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

Claim 19:
20. An airborne wireless service area, comprising:
an airborne fleet comprised of multiple aircraft having 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 multiple 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 provide the communication payload functionality of the failed smaller communication payload section,
the distributed communication payload comprising:
payload control electronics including a controller to centrally manage operation of the airborne wireless service area; and
a plurality of ground communication cells,
wherein the ground communication cells are characterized by having radio frequency (RF) beams having a frequency used for communications and having corresponding frequency band, channel, bandwidth, transmission format, uneven angular field intensity distribution, and boundaries,
wherein the multiple aircraft comprise equipment configured to transmit the RF beams into at least one of ground or air space within the plurality of ground communication cells and to receive RF communication signals from wireless communication devices within any of the plurality of ground communication cells,
wherein smaller communication payload sections of the payload control electronics that manage at least one of transmitting the RF beams or receiving the communication signals are distributed among at least two of the multiple aircraft, and
wherein a size and shape of at least some of the plurality of ground communication cells are altered by transmitting a reshaped RF beam.