Wideband streaming L-band (WISL) methods and systems
A network management systems (NMS) and methods for automating aircraft wideband streaming L band providing dedicated high data rate communication links from an aircraft fitted with an approved L-band terminal and antenna over a satellite communication network, such as the Inmarsat Swift Broadband network. The systems and methods allow for modifying the L-band terminal wiring to inject a dedicated single channel per carrier (SCPC) signal from an external modem to achieve return data rates in the range of several Mbps over a dedicated leased satellite bandwidth.
1. A network management method for wideband streaming L band (WISL) service on aircrafts, comprising the steps of:
connecting an antenna of an aircraft to a high speed data terminal;
providing an L Band modem in the aircraft;
establishing a communication link between the antenna of the aircraft and a ground station via a satellite; and
network managing the communication link between the L Band modem on the aircraft and the satellite and remote locations in order to keep the communication link active while the aircraft travels between different beams controlled by different L-band leases, wherein the network managing comprises:
controlling the network managing through a ground station having a server; and
providing a management database of lease inventory to allow an administrator to create, modify and remove leases for different satellite regions.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the different leases are selected from single beams and clusters beams that operate with a selected spectrum.
3. The network management method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
providing an IP-based packet-switched communications network that provides a symmetric ‘always-on’ data connection of up to 432 kbit/s per channel for the communication link.
4. The network management method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: providing an IP-based packet-switched communications network that provides a symmetric ‘always-on’ data connection of up to approximately 650 kbit/s per channel for the communication link.
5. The network management method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
providing return data rates in the communication links up to approximately 2.8 Mbps.
6. The network management method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
providing frequencies between approximately 1 GHz and approximately 2 GHz as the L-Band.
7. The network management method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the L band modem includes the step of:
splicing the L Band modem between the antenna and the terminal.
8. The network management method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing forward and return links of n×100 kHz, where n is a natural number, on the satellite.
9. A network management method for wideband streaming L band (WISL) service on aircrafts, comprising:
connecting an antenna of an aircraft to a high speed data terminal;
providing an L Band modem in the aircraft;
establishing a communication link between the antenna of the aircraft and a ground station via a satellite; and
network managing the communication link between the L Band modem on the aircraft and the satellite and remote locations in order to keep the communication link active while the aircraft travels between different beams controlled by different L-band leases, wherein the network managing comprises:
controlling the network managing through a ground station having a server; and
providing a user with a remote inventory control to add, remove and modify remote terminals.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the providing the user with the remote inventor control includes the step of:
providing a database that includes the identification number of the terminal authorized to use the lease, an IP address assigned to a remote, and associate different terminals with appropriate leases.
11. A network management method for wideband streaming L band (WISL) service on aircrafts, comprising:
connecting an antenna of an aircraft to a high speed data terminal;
providing an L Band modem in the aircraft;
establishing a communication link between the antenna of the aircraft and a ground station via a satellite; and
network managing the communication link between the L Band modem on the aircraft and the satellite and remote locations in order to keep the communication link active while the aircraft travels between different beams controlled by different L-band leases, wherein the network managing comprises:
controlling the network managing through a ground station having a server;
providing a remote status interface to query the aircraft L-band modem; and
providing a database for terminal location and beam information and to cross check against lease information.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of providing the remote status further interfaces to query a teleport modem and the aircraft L-band modem and the database for near real-time terminal location and beam information and cross check against lease information.
13. A network management method for wideband streaming L band (WISL) service on aircrafts, comprising:
connecting an antenna of an aircraft to a high speed data terminal;
providing an L Band modem in the aircraft;
establishing a communication link between the antenna of the aircraft and a ground station via a satellite; and
network managing the communication link between the L Band modem on the aircraft and the satellite and remote locations in order to keep the communication link active while the aircraft travels between different beams controlled by different L-band leases, wherein the network managing comprises:
controlling the network managing through a ground station having a server; and
providing for service operations to schedule activation of a selected lease with the aircraft.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of providing the service operations further includes the step of:
providing the service operations to schedule the activation of the selected lease along with aircraft missions throughout an entire lifecycle of the lease.
15. A network management system for aircraft wideband streaming L band, comprising:
an L Band modem connected between an antenna and a high speed data terminal in an aircraft;
a remote ground based network manager for managing a communication link between the L Band modem on the aircraft and a satellite and at least one remote location, in order to keep the communication link active while the aircraft travels between different beams controlled by different L-band leases, wherein said managing the communication link is controlled through a ground station having a server; and
a management database of lease inventory to allow an administrator to create, modify and remove leases for different satellite regions.
16. The network management system of claim 15 , wherein the L-Band includes frequencies between 1 to 2 GHz.
17. The network management system of claim 15 , wherein the L Band modem is wired to the antenna and the data terminal.
18. The network management system of claim 15 , wherein the network management system provides a user with a remote inventory control to add, remove and modify remote terminals, provides a remote status interface to query the aircraft L-band modem, provides a database for terminal location and beam information and to cross check against lease information, and/or schedules activation of a selected lease with the aircraft for service operations.
19. The network management system of claim 15 , wherein the system provides forward and return links of n×100 kHz, where n is a natural number, on the satellite.