# US 11,308,814 B2 · HAPS cooperative flight system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,308,814 B2 - Document ID: US11308814B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/966,254 - Filed: 2019-01-22 - Published: 2020-12-03 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-06 - Assignees: SoftBank Corp. - Applicants: SoftBank Corp. - Inventors: Takafumi Fujii; Yoshichika Ota; Kenji Hoshino - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11308814B2 ## CPC - G08G 5/26: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations - H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] - G08G 5/22: located on the ground - G08G 5/56: for two or more aircraft - H04B 7/1555: {Selecting relay station antenna mode, e.g. selecting omnidirectional -, directional beams, selecting polarizations} - H04B 7/18504: {Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform} - H04L 67/125: involving control of end-device applications over a network - H04W 4/08: User group management - B64U 10/50: Glider-type UAVs, e.g. with parachute, parasail or kite (for landing B64U70/83) - B64U 50/19: using electrically powered motors - B64U 50/31: generated by photovoltaics - B64U 2101/20: for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms - B64U 2201/00: UAVs characterised by their flight controls - H04W 16/26: Cell enhancers {or enhancement}, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow - H04W 84/005: {Moving wireless networks} - H04W 84/06: Airborne or Satellite Networks (space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185) - H04W 88/04: adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user - Y04S 40/18: Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract A system and a method for suppressing a deterioration of communication quality due to frequent occurrence of handovers at cell boundaries of a plurality of cells formed by a plurality of radio relay apparatuses that can move in an upper airspace, are provided. In the system, each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses for performing a radio communication with a terminal apparatus comprises a radio relay station which is movably provided by flying in an upper airspace, forms a cell toward the ground or the sea, and performs a radio communication with a terminal apparatus located in the cell. Each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses flies in cooperation with each other so as to maintain a positional relationship between the radio relay apparatuses by an autonomous control or external control. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising a plurality of radio relay apparatuses for performing a radio communication with a terminal apparatus, wherein each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses: is a solar-plane-type or airship-type floating object movably provided by flying in an upper airspace; comprises a radio relay station for forming a cell toward the ground or the sea to perform a radio communication with a terminal apparatus located in the cell; repeatedly flies in circulation along a same cyclic flight route while forming a three-dimensional cell in a direction inclined from a vertical direction by its own rolling of the radio relay apparatus, in cooperation with each other so as to maintain a positional relationship between the radio relay apparatuses by an autonomous control or external control; and performs a cooperative flight so that a flight direction of the radio relay apparatus and an attitude with respect to the flight direction are the same among the radio relay apparatuses as each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses performs a cooperative flight so as to maintain a positional relationship between the radio relay apparatuses in a horizontal direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses performs a cooperative flight so as to maintain a positional relationship between the radio relay apparatuses in a height direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein, when a flight pattern of any one radio relay apparatus of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses changes, other radio relay apparatuses are controlled to fly in same flight pattern as the changed flight pattern of the any one radio relay apparatus. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of radio relay apparatuses are classified into a plurality of groups corresponding to plural areas different from each other on the ground or on the sea based on a position of each radio relay apparatus; and wherein the system controls a cooperative flight of the radio relay apparatuses for each group. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the system sets any one radio relay apparatus of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses as a radio relay apparatus serving as a reference for controlling the flight, and wherein the system controls all the plurality of radio relay apparatuses so as to perform a cooperative flight with each other centered on the reference radio relay apparatus. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises a management apparatus for managing the plurality of radio relay apparatuses, and wherein the management apparatus: acquires information including a current position of each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses, from each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses via a gateway station on the ground or on the sea; and transmits control information for performing the cooperative flight to each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses via the gateway station based on the information on the radio relay apparatus. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises a management apparatus for managing the plurality of radio relay apparatuses, wherein any one radio relay apparatus of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses acquires information including a current position of each of other radio relay apparatuses, from the other radio relay apparatuses, and wherein the management apparatus: acquires information including at least one of a current position, an altitude, and an attitude of each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses, from the any one radio relay apparatus via a gateway station on the ground or on the sea; and transmits control information for performing the cooperative flight to the any one radio relay apparatus via the gateway station based on the information on the radio relay apparatus, and transmits to the other radio relay apparatuses via the gateway station and the any one radio relay apparatus. