# US 11,121,767 B2 · Handling signals received on paths with differing numbers of hops

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- Number: US 11,121,767 B2
- Document ID: US11121767B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/929,251
- Filed: 2020-04-03
- Published: 2021-02-25
- Granted: 2021-09-14
- Earliest claimed: 2017-10-04
- Assignees: Skywave Networks LLC
- Applicants: Skywave Networks LLC
- Inventors: Kevin J. Babich
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11121767B2

## CPC

- H04B 7/22: Scatter propagation systems {, e.g. ionospheric, tropospheric or meteor scatter}
- H04B 7/24: for communication between two or more posts (wireless communication networks H04W)
- H04B 7/028: {Spatial transmit diversity using a single antenna at the transmitter}
- H04L 1/06: using space diversity
- G06Q 40/04: Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A wireless communication system includes a first wireless communication node for transmitting a data signal that is sent to a second wireless communication node by skywave propagation over at least two different data transmission paths. The first data transmission path includes at least one reflection point where the data signal is reflected by the atmosphere and the second data transmission path includes more reflection points than the first data transmission path. The data signal that travelled along the first data transmission path is decoded before the data signal that travelled along the second data transmission path.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a first wireless communication node for transmitting a data signal as an electromagnetic wave, wherein said data signal is sent over a first data transmission path and a second data transmission path using skywave propagation;
a second wireless communication node configured to receive and decode the data signal transmitted from the first wireless communication node;
wherein the first data transmission path includes at least one reflection point wherein the data signal is reflected by the atmosphere;
wherein the second data transmission path includes more reflection points than the first data transmission path;
wherein the second wireless communication node is configured to measure a first arrival angle of the data signal from the first data transmission path;
wherein the second wireless communication node is configured to measure a second arrival angle of the data signal from the second data transmission path;
wherein the second wireless communication node is configured to determine the first data transmission path has fewer hops than the second data transmission path based on the first arrival angle and the second arrival angle;
wherein the second wireless communication node is configured to designate a decoding order based on the first data transmission path having fewer hops than the second data transmission path; and
wherein the second wireless communication node is configured to start decoding the data signal from the first data transmission path before the data signal from the second transmission path based on the decoding order.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the data signal sent over the second data transmission path is decoded only if the data signal sent over the first data transmission path is not decoded correctly.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first data transmission path includes two reflection points.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the second data transmission path includes three reflection points.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the reflection point is a location at which the electromagnetic wave is refracted by the ionosphere of the earth so that the electromagnetic wave begins to travel back to the surface of the earth.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the data signal includes financial trading data.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first arrival angle is less than the second arrival angle.

### Claim 8

A method comprising:
transmitting a data signal from a first wireless communication node, wherein said data signal is sent over a first data transmission path and a second data transmission path using skywave propagation, and wherein said first data transmission path includes at least one reflection point wherein the data signal is reflected by the atmosphere and the second data transmission path includes more reflection points than the first data transmission path;
receiving the data signal from the first data transmission path and the second data transmission path at a second wireless communication node;
measuring one or more properties of the data signal from the first data transmission path and the data signal from the second data transmission path with the second wireless communication node;
wherein the properties include arrival angle;
determining the first data transmission path has fewer hops than the second data transmission path based on the properties;
deciding a decoding order based on the determining the first data transmission path has fewer hops with the second wireless communication node;
wherein the deciding a decoding order includes designating that decoding of the data signal from the first data transmission path starts before decoding of the data signal from the second data transmission path; and
decoding the data signal from the first data transmission path.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein decoding the data signal from the second data transmission path begins after decoding the data signal from the first data transmission path has been completed.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the data signal from the second data transmission path is decoded only if the data signal from the first data transmission path is not decoded correctly.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
processing the data signal from the first data transmission path if the data signal is decoded correctly.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
processing the data signal from the second data transmission path if the data signal from the first data transmission path is not decoded correctly.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the first data transmission path includes two reflection points.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the second data transmission path includes three reflection points.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the reflection point is a location at which the electromagnetic wave is refracted by the ionosphere of the earth so that the electromagnetic wave begins to travel back to the surface of the earth.

### Claim 16 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the data signal includes financial trading data.

### Claim 17 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
decoding the data signal from the second data transmission path.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the decoding the data signal from the first data transmission path starts before the decoding the data signal from the second data transmission path.

### Claim 19 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the determining the first data transmission path has fewer hops includes determining the second data transmission path has a greater arrival angle than the first data transmission path.