IP Library Granted Patent US 11,653,232
Granted Patent B2
US 11,653,232 · App. 17/233,745 · Granted May 16, 2023

Beyond-line-of-sight communication

Inventors: John V. Thommana (Cedar Rapids, IA); Lizy Paul (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
H04W24/04H04B7/18513H04W12/06H04W12/63H04W24/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,653,232
App. No.
17/233,745
Granted
May 16, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Cellular communications, such as 5G cellular, may be a primary link between cell phones and a base station. Such cellular communications may be desirable, due to a high link rate. When the cellular communications are denied, a tactical waveform may be used to bridge communications between the cell phones and the base station. The tactical waveform may be transmitted between tactical radios coupled with the cell phones. The waveform may include a line-of-sight waveform. The tactical waveform may also include a beyond-line-of-sight waveform.

Claims (31)

1. A system comprising:

a first user equipment configured to bidirectionally communicate with a first base station by a first cellular waveform;

a first tactical radio coupled with the first user equipment by a first connectivity interface to bidirectionally communicate with the first user equipment, wherein the first tactical radio is configured to communicate by a beyond-line-of-sight waveform;

a second tactical radio configured to communicate by the beyond-line-of-sight waveform, wherein the second tactical radio bidirectionally communicates with the first tactical radio by the beyond-line-of-sight waveform;

a second user equipment configured to couple with the second tactical radio by a second connectivity interface to bidirectionally communicate with the second tactical radio, wherein the second user equipment bidirectionally communicates with a second base station by a second cellular waveform, wherein the first user equipment bidirectionally communicates with the second base station by the first tactical radio, the second tactical radio, and the second user equipment;

a first proximity server coupled to the first base station;

a second proximity server coupled to the second base station; wherein the second proximity server is configured to dynamically authenticate the first user equipment by communicating with the first proximity server; wherein the second proximity server is configured to forward one or more parameters to the first user equipment by the bidirectional communication between the first user equipment and the second base station after authenticating the first user equipment.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first user equipment bidirectionally communicates with the second base station in response to the first user equipment losing bidirectional communication with the first base station.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:

a third tactical radio configured to communicate by a line-of-sight waveform, wherein the first tactical radio is configured to communicate by the line-of-sight waveform, wherein the first tactical radio bidirectionally communicates with the third tactical radio by the line-of-sight waveform; and

a third user equipment coupled with the third tactical radio by a third connectivity interface to bidirectionally communicate with the third tactical radio, wherein the third user equipment bidirectionally communicates with the first base station by a third cellular waveform, wherein the first user equipment bidirectionally communicates with the first base station by the first tactical radio, the third tactical radio, and the third user equipment.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first user equipment bidirectionally communicates with the second base station subsequent to the third user equipment losing the bidirectional communication with the first base station.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first user equipment includes at least two static configurations, a first static configuration for the first base station and a second static configuration for the second base station, wherein a proximity service application of the first user equipment or the first tactical radio selects the second static configuration when the first user equipment loses connectivity with the first base station.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first user equipment includes at least two static configurations, a first static configuration for the first base station and a second static configuration for the second base station, wherein a proximity service application of the first user equipment or the first tactical radio is configured to manage the at least two static configurations for simultaneously connecting with the first base station and the second base station.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the beyond-line-of-sight waveform includes a satellite communication waveform.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the beyond-line-of-sight waveform comprises at least one of a high frequency waveform or a wideband high frequency waveform.

9. A system comprising:

a first user equipment configured to communicate with a first base station by a cellular waveform;

a first tactical radio coupled with the first user equipment by a first connectivity interface to bidirectionally communicate with the first user equipment, wherein the first tactical radio is configured to communicate by a first line-of-sight waveform;

a second tactical radio configured to communicate by the first line-of-sight waveform, wherein the second tactical radio bidirectionally communicates with the first tactical radio by the first line-of-sight waveform, wherein the second tactical radio is further configured to communicate by a first beyond-line-of-sight waveform;

a third tactical radio configured to communicate by the first beyond-line-of-sight waveform, wherein the third tactical radio bidirectionally communicates with the second tactical radio by the first beyond-line-of-sight waveform, wherein the third tactical radio is configured to communicate by a second line-of-sight waveform;

a fourth tactical radio configured to communicate by the second line-of-sight waveform, wherein the third tactical radio bidirectionally communicates with the fourth tactical radio by the second line-of-sight waveform;

a second user equipment coupled with the fourth tactical radio by a second connectivity interface, wherein the second user equipment bidirectionally communicates with a second base station by a second cellular waveform, wherein the first user equipment bidirectionally communicates with the second base station by the first tactical radio, the second tactical radio, the third tactical radio, the fourth tactical radio, and the second user equipment;

a first proximity server coupled to the first base station; and

a second proximity server coupled to the second base station; wherein the second proximity server is configured to dynamically authenticate the first user equipment by communicating with the first proximity server; wherein the second proximity server is configured to forward one or more parameters to the first user equipment by the bidirectional communication between the first user equipment and the second base station after authenticating the first user equipment.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the fourth tactical radio is configured to communicate by a second beyond-line-of-sight waveform, wherein the first tactical radio is configured to communicate by the second beyond-line-of-sight waveform, wherein the first tactical radio bidirectionally communicates with the fourth tactical radio by the second beyond-line-of-sight waveform, wherein the first user equipment bidirectionally communicates with the second base station by the first tactical radio, the fourth tactical radio, and the second user equipment.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first beyond-line-of-sight waveform comprises at least one of a high frequency waveform or a wideband high frequency waveform, wherein the second beyond-line-of-sight waveform comprises a satellite communication waveform.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first user equipment establishes bidirectional communication with the second base station by the first tactical radio, the fourth tactical radio, and the third user equipment when the first user equipment loses bidirectional communication with the second base station by the first tactical radio, the fourth tactical radio, and the third user equipment.

13. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:

a fifth tactical radio configured to communicate by a third line-of-sight waveform, wherein the first tactical radio is further configured to communicate by the third line-of-sight waveform, wherein the first tactical radio bidirectionally communicates with the fifth tactical radio by the third line-of-sight waveform; and

a third user equipment coupled with the fifth tactical radio by a third connectivity interface to bidirectionally communicate with the fifth tactical radio, wherein the third user equipment is configured to bidirectionally communicate with the first base station by a third cellular waveform, wherein the first user equipment bidirectionally communicates with the first base station by the first tactical radio, the fifth tactical radio, and the third user equipment.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2021
From: THOMMANA, JOHN V.; PAUL, LIZY
To: ROCKWELL COLLINS, INC.
Reel/Frame 055956/0621 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation In Part 17171324 · Feb 9, 2021
Related Publication 20220256366A1 · Aug 11, 2022