Soft handoff method and apparatus for mobile vehicles using directional antennas
US8280309B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 21, 2005 |
| Grant date | Oct 2, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 10, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W84/06
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for implementing soft handoffs in a communications system on a mobile platform. The system employs an antenna controller in communication with a beam forming network that generates two independently aimable lobes from a single beam. The single beam is radiated by a phased array antenna on the mobile platform. In an Air-to-Ground implementation involving an aircraft, a base transceiver station (BTS) look-up position table is utilized to provide the locations of a plurality of BTS sites within a given region that the aircraft is traversing. The antenna controller controls the beam forming network to generate dual lobes from the single beam that facilitate making a soft handoff from one BTS site to another. In a ground-based application, one lobe of the beam is used to maintain a communications link with one BTS site while a second lobe of the beam is continuously scanned about a predetermined arc to receive RF signals from other BTS sites and to determine when a new BTS site has become available that will provide a higher quality link than the link presently made with the one BTS site. A soft handoff is then implemented from the one BTS site to the new BTS site.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.