Method for enhancing the communications efficiency of a mobile platform

A device for increasing the effective range and data rates of data packets over the communications link between the radios of an aerial platform and another aerial platform or ground platform, said device comprising:

• a plurality of high gain antennas being attached to said radios of each of said platforms,
• a plurality of processors, one of which is attached to said radios of each of said platforms, each of which has a memory and a plurality of interfaces, and configured to enable connection to each of said plurality of antennas that are connected to said platform to which said processor is attached,
• a plurality of antenna switching mechanisms, one of which is attached to said radio of each of said platforms, each of which is configured to enable switching of said radio between each of said plurality of antennas that are connected to said platform to which said switching mechanism is attached,
• a plurality of inertial measurement units that are each configured to assist in determining the orientation information of said platform to which said unit is attached, and with one of said units being attached to said radio of each of said platforms,
• a plurality of GNSS receivers that are each configured to assist in determining the navigational information of said platform to which said receiver is attached, and with one of said receivers being attached to said radios of each of said platforms,
• a plurality of pieces of software, one of which resides on each of said processors, each of which is configured to, for the platform to which said processor is attached:
• execute a control loop algorithm that constantly evaluates the received signal strength of each of said plurality of antennas and said orientation and navigational information of said platform in real-time,
• perform said antenna switching based upon said received signal strength and orientation and navigational information for said platforms,
• determine critical packets of the data packets that are required to be guaranteed for assured delivery,
• classify and prioritize the critical packets of the data packets for transmission,
• queue said critical data packets, that are required to be guaranteed for assured delivery based on said data classification, during a communication link loss for retransmission when said communication link is reestablished,
• monitor said communications link to determine the statistical characteristics of said link,
• retransmit, based on said link statistical characteristics, the critical packets when the communication link is reestablished utilizing a Guaranteed Link Protocol (GLP), and
• include the steps of, for said determined critical data packets that are required to be guaranteed for assured delivery, monitoring delivery, maintaining statistics on link quality and data buffers, and performing acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement type feedback on the delivery of said critical packets and, when necessary, retrying the sending of said critical packets until delivery is acknowledged.