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the radio relay apparatus acquires information including a current position of another radio relay apparatus located near the radio relay apparatus, from the another radio relay apparatus, and controls to fly in cooperation with the another radio relay apparatus based on the information on the radio relay apparatus. ### Claim 10 A management apparatus for managing a plurality of radio relay apparatuses that performs a radio communication with a terminal apparatus, wherein the management apparatus: acquires information including a current position of each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses that is a solar-plane-type or airship-type floating object movably provided by flying in an upper airspace and forms a cell toward the ground or the sea to perform a radio communication with a terminal apparatus located in the cell, from each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses via a gateway station on the ground or on the sea; and transmits control information for controlling so that the plurality of radio relay apparatuses repeatedly fly in circulation along a same cyclic flight route while forming a three-dimensional cell in a direction inclined from a vertical direction by its own rolling of the radio relay apparatus, in cooperation with each other so as to maintain a positional relationship between the radio relay apparatuses, and so that the plurality of radio relay apparatuses perform a cooperative flight so that a flight direction of the radio relay apparatus and an attitude with respect to the flight direction are the same among the radio relay apparatuses as each other, to each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses via the gateway station, based on the information on the plurality of radio relay apparatuses. ### Claim 11 A flight method of a plurality of radio relay apparatuses for performing a radio communication with a terminal apparatus, wherein the plurality of radio relay apparatuses, which are solar-plane-type or airship-type floating objects movably provided by flying in an upper airspace and respectively form a cell toward the ground or the sea to perform a radio communication with a terminal apparatus located in the cell, fly in cooperation with each other so as to maintain a positional relationship between the radio relay apparatuses, and repeatedly perform a cooperative flight in circulation along a same cyclic flight route while forming a three-dimensional cell in a direction inclined from a vertical direction by its own rolling so that a flight direction of the radio relay apparatus and an attitude with respect to the flight direction are the same among the radio relay apparatuses as each other, by an autonomous control or external control. ### Claim 12 A system comprising a plurality of radio relay apparatuses for performing a radio communication with a terminal apparatus, wherein each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses: is a solar-plane-type or airship-type floating object movably provided by flying in an upper airspace; comprises a radio relay station for forming a cell toward the ground or the sea to perform a radio communication with a terminal apparatus located in the cell; and repeatedly flies in circulation along a same cyclic flight route while forming a three-dimensional cell in a direction inclined from a vertical direction by its own rolling of the radio relay apparatus, in cooperation with each other so as to maintain a positional relationship between the radio relay apparatuses by an autonomous control or external control, and wherein, when a flight pattern of any one radio relay apparatus of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses changes, other radio relay apparatuses are controlled to fly in same flight pattern as the changed flight pattern of the any one radio relay apparatus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system according to claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses performs a cooperative flight so as to maintain a positional relationship between the radio relay apparatuses in a horizontal direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system according to claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses performs a cooperative flight so as to maintain a positional relationship between the radio relay apparatuses in a height direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of radio relay apparatuses are classified into a plurality of groups corresponding to plural areas different from each other on the ground or on the sea based on a position of each radio relay apparatus; and wherein the system controls a cooperative flight of the radio relay apparatuses for each group. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The system according to claim 12, wherein the system sets any one radio relay apparatus of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses as a radio relay apparatus serving as a reference for controlling the flight, and wherein the system controls all the plurality of radio relay apparatuses so as to perform a cooperative flight with each other centered on the reference radio relay apparatus. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The system according to claim 12, wherein the system comprises a management apparatus for managing the plurality of radio relay apparatuses, and wherein the management apparatus: acquires information including a current position of each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses, from each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses via a gateway station on the ground or on the sea; and transmits control information for performing the cooperative flight to each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses via the gateway station based on the information on the radio relay apparatus. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The system according to claim 12, wherein the system comprises a management apparatus for managing the plurality of radio relay apparatuses, wherein any one radio relay apparatus of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses acquires information including a current position of each of other radio relay apparatuses, from the other radio relay apparatuses, and wherein the management apparatus: acquires information including at least one of a current position, an altitude, and an attitude of each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses, from the any one radio relay apparatus via a gateway station on the ground or on the sea; and transmits control information for performing the cooperative flight to the any one radio relay apparatus via the gateway station based on the information on the radio relay apparatus, and transmits to the other radio relay apparatuses via the gateway station and the any one radio relay apparatus. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The system according to claim 12, wherein the radio relay apparatus acquires information including a current position of another radio relay apparatus located near the radio relay apparatus, from the another radio relay apparatus, and controls to fly in cooperation with the another radio relay apparatus based on the information on the radio relay apparatus. ### Claim 20 A management apparatus for managing a plurality of radio relay apparatuses that performs a radio communication with a terminal apparatus, wherein the management apparatus: acquires information including a current position of each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses that is a solar-plane-type or airship-type floating object movably provided by flying in an upper airspace and forms a cell toward the ground or the sea to perform a radio communication with a terminal apparatus located in the cell, from each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses via a gateway station on the ground or on the sea; and transmits control information for controlling so that the plurality of radio relay apparatuses repeatedly fly in circulation along a same cyclic flight route while forming a three-dimensional cell in a direction inclined from a vertical direction by its own rolling of the radio relay apparatus, in cooperation with each other so as to maintain a positional relationship between the radio relay apparatuses, and so that, when a flight pattern of any one radio relay apparatus of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses changes, other radio relay apparatuses fly in same flight pattern as the changed flight pattern of the any one radio relay apparatus, to each of the plurality of radio relay apparatuses via the gateway station, based on the information on the plurality of radio relay apparatuses.