Patent Publication Number: US-2009221285-A1

Title: Communications system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/032,666, filed on Feb. 29, 2008, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention generally relates to a communications system, and more particularly, to a communications system with a communication device on an aircraft that receives and retransmits a signal. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Generally, there are a limited number of available frequencies for wirelessly transmitting data, and thus, the frequency bandwidths that are available for communication purposes are also limited. One exemplary way of wirelessly transmitting data is the use of satellites, wherein the satellites typically receive and retransmit data. Exemplary types of satellites can include satellites having geostationary orbits (GEOs), highly elliptical orbits (HEOs), low Earth orbits (LEOs), which provide a service to a particular geographical area on the Earth. Thus, data can be transmitted from a position on the Earth, wherein the data is received and retransmitted by the satellite, and the retransmitted data is received by another device in a particular geographical area on the Earth based upon the satellite&#39;s orbital position. 
     Generally, terrestrial repeaters can be used to supplement satellite transmissions, which receive and retransmit the transmitted data using a radio frequency (RF) signal. Typically, the terrestrial repeaters are used to retransmit data, such that the data can be received in gaps where data retransmitted by the satellite cannot be received. Generally, the satellite transmissions require a given amount of bandwidth and the terrestrial repeaters require additional non-overlapping bandwidth in order to deliver the service information. The amount of bandwidth typically required can be dependent upon the type of service information that is being broadcast. 
     Typically, the satellites used for broadcasting audio and video content via satellite are expensive to develop, manufacture, and launch into orbit. It can also be difficult and expensive to upgrade or fix hardware on the satellite once the satellite is in orbit. Further, it can be expensive and difficult due to governmental regulations to develop a terrestrial repeater infrastructure to provide geographical locations with the transmitted data, which cannot otherwise receive the data via the satellite as the satellite travels through the orbital path. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a communications system is provided that includes at least one transmitter configured to transmit at least one signal, at least one receiver configured to receive at least one of the at least one transmitted signal, and at least one communication device configured to receive and retransmit the at least one transmittal signal, wherein the at least one communication device is mobile and operates at an altitude in the range of approximately 1,000 feet to 65,000 feet above Earth&#39;s surface. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a communications system is provided that includes at least one transmitter configured to transmit at least one signal, at least one receiver configured to receive the at least one transmitted signal, and a plurality of aircraft that are mobile and include at least one communication device configured to receive and retransmit the at least one transmitted signal, wherein the plurality of aircraft include at least one of a passenger aircraft and a cargo aircraft. The communications system further includes a controller configured to monitor a flight path of at least a portion of the plurality of aircraft, wherein the controller selects at least one communication device as an active communication device based upon the monitored flight path, such that the selected active communication device receives and retransmits the at least one transmitted signal. 
     According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of communicating signals using an aircraft is provided that includes the steps of transmitting at least one signal, and receiving the at least one transmitted signal by at least one communication device when the at least one communication device is at an altitude in the range of approximately 1,000 feet to 65,000 feet above Earth&#39;s surface. The method further includes the steps of retransmitting the received signal by the at least one communication device, and receiving the retransmitted signal. 
     These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an environmental view of a communications system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is another environmental view of the communications system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of the communications system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating a method of communicating signals using an aircraft in the communications system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In regards to  FIGS. 1-3 , a communications system is generally shown at reference identifier  10 . The communications system  10  includes at least one transmitter generally indicated at  12 , which is configured to transmit at least one signal. Further, the communications system  10  includes at least one receiver generally indicated at  14  that is configured to receive the at least one transmitted signal. The communications system  10  also includes at least one communication device generally indicated at  16 , which is configured to receive and retransmit the at least one transmitted signal, wherein the communication device  16  is mobile and operates at an altitude in the range of approximately 1,000 feet to 65,000 feet above Earth&#39;s surface  18 , as described in greater detail herein. 
