System and method for directing an adaptive antenna array

A system for directing a receiving lobe of an adaptive antenna array toward an aircraft in flight comprising:

• an aircraft tracking means for providing aircraft position information for aircraft in flight;
• an aircraft position vector calculating means for receiving said aircraft position information from said aircraft tracking means, and for calculating, based upon said aircraft position information, an aircraft position vector g;
• an antenna weight vector generating means for receiving said aircraft position vector g from said aircraft position vector calculating means and for generating, based upon said aircraft position vector g, an antenna element weight vector w;
• and
• an adaptive antenna array means comprising a plurality of antenna elements for receiving said antenna element weight vector w and for adjusting the respective weights of said elements in accordance with said weight vector w such that a receiving lobe of said adaptive antenna array means is directed toward said aircraft in flight.

A system for directing a receiving lobe of an adaptive antenna array toward an aircraft in flight comprising:

• an antenna array comprising M array elements for receiving radio frequency energy in the ISM band, wherein the gain of the Mith array element is proportional to a weight wi;
• an aircraft tracking means for providing aircraft position information for an aircraft in flight wherein said position information comprises the latitude, longitude and elevation of said aircraft in flight;
• an aircraft position vector calculator for receiving said aircraft position information and for calculating, based upon said aircraft position information, an aircraft position vector g;
• an antenna weight vector for receiving said aircraft position vector g from said aircraft position vector calculator and for generating, based upon said aircraft position vector g, an antenna element weight vector w comprising individual element weights wi;
• and
• said Mith element of said array being operative to receive said weight wi such that a receiving lobe of said adaptive antenna array means is directed toward said aircraft in flight.

A method for directing a receiving lobe of an adaptive antenna array toward an aircraft in flight comprising the steps of:

• obtaining position information for said aircraft;
• calculating a position vector g based upon said position information, said aircraft position vector g representing the direction of an aircraft from said adaptive antenna array;
• calculating a weight vector w based upon said position vector g;
• and
• providing said weight vector w to the elements of said adaptive antenna array so as to direct a receiving lobe of said adaptive antenna array toward said aircraft.