US 9,479,964 B2Granted

Methods and apparatus for mitigating fading in a broadband access system using drone/UAV platforms

AssigneeUbiqomm LLC

InventorAhmad Jalali

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Systems and methods for mitigating the effects of atmospheric conditions such as rain, fog, cloud in a broadband access system using drone/UAVs. In one embodiment, terminal and drone radio and transmission medium fixture sub-systems comprise multiple transmission media. In one embodiment, in response to changes in atmospheric conditions the drone radio sub-system switches transmission medium to reduce the effects of atmospheric conditions. In another embodiment, the terminal and drone radio sub-systems equalize the data rates among terminals in response to changes in atmospheric conditions observed by different terminals. In another embodiment, the drone radio sub-system adjusts the transmit power on the downlink to different terminal according to fading due to atmospheric conditions on each link.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A drone configured to provide broadband access to one or more terminals, the drone comprising:

at least one transmission medium fixture configured to transmit on at least one transmission medium to provide coverage to one or more terminals;
at least one radio sub-system configured to:
demodulate and decode one or more first signals received from the one or more terminals;
and
modulate and transmit one or more second signals to the one or more terminals;
and
a drone switching sub-system configured to:
switch data received at the drone to another receiving unit of the one or more terminals and/or one or more drones;
determine a specified time to switch to a second transmission medium on a downlink for at least one of the one or more terminals with less fading due to atmospheric conditions;
send information about the second transmission medium and the specified time to switch the downlink to the second transmission medium for the at least one terminal, the information configured to cause the at least one terminal to switch to the second medium on the downlink at the specified time;
and
switch to the second transmission medium on the downlink at the specified time.

9 more elements

A mobile terminal, comprising:

a processor;
a mobile terminal radio sub-system comprising at least one transmission medium fixture configured for use with at least two transmission mediums;
and
a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising one or more instructions which when executed by the processor, causes the mobile terminal to:
demodulate and decode one or more first signals received on at least one transmission medium of the at least two transmission mediums from at least one of one or more drones;
modulate and transmit one or more second signals on the at least one transmission medium to the at least one of the one or more drones;
receive a switch instruction, over a current transmission medium, from at least one drone, the switch instruction comprising one or more specified times to switch to a different transmission medium for transmission to the at least one drone;
and
wherein the at least one transmission medium fixture switches to the different transmission medium at the one or more specified times, responsive to the switch instruction.

6 more elements

A drone configured to provide broadband access to one or more terminals, the drone comprising:

at least one transmission medium fixture configured to transmit on at least one transmission medium to provide coverage to one or more terminals;
at least one radio sub-system configured to:
demodulate and decode one or more first signals received from the one or more terminals;
and
modulate and transmit one or more second signals to the one or more terminals;
and
a drone switching sub-system configured to:
switch data received at the drone to another receiving unit of the one or more terminals and/or one or more drones;
measure a received uplink signal quality to determine a change in a signal quality due to one or more atmospheric conditions;
determine a specified time to switch to a second transmission medium on an uplink for at least one of the one or more terminals with less fading due to atmospheric conditions;
send information about the second transmission medium and the specified time to switch the uplink to the second transmission medium for the at least one terminal;
and
switch to the second transmission medium on the uplink at the specified time.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/295,160Filed 3 Jun 2014 · us provisional application
Priority: 17 Apr 2014
Published: US 2015/0304885 A122 Oct 2015
Granted: 25 Oct 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification21 codes

H04W 28/04
Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control: error control
B64U 10/13
Rotorcrafts: flying platforms
H04B 7/18504
Airborne stations: aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
H04B 17/336
Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters: signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]