     The communication device  16  is integrated with an aircraft  20 , which generally operates at an altitude ranging up to approximately 65,000 feet with respect to the Earth&#39;s surface  18 . According to one embodiment, the communication device  16  is selected as active, when the aircraft  20  that includes the active communication device  16  is at an altitude of approximately 20,000 feet to 50,000 feet above Earth&#39;s surface  18 . According to such an exemplary embodiment, the signal retransmitted by a plurality of communication devices  16  can provide coverage to the receiver  14  across the continental United States by having approximately thirty (30) communication devices  16  on separate and adequately spaced aircraft  20 . It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the amount of active communication devices  16  can be greater or less based upon the desired geographical coverage area, the flight paths of the aircraft  20 , or other operating conditions of the communications system  10 . For purposes of explanation and not limitation, approximately sixty (60) communication devices  16  when active can provide coverage across the continental United States based upon the flight path of the aircraft  20 . 
     According to one embodiment, the aircraft  20  is at least one of a passenger airliner and a cargo airliner. According to such an embodiment, a passenger airliner can be a commercial passenger airliner, a private passenger airliner, a military passenger airliner, a governmental passenger airliner, the like, or a combination thereof, wherein the passenger airliner includes a flight crew and passengers, along with minimal, if any, freight cargo. Similarly, in such an embodiment, the cargo airliner can be a commercial cargo airliner, a private cargo airliner, a military cargo airliner, a governmental cargo airliner, the like, or a combination thereof, wherein the cargo airliner includes a flight crew and freight cargo, along with minimal, if any, passengers, with respect to the amount of freight cargo being transported. Thus, the communication device  16  is integrated with the aircraft  20 , wherein making the communication device  16  mobile and locating the communication device  16  in a designated area is not the main objective of the aircraft  20  (i.e., the aircraft  20  is primarily intended for transporting passengers or cargo). 
     The communications system  10  also includes a controller generally indicated at  22 , which monitors a flight path of the communication device  16 , and thus, the aircraft  20 . Typically, the controller  22  selects at least one active communication device  16 , wherein the active communication device  16  receives and retransmits the transmitted signal based upon the monitored and scheduled flight path of the aircraft  20 . According to one embodiment, the controller  22  is part of or communicates with the air traffic control system that is used to monitor aircraft during flight, and includes hardware, such as a processor  21  and a memory storage device  23  that includes one or more executable software routines, for determining which communication devices  16  should be active or inactive. 
     The communication device  16  can further be configured to receive and process the at least one transmitted signal, according to one embodiment. Thus, the communication device, whether active or inactive, can receive the transmitted signal from the transmitter  12 . Once the communication device  16  receives the signal from the transmitter  12 , the communication device  16  processes the received signal to produce an output that is broadcast in the aircraft  20  based upon the transmitted signal. The broadcasted output can be an audio output, a video output, or a combination thereof. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the received signal that is processed to broadcast the output in the aircraft  20  can be communicated from the communication device  16  to other desirable components or devices in the aircraft  20  by wire transmission, fiberoptics transmission, the like, or a combination thereof. 
     According to one embodiment, the receiver  14  is integrated with a vehicle  24 . Thus, when the signal is transmitted by the transmitter and received and retransmitted by the communication device  16 , the receiver  14  can receive the retransmitted signal and broadcast an output. The broadcasted output can be an audio output, a video output, or a combination thereof. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the receiver  14  can be a mobile or non-mobile receiver, such that the receiver  14  can be a handheld mobile device, integrated with other mobile devices, or a stationary receiver, such as a receiver in a user&#39;s dwelling. 
     Additionally, the communications system  10  can include at least one terrestrial repeater  26  and at least one satellite  28 . Thus, the terrestrial repeater  26  can receive a signal from the transmitter  12  and retransmit the signal so that the receiver  14  can receive the data contained in the signal when the receiver  14  is positioned to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal, rather than the signal being retransmitted by the communication device  16  and the satellite  28 . Additionally, the satellite  28  can be used to retransmit the signal received from the transmitter  12 . Thus, the satellite  28  can be used, such that the active communication devices  16  supplement the coverage area of the satellite  28 , or the satellite  28  supplements the coverage area of the active communication devices  16 . 
     According to one embodiment, the communication device  16  receives the signal directly from the transmitter  12 . According to an alternate embodiment, the transmitter  12  transmits the signal to the satellite  28 , which receives and retransmits the signal, wherein the retransmitted signal is received by the communication device  16 , and can again be retransmitted. In such an embodiment, the controller  22  can select the communication device  16  to be active or inactive via the transmitter  12  and the satellite  28 , or via the transmitter  12  only. 
