# US 11,909,500 B2 · Method and apparatus for interworking between multiple drone communications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,500 B2 - Document ID: US11909500B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/526,666 - Filed: 2021-11-15 - Published: 2022-12-22 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-06-16 - Assignees: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute - Applicants: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute - Inventors: Hee Wook Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909500B2 ## CPC - H04B 7/18506: {Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service} - H04W 36/00692: {using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] (allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035)} - H04W 36/083: {wherein at least one of the access points is a moving node} - H04W 36/302: {due to low signal strength} - H04W 76/15: Setup of multiple wireless link connections - H04W 76/22: Manipulation of transport tunnels - H04W 76/32: Release of transport tunnels - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract An operation method of a first communication node may comprise: establishing a first wireless connection with a GCS; establishing a second wireless connection with the GCS; transmitting and receiving data to and from the GCS through a first end-to-end connection based on the first wireless connection; reporting a communication quality of the first wireless connection to the GCS; receiving a link switch request from the GCS; switching a link from the first wireless connection to the second wireless connection based on the link switch request; and transmitting and receiving data through a second end-to-end connection based on the second wireless connection. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An operation method of a first communication node, the operation method comprising: establishing a first wireless connection with a ground control station (GCS); establishing a second wireless connection with the GCS; transmitting and receiving data to and from the GCS through a first end-to-end connection based on the first wireless connection; reporting a communication quality of the first wireless connection to the GCS; receiving a link switch request from the GCS; switching a link from the first wireless connection to the second wireless connection based on the link switch request; and transmitting and receiving data through a second end-to-end connection based on the second wireless connection. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The operation method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting and receiving of data to and from the GCS through a first end-to-end connection comprises: receiving a request of mobility connection from the GCS; establishing the first end-to-end connection based on the first wireless connection with the GCS according to the request of mobility connection; transmitting a mobility connection completion in response to the request of mobility connection to the GCS; and transmitting and receiving data to and from the GCS through the first end-to-end connection established in response to the request of mobility connection. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The operation method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting and receiving data through a second end-to-end connection based on the second wireless connection comprises: establishing the second end-to-end connection with the GCS based on the second wireless connection; switching the link from the first wireless connection to the second wireless connection; and transmitting and receiving data to and from the GCS through the second end-to-end connection. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The operation method according to claim 3, further comprising releasing the first end-to-end connection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The operation method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting and receiving data through a second end-to-end connection based on the second wireless connection comprises: releasing the first end-to-end connection; switching the link to the second wireless connection by releasing the first wireless connection according to the release of the first end-to-end connection; establishing the second end-to-end connection with the GCS based on the second wireless connection; and transmitting and receiving application data to and from the GCS through the second end-to-end connection. ### Claim 6 An operation method of a second communication node, the operation method comprising: establishing a first wireless connection with a first communication node; establishing a first end-to-end connection between the first communication node and a first ground control station (GCS) based on the first wireless connection; relaying transmission and reception of data between the first communication node and the first GCS through the first end-to-end connection; and in response to receiving a link switch request from the first GCS based on a communication quality of the first wireless connection, releasing the first end-to-end connection. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The operation method according to claim 6, wherein the establishing a first end-to-end connection between the first communication node and a first GCS based on the first wireless connection comprises: receiving a request of mobility connection based on the first wireless connection from the first GCS; transmitting the received request of mobility connection to the first communication node; establishing the first end-to-end connection between the first communication node and the first GCS upon receiving a response to the request of mobility connection from the first communication node; receiving a mobility connection completion from the first communication node; and transmitting the received mobility connection completion to the first GCS. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The operation method according to claim 6, wherein the releasing the first end-to-end connection comprises: receiving a communication quality of the first wireless connection from the first communication node; transmitting the received communication quality of the first wireless connection to the first GCS; receiving a link switch request from the first GCS; transmitting the received link switch request to the first communication node; and releasing the first end-to-end connection without receiving a response from the first communication node. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The operation method according to claim 6, further comprising: relaying a handover negotiation between the first GCS and a second GCS in cooperation with the first communication node; and synchronizing the first GCS and the second GCS in cooperation with the first communication node. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The operation method according to claim 9, wherein the relaying a handover negotiation comprises: receiving a handover negotiation request from the first GCS, and transmitting the handover negotiation request to the second GCS via the first communication node; and receiving a handover completion from the second GCS via the first communication node, and transmitting the handover completion to the first GCS. ### Claim 11 A first communication node comprising: a processor; a memory electronically communicating with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory, wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the first communication node to: establish a first wireless connection with a ground control station (GCS); establish a second wireless connection with the GCS; transmit and receive data to and from the GCS through a first end-to-end connection based on the first wireless connection; report a communication quality of the first wireless connection to the GCS; receive a link switch request from the GCS; switch a link from the first wireless connection to the second wireless connection based on the link switch request; and transmit and receive data through a second end-to-end connection based on the second wireless connection. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The first communication node according to claim 11, wherein in the transmitting and receiving of the data through the first end-to-end connection, the instructions cause the first communication node to: receive a request of mobility connection from the GCS; establish the first end-to-end connection based on the first wireless connection with the GCS according to the request of mobility connection; transmit a mobility connection completion in response to the request of mobility connection to the GCS; and transmit and receive data to and from the GCS through the first end-to-end connection established in response to the request of mobility connection. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The first communication node according to claim 11, wherein in the transmitting and receiving of the data through the second end-to-end connection, the instructions cause the first communication node to: establish the second end-to-end connection with the GCS based on the second wireless connection; switch the link from the first wireless connection to the second wireless connection; and transmit and receive data to and from the GCS through the second end-to-end connection. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The first communication node according to claim 11, wherein in the transmitting and receiving of the data through the second end-to-end connection, the instructions cause the first communication node to: release the first end-to-end connection; switch the link to the second wireless connection by releasing the first wireless connection according to the release of the first end-to-end connection; establish the second end-to-end connection with the GCS based on the second wireless connection; and transmit and receive application data to and from the GCS through the second end-to-end connection.