# US 9,882,630 B2 · Overlaying an air to ground communication system on spectrum assigned to satellite systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,882,630 B2 - Document ID: US9882630B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/210,628 - Filed: 2011-08-16 - Published: 2013-02-21 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-16 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: Ahmad Jalali; Leonard N. Schiff; William G. Ames - Inventors: Ahmad Jalali; Leonard N. Schiff; William G. Ames - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882630B2 ## CPC - H04B 7/18508: {with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service} - H04B 7/18502: {Airborne stations} - H04W 16/14: Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks} - H04W 36/304: {due to measured or perceived resources with higher communication quality} - H04W 36/20: for optimising the interference level - 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 air to ground communication system provides internet access to aircraft from ground based stations. The air to ground system shares spectrum with uplink portions of a satellite communication spectrum. Interference mitigation techniques are employed to avoid interference between the ground based communications and satellite communications. Fade mitigation techniques are employed to provide communication to aircraft at low angles of elevation in the presence of rain. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for wireless communication comprising: a ground base station configured to transmit and receive signals on a satellite uplink band with an aircraft transceiver, the ground base station further configured: to handoff the aircraft transceiver to another ground base station for reducing interference to satellite communications on the satellite uplink band, when the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are aligned with a non-geostationary satellite and when the other ground base station is available for handoff; and to temporarily reduce a data rate or discontinue transmission to the aircraft transceiver until the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are no longer aligned with the non-geostationary satellite when the other ground base station is not available. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, in which the ground base station is further configured to spread transmit power across a frequency band to reduce power spectral density of transmissions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, in which the ground base station is further configured to direct transmissions away from a geostationary arc of Earth. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, further comprising: transmit antennas of the ground base station directed away from the geostationary arc. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, further comprising: receiving antennas of the ground base station directed toward the geostationary arc. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, in which the receiving antennas and transmit antennas are configured as separate antennas. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, in which the receiving antennas and transmit antennas are configured separately by beam forming on a single antenna. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, in which the ground base station is further configured for reducing interference to satellite communications by reducing a transmit power on a communication link between the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver until the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are no longer aligned with the non-geostationary satellite, the transmit power reduced when no other ground base station is available for handoff. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, in which the ground base station is further configured for reducing interference to satellite communications by directing ground base station antennas away from the equator. ### Claim 10 A system for wireless communication comprising: an aircraft transceiver in communication with a ground base station, configured to transmit and receive signals on a satellite uplink band, the aircraft transceiver further configured: to handoff to another ground base station for reducing interference to satellite communications on the satellite uplink band, when the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are aligned with a non-geostationary satellite and when the other ground base station is available for handoff; and to temporarily reduce a data rate or discontinue transmission until the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are no longer aligned with the non-geostationary satellite when the other ground base station is not available. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, in which the aircraft transceiver is further configured to spread transmit power across a frequency band to reduce power spectral density of transmissions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, in which the aircraft transceiver is further configured to direct transmissions away from a geostationary arc of Earth. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, further comprising: transmit antennas of the aircraft transceiver directed away from the geostationary arc. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising: receiving antennas of the aircraft transceiver directed toward the geostationary arc. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, in which the receiving antennas and transmit antennas are configured as separate antennas. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, in which the receiving antennas and transmit antennas are configured separately by beam forming on a single antenna. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, in which the aircraft transceiver is further configured for reducing interference to satellite communications by reducing a transmit power on a communication link between the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver until the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are no longer aligned with the non-geostationary satellite, the transmit power reduced when no other ground base station is available for handoff. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, in which the aircraft transceiver is further configured for reducing interference to satellite communications by directing transmissions towards the equator. ### Claim 19 A method for wireless communication comprising: transmitting and receiving signals by a ground base station on a satellite uplink band with an aircraft transceiver; handing off the aircraft transceiver to another ground base station for reducing interference to satellite communications on the satellite uplink band, when the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are aligned with a non-geostationary satellite and when the other ground base station is available for handoff; and temporarily reducing a data rate or discontinuing transmission to the aircraft transceiver until the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are no longer aligned with the non-geostationary satellite when the other ground base station is not available. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: spreading transmit power across a frequency band to reduce power spectral density of transmissions. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: directing transmissions away from a geostationary arc of Earth. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising: directing receiving antennas of the ground base station toward the geostationary arc. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising: configuring the receiving antennas and transmit antennas as separate antennas. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising: configuring the receiving antennas and transmit antennas separately by beam forming on a single antenna. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, in which the ground base station is further configured for reducing interference to satellite communications by reducing a transmit power on a communication link between the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver until the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are no longer aligned with the non-geostationary satellite, the transmit power reduced when no other ground base station is available for handoff. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, in which the ground base station is further configured for reducing interference to satellite communications by directing ground base station antennas away from the equator. ### Claim 27 An apparatus for wireless communication comprising: means for transmitting and receiving signals by a ground base station on a satellite uplink band with an aircraft transceiver; means for handing off the aircraft transceiver to another ground base station for reducing interference to satellite communications on the satellite uplink band, when the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are aligned with a non-geostationary satellite and when the other ground base station is available for handoff; and means for temporarily reducing a data rate or discontinuing transmission to the aircraft transceiver until the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are no longer aligned with the non-geostationary satellite when the other ground base station is not available. ### Claim 28 An apparatus for wireless communication comprising: at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured: to transmit and receive signals on a satellite uplink band with an aircraft transceiver; to hand off the aircraft transceiver to another ground base station for reducing interference to satellite communications on the satellite uplink band, when a ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are aligned with a non-geostationary satellite; and when the other ground base station is available for handoff; and to temporarily reduce a data rate or discontinue transmission to the aircraft transceiver until the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are no longer aligned with the non-geostationary satellite when the other ground base station is not available. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The apparatus of claim 28, in which the at least one processor is further configured for reducing interference to satellite communications by reducing a transmit power on a communication link between the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver until the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are no longer aligned with the non-geostationary satellite, the transmit power reduced when no other ground base station is available for handoff. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The apparatus of claim 28, in which the at least one processor is further configured for reducing interference to satellite communications by directing ground base station antennas away from the equator. ### Claim 31 A computer program product for wireless communications in a wireless network, comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising: program code to transmit and receive signals by a ground base station on a satellite uplink band with an aircraft transceiver; program code to hand off the aircraft transceiver to another ground base station for reducing interference to satellite communications on the satellite uplink band, when the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are aligned with a non-geostationary satellite and when the other ground base station is available for handoff; and program code to temporarily reduce a data rate or discontinue transmission to the aircraft transceiver until the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are no longer aligned with the non-geostationary satellite when the other ground base station is not available. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The computer program product of claim 31, further comprising program code for reducing interference to satellite communications by reducing a transmit power on a communication link between the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver until the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are no longer aligned with the non-geostationary satellite, the transmit power reduced when no other ground base station is available for handoff. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The computer program product of claim 31, further comprising program code for reducing interference to satellite communications by directing ground base station antennas away from the equator. ### Claim 34 A first ground base station, comprising: a transceiver configured to transmit and receive signals on a satellite uplink band; and a controller configured: to handoff an aircraft transceiver to a second ground base station for reducing interference to satellite communications on the satellite uplink band, when the first ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are aligned with a non-geostationary satellite and when the second ground base station is available for handoff; and to temporarily reduce a data rate or discontinue transmission to the aircraft transceiver until the ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are no longer aligned with the non-geostationary satellite when the other ground base station is not available. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The first ground base station of claim 34, in which the controller is further configured to select the second ground base station based at least in part on a data rate available from the second ground base station and whether the second ground base station and the aircraft transceiver are aligned with the non-geostationary satellite. ### Claim 36 (depends on 34) The first ground base station of claim 34, in which the controller is further configured to spread transmit power across a frequency band to reduce power spectral density of transmissions. ### Claim 37 (depends on 34) The first ground base station of claim 34, in which the controller is further configured to direct transmissions away from a geostationary arc of Earth. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The first ground base station of claim 37, further comprising transmit antennas directed away from the geostationary arc. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The first ground base station of claim 38, further comprising receiving antennas directed toward the geostationary arc. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The first ground base station of claim 39, in which the receiving antennas and transmit antennas are configured as separate antennas. ### Claim 41 (depends on 39) The first ground base station of claim 39, in which the receiving antennas and transmit antennas are configured separately by beam forming on a single antenna. ### Claim 42 (depends on 34) The first ground base station of claim 34, in which the controller is further configured for reducing interference to satellite communications by directing first ground base station antennas away from the equator.