     In regards to  FIG. 3 , the transmitter  12  can include source data  30 , which is contained in the transmitted signal and is the content of the broadcasted output. The transmitter  12  can modulate the source data  30  using a modulator  32  in order to facilitate the transmission of the signal. The signal is then transmitted from the transmitter  12  and received or uplinked by the communication device  16 . According to one embodiment, the communication device  16  can process the signal using a signal processor  33 , and broadcast an output based upon the received signal from the transmitter  12 . Additionally, the communication device  16  downlinks the signal, which is received by the receiver  14 . The receiver  14  can include at least one antenna  34  configured to receive the signal, and a demodulator  36  configured to demodulate the received signal. Thus, the receiver  14  can emit an output based upon the signal transmitted by the transmitter  12  (i.e., the source data  30 ). 
     According to one embodiment, the communication system  10  includes hardware circuiting, one or more executable software routine, or a combination thereof to modulate, encode, interleave, the like, or a combination thereof the signal transmitted from the transmitter  12  and received by the receiver  14 . By way of explanation and not limitation, the signal can be formed or modulated as in a signal in a Digital Video Broadcasting-Satellite service to Handheld (DVB-SH) system, a Digital Satellite Broadcast (DSB) system, a Satellite Digital Audio Radio (SDAR) system, a MediaFLO (Forward Link Only) system, or the like. Exemplary systems and methods are U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0195868 entitled, “METHOD TO INCREASE PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY DATA IN A HIERARCHAL MODULATION SCHEME,” and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0025089 entitled, “METHOD TO RECEIVE LOCAL INFORMATION WITH A NATIONAL BROADCAST SERVICE,” which the entire disclosures are hereby incorporated herein by reference 
     With respect to  FIGS. 1-4 , a method of communicating a signal using the aircraft  20  is generally shown in  FIG. 4  at  100 . The method  100  starts at step  102 , and proceeds to step  104 , wherein the signal is transmitted. At decision step  106 , it is determined if the communication device  16  is selected as active. Typically, the controller  22  selects at least one communication device  16  to be active based upon the location and flight path of the aircraft  20 . 
     If it is determined at decision step  106  that the communication device  16  is selected as active, then the method  100  proceeds to step  108 , wherein the signal is received by the communication device  16 . At step  110 , the communication device  16  retransmits the signal. According to one embodiment, at step  112 , an output can be broadcast in the aircraft  20  based upon the received transmitted signal. The method  100  then proceeds to step  114 , wherein the retransmitted signal is received by the receiver  14 . The receiver  14  then broadcasts an output based upon the received retransmitted signal at step  116 , and the method  100  then ends at step  118 . 
     However, if it is determined at decision step  106  that the communication device is not selected as active, then the method  100  proceeds to step  120 , wherein the communication device  16  receives the signal. According to one embodiment, the inactive communication device  16  can broadcast an output in the aircraft  20  based upon the received signal at step  122 . The method  100  then ends at step  118 . It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that if it is determined at decision step  106  that the communication device  16  is inactive, the inactive communication device  16  does not need to receive the signal if it is not desired to broadcast an output on the aircraft  20 , and the method ends at step  118 . 
     Advantageously, the communications system  10  and method  100  use existing aircraft infrastructure (i.e., the aircraft  20  and the air traffic control system) to receive and retransmit the signal from the transmitter  12  with the addition of the communication device  16  on the aircraft  20 . Further, the signal transmitted by the transmitter  12  can be processed by the communication device  16  to provide real-time programming to the passengers on the aircraft  20 . Additionally, the communication device  16  is recoverable, since it remains on the aircraft  20 , and is easily accessible for maintenance and upgrading when the aircraft  20  is not in use. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additional or alternative advantages may exist based upon the communications system  10  and method  100 . Additionally, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above devices in the communications system  10  and method  100  can be used in other combinations not explicitly stated herein. 
     The above description is considered that of preferred embodiments only. Modifications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents.