Patent ID: 9215008
Filing Date: 2015-12-15
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. A free space line of site communication system for communicating between a first destination and a second destination comprising: a constellation of a plurality of airborne platforms in a serial formation, each travelling between the first and the second destinations at a substantially constant speed and distance relative to each other, each of the plurality of airborne platforms comprising: one or more inter-airborne platform optical or radio frequency (RF) transceivers for free space optical or RF communication with a previous and a next neighboring airborne platforms, wherein each inter-airborne platform is capable of adjusting its velocity to keep a substantially constant speed and distance relative to its neighboring airborne platforms, and one or more up/down link transceivers for communication with multiple ground sites, each ground site having two or more ground optical or RF transceivers, wherein when a first airborne platform travels to become closest airborne platform to the first destination the first airborne platform starts communicating with the first destination, and when a second airborne platform travels to become closest to the second destination the second airborne platform starts communicating with the second destination, and wherein the number of airborne platforms is a function of the distance between the first destination and the second destination and an elevation angle from the ground at the first destination to a predetermined initial position for the first airborne platform.