Patent ID: 7195204

Claim:
A stratospheric platform communications system having beam forming capability, said system comprising: a stratospheric aircraft; first and second downlink beacons generated by said beam forming capability, said first and second downlink beacons having actual position information; a first tracking site for acquiring and tracking said first downlink beacon said first tracking site having a first gimbaled antenna; a second tracking site spaced a predetermined distance from said first tracking site, said second tracking site for acquiring and tracking said second downlink beacon, the second tracking site having a second gimbaled antenna; said first and second tracking sites respectively generating a first set of azimuth and elevation data relative to tracking the first beacon with the first gimbaled antenna and a second set of azimuth and elevation data relative to tracking the second beacon with the second gimbaled antenna; and a processor in communication with said first and secord tracking sites and said stratospheric aircraft, said processor receiving said first set of azimuth and elevation data and said second set of azimuth and elevation data from said first and second tracking sites to calculate an error between said actual position and a desired position from said first set of azimuth and elevation data and said second set of azimuth and elevation data, said error being used by said processor to calculate a correction command that is sent to said stratospheric aircraft.