Patent ID: 8078207
Filing Date: 2011-12-13
Classification: H04B,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of automatically maintaining a line-of-sight communication channel, the method comprising: determining information about each communication resource that is accessible in a region through which a mobile system is moving, wherein the information about each communication resource includes a respective location for that respective communication resource; determining information about the mobile system, wherein the information about the mobile system includes a current location for the mobile system; performing a line-of-sight (LOS) analysis for each of the communication resources based at least in part on the respective location and a respective elevation for the respective communication resource and the current location of the mobile system and a current elevation for the mobile system, wherein the respective elevation for that respective communication resource is obtained from topological information maintained at the mobile system using the respective location for that respective communication resource and the current elevation for the mobile system is obtained from the topological information using the current location for the mobile system; and determining if a new communication link should be established with at least one of the communication resources based at least on the LOS analyses that were performed and establishing the new communication link if it is determined that the new communication link should be established.