Patent · US Expired

Stratospheric platforms based mobile communications architecture

US6756937B1 · kind B1 · utility

33Cited by
113References
58Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 6, 2000
Grant dateJun 29, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 14, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04B7/2041
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A communication system including a first transceiver located on a first platform at a predetermined altitude. A first antenna is located on the first platform and connected to the first transceiver. A second antenna is connected to the other end of the first transceiver. A second transceiver is located on a ground hub physically and independent of the first platform. A third antenna is located on the ground hub and connected to the second transceiver. The third antenna is adapted to communicate with the second antenna. The first platform is maintained in a stratospheric orbit. A beamforming system is connected to the second transceiver and mounted on the ground hub. The beamforming system provides a beamformed signal from the second transceiver to the first transceiver effective to drive the first array antenna to radiate multiple beams to a surface, whereby the multiple beams create time varying and dissimilar footprints thereon. A second antenna is mounted on the first platform to receive the beamformed signal from the ground hub. The beamforming system is adapted to drive the first antenna to generate plural beams on the earth's surface, each beam providing a respective footprin…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.