VDL2 Power Control

A computer program product comprising a tangible computer useable hardware medium including control logic stored therein, the control logic when executed by one or more processors causing the processor to perform operations to control power of a digital datalink system within an aeronautical telecommunication network, the operations comprising:

• determining a channel spatial capacity requirement of the ground-based communication station;
• determining a transmission power of the ground-based communication station based on the spatial capacity requirement;
• issuing information representing the determined transmission power to a plurality of air-based communication stations within a coverage area zone of the ground-based communication station, wherein a transmission power of each of the air-based communication stations is calculated and set to a decibel level higher than or equal to the transmission power of the ground-based communication station;
• and
• receiving data from each of the air-based communication stations.

A method in an air-based communication station for power control of a digital datalink system within an aeronautical telecommunication network, comprising:

• receiving data from one or more ground-based communication stations, wherein the data represents the respective transmission powers of the ground-based communication stations;
• selecting a ground-based communication station from the plurality of ground-based communication stations;
• calculating a transmission power of the air-based communication station based on the transmission power of the selected ground-based communication station;
• wherein the transmission power of the air-based communication station is calculated and set to a fixed decibel level higher than or equal to the transmission power of the ground-based communication station;
• and
• issuing information to the selected ground-based communication station.

An air-based communication station, comprising:

• a receiver module configured to receive data from one or more ground-based communication stations, wherein the data represents respective transmission powers of the ground-based communication stations;
• a processor configured to select a ground-based communication station from the one or more ground-based communication stations and calculate a transmission power of the air-based communication station based on the transmission power of the selected ground-based communication station;
• wherein the transmission power of the air-based communication station is calculated and set to a decibel level higher than or equal to the transmission power of the ground-based communication station;
• and
• a transmitter module configured to issue information to the selected ground-based communication station.