the plurality of first beams are characterized by corresponding first frequency band, channel, bandwidth, transmission format, uneven angular field intensity distribution, and boundaries, wherein neighboring first beams have an overlap region, and wherein the neighboring first beams comprise at least one of a different frequency band, channel, or transmission format;
a distributed communication payload comprising requisite airborne equipment for a communication cell, wherein a total communication payload is subdivided into smaller communication payload sections being constituent subsets that are varied so as to collectively compose the entirety of the airborne equipment, wherein at least one smaller communication payload section is mounted on different ones of the plurality of aircraft, and wherein the smaller communication payload sections comprise overlapping communication payload functionality such that if a smaller communication payload section fails, remaining ones of the smaller communication payload sections are able to provide the communication payload functionality of the failed smaller communication payload section,
the distributed communication payload comprising:
a plurality of antennas to transmit the plurality of first beams and to transmit a reshaped plurality of first beams on command, and
payload control electronics to manage operation of the airborne wireless service area;, and
a plurality of first ground communication cells defined by respective boundaries of the plurality of first beams,
wherein a size and shape of at least some of the first ground communication cells are altered by transmitting the reshaped plurality of first beams; and
wherein the payload control electronics include a controller operative to centrally control a first communication payload section of the distributed communication payload located on a first aircraft of the airborne fleet and a second communication payload section of the distributed communication payload located on a second aircraft of the airborne fleet so as to operate as a single network node.