Patent ID: 7454202
Filing Date: 2008-11-18
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. A method for providing communication and surveillance services to a mobile platform, said method comprising: substantially simultaneously communicating between a plurality of ground based antennas and a plurality of satellites, each ground based antenna communicating with a related one of the satellites; substantially simultaneously transmitting each of a plurality of return link signals from at least one multi-faceted electronically scanned antenna including a plurality of facets that each include a plurality of signal transmitting patch elements to a different one of the satellites, the multi-faceted electronically scanned antenna included in a mobile platform communication system onboard a mobile platform; and steering the return link signals toward the satellites utilizing a beam steering controller of the mobile platform communication system, the controller operable to scan the multi-faceted electronically scanned antenna and continuously determine which facet is active during a specific period of time; wherein substantially simultaneously transmitting the return signals from the multi-faceted electronically scanned antenna to the satellites comprises transmitting at least one of messaging data packets and geolocation data via the return link signals; the method further comprising substantially simultaneously communicating between the ground based antennas and a ground based substation; wherein substantially simultaneously communicating between the ground based antennas and a ground based substation comprises: receiving the return link signals at the ground based antennas; transmitting the messaging data packets from the ground based antennas to a plurality of receivers, each ground based antenna transmitting the messaging data packets to a related one of the receivers; discarding duplicate messaging data packets utilizing a duplicate packet processor communicatively connected to each of the receivers; discarding corrupted messaging data packets utilizing the duplicate packet processor; and compiling the messaging data packets utilizing the duplicate packet processor.