Terrestrial based high speed data communications mesh network
A network for providing high speed data communications may include multiple terrestrial transmission stations that are located within overlapping communications range and a mobile receiver station. The terrestrial transmission stations provide a continuous and uninterrupted high speed data communications link with the mobile receiver station employing a wireless radio access network protocol.
1. A ground station among a network of ground stations configured to provide a wirelessly transmitted high speed data communication link to a receiver station on an in-flight aircraft, the ground station comprising:
an antenna; and
a software defined radio operably coupled to the antenna, the software defined radio configuring the ground station to conduct a handover of the in-flight aircraft to another ground station within the network of ground stations to maintain the high speed data communication link continuous and uninterrupted in time;
wherein the software defined radio is configured to employ a wireless radio access network protocol operating in a communication band from about 2 GHz to about 6 GHz,
wherein the ground station is configured to utilize beamforming to generate one or more steerable beams used to form the high speed data communication link; and
wherein the ground station is configured to reuse a same frequency to communicate with the receiver station and another receiver station on another in-flight aircraft.
2. The ground station of claim 1 , wherein the wireless radio access network protocol includes Long Term Evolution (LTE) terrestrial radio access network protocols.
3. The ground station of claim 1 , wherein a frame structure utilized for the high speed data communication link provides dynamically assignable uplink and downlink burst profiles based on link conditions.
4. The ground station of claim 3 , wherein multiple media access control protocol data units are linkable to a single burst.
5. The ground station of claim 1 , wherein the high speed data communication link is configured to provide internet access, streaming video, or voice-over IP to the receiver station.
6. The ground station of claim 1 , wherein the high speed data communication link is configured to transfer security data communications comprising video surveillance from the in-flight aircraft to a ground station within the network of ground stations.
7. The ground station of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said one or more steerable beams has an azimuth beamwidth less than about 10 degrees, and an elevation beamwidth less than about 10 degrees.
8. The ground station of claim 1 , wherein the high speed data communication link employs Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM).
9. The ground station of claim 1 , wherein the ground station is further configured to provide the high speed data communication link with a range of greater than 20 miles and forward error correction.
10. The ground station of claim 9 , wherein the forward error correction is configured to maintain the high speed data communication link to the receiver station while the receiver station travels at speeds greater than 100 miles per hour.
11. A wireless communication network configured to provide high speed wirelessly transmitted data communication to an in-flight aircraft, the network comprising:
a plurality of ground stations, the ground stations being located such that at least some of the ground stations are within overlapping communication range of respective other ones of the ground stations, the ground stations being configured via software defined radio to:
communicate with a receiver station located onboard the in-flight aircraft to provide a high speed data communication link continuous and uninterrupted in time with the receiver station employing a wireless radio access network protocol operating in a communication band from about 2 GHz to about 6 GHz, and
utilize beamforming to generate a plurality of steerable beams used to form the high speed data communication link, and reuse a same frequency to communicate with the receiver station and another receiver station on another in-flight aircraft,
wherein the high speed data communication link is maintained continuous and uninterrupted in time while the in-flight aircraft moves from a coverage area provided by one of the plurality of ground stations to a coverage area provided by another of the plurality of ground stations.
12. The network of claim 11 , wherein the wireless radio access network protocol includes Long Term Evolution (LTE) terrestrial radio access network protocols.
13. The network of claim 11 , wherein a frame structure utilized for the high speed data communication link provides dynamically assignable uplink and downlink burst profiles based on link conditions.
14. The network of claim 13 , wherein multiple media access control protocol data units are linkable to a single burst.
15. The network of claim 11 , wherein the high speed data communication link is configured to provide internet access, streaming video, or voice-over IP to the receiver station.
16. The network of claim 11 , wherein the high speed data communication link is configured to transfer security data communications comprising video surveillance from the in-flight aircraft to one of the plurality of ground stations.
17. The network of claim 11 , wherein at least one of said one or more steerable beams has an azimuth beamwidth less than about 10 degrees, and an elevation beamwidth less than about 10 degrees.
18. The network of claim 11 , wherein the high speed data communication link employs Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM).
19. The network of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of ground stations are further configured to provide the high speed data communication link with a range of greater than 20 miles and forward error correction.
20. The network of claim 19 , wherein the forward error correction is configured to maintain the high speed data communication link to the receiver station while the receiver station travels at speeds greater than 100 miles per hour.