IP Library Granted Patent US 12,526,016
Granted Patent B2
US 12,526,016 · App. 18/008,732 · Granted Jan 13, 2026

Wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus, and wireless communication method

Inventors: Daisuke Goto (Musashino, JP); Fumihiro Yamashita (Musashino, JP); Kiyohiko Itokawa (Musashino, JP); Yasuyoshi Kojima (Musashino, JP); Chihaya Kato (Chofu, JP); Mitsuhiro Nakadai (Chofu, JP)
Assignees: NTT, Inc.; Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
H04B7/0608H04B7/0802H04B7/18513H04B7/0413
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,526,016
App. No.
18/008,732
Granted
Jan 13, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

First wireless communication apparatus wirelessly communicates with second wireless communication apparatus using one or more first antennas. Second wireless communication apparatus wirelessly communicates with the first wireless communication apparatus using one or more second antennas. A controller included in the wireless communication system performs control to change one or both of first antennas wirelessly communicating with the second wireless communication apparatus among the one or more first antennas of a plurality of first wireless communication apparatuses or second antennas wirelessly communicating with the first wireless communication apparatus among a plurality of second antennas of the second wireless communication apparatus for maximizing communication quality on the basis of the communication quality for each time between first antenna and second antenna calculated using a position of the one or more second antennas and movement schedule information representing a position of first wireless communication apparatus for each time.

Claims (47)

1 . A wireless communication system comprising:

a first wireless communication apparatus; and

a second wireless communication apparatus,

wherein the first wireless communication apparatus includes:

one or more first antennas; and

a first communicator configured to wirelessly communicate with the second wireless communication apparatus using the one or more first antennas,

wherein the second wireless communication apparatus includes:

one or more second antennas; and

a second communicator configured to wirelessly communicate with the first wireless communication apparatus using the one or more second antennas,

the wireless communication system further comprising:

a controller configured to perform control to change one or both of first antennas wirelessly communicating with the second wireless communication apparatus among a plurality of first antennas of the first wireless communication apparatus or second antennas wirelessly communicating with the first wireless communication apparatus among a plurality of second antennas of the second wireless communication apparatus for maximizing communication quality on the basis of the communication quality for each time between first antenna and second antenna calculated using a position of the one or more second antennas and movement schedule information representing a position of the first wireless communication apparatus for each time,

wherein the movement schedule information includes at least the position at each time point of the first wireless communication apparatus disposed on a flying object flying above the Earth.

2 . The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls combination of a predetermined number of second antennas for receiving among the plurality of second antennas a wireless signal transmitted from the one or more first antennas of the first wireless communication apparatus on the basis of the communication quality for each time.

3 . The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls whether a wireless signal transmitted from any of the first antennas of first wireless communication apparatus among the first antennas of the plurality of first wireless communication apparatuses is received by the second antennas of the second wireless communication apparatus on the basis of the communication quality for each time.

4 . The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller performs control of the first communicator of the first wireless communication apparatus to transmit a wireless signal at a time at which the one or more first antennas of the first wireless communication apparatus is selected to be a communication destination of the second wireless communication apparatus on the basis of the communication quality for each time.

5 . The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller selects a combination of the first antennas and the second antennas used for communication between the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus on the basis of a communication quality amount for each predetermined time between first antenna and second antenna.

6 . The wireless communication system according to claim 5 ,

wherein the controller determines a combination of the first antennas and the second antennas used in a communication period in which the first antennas and the second antennas are able to communicate with each other in advance,

wherein the first wireless communication apparatus notifies the second wireless communication apparatus of information relating to the second antennas used in the communication period, and

wherein the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus perform communication using the determined combination of the first antennas and the second antennas in the communication period.

7 . The wireless communication system according to claim 5 ,

wherein the controller determines a combination of the first antennas and the second antennas used in a communication period in which the first antennas and the second antennas are able to communicate with each other for each predetermined time during the communication period between the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus,

wherein, when information of the combination is notified from the controller, the first wireless communication apparatus notifies the second wireless communication apparatus of information of the second antennas used in the communication period, and

wherein the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus perform communication using the determined combination of the first antennas and the second antennas in the communication period.

8 . The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , further comprising a third wireless communication apparatus configured to select information of a combination of the first antennas of the first wireless communication apparatus and the second antennas of the second wireless communication apparatus,

wherein the first wireless communication apparatus notifies the second wireless communication apparatus of information relating to the second antennas included in the information of the combination transmitted from the third wireless communication apparatus, and

wherein the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus perform communication using the combination of the first antennas and the second antennas determined by the third wireless communication apparatus.

9 . The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of the first wireless communication apparatuses,

wherein the plurality of the first wireless communication apparatuses share information of the combination of the first antennas and the second antennas by transmitting/receiving the information of the combination of the first antennas and the second antennas to/from another first wireless communication apparatus.

10 . The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus communicate with each other using multiple input multiple output (MIMO).

11 . The wireless communication system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second wireless communication apparatus is installed on the Earth.

12 . The wireless communication system according to claim 11 , wherein the flying object is a low orbit satellite.

13 . A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

one or more antennas;

a communicator configured to wirelessly communicate with a communication destination apparatus using the one or more antennas; and

a controller configured to perform control to change one or both of antennas wirelessly communicating with the wireless communication apparatus among antennas of the communication destination apparatus or antennas wirelessly communicating with the communication destination apparatus among a plurality of the antennas of the wireless communication apparatus for maximizing communication quality on the basis of the communication quality for each time between the one or more antennas and the antennas of the communication destination apparatus calculated using a position of the one or more antennas and movement schedule information representing a position of the communication destination apparatus for each time,

wherein the movement schedule information includes at least the position at each time point of the first wireless communication apparatus disposed on a flying object flying above the Earth.

14 . A wireless communication method executed by a wireless communication system including a first wireless communication apparatus and a second wireless communication apparatus, the wireless communication method comprising:

wirelessly communicating with the second wireless communication apparatus using one or more first antennas by the first wireless communication apparatus;

wirelessly communicating with the first wireless communication apparatus using one or more second antennas by the second wireless communication apparatus; and

performing control to change one or both of first antennas wirelessly communicating with the second wireless communication apparatus among a plurality of first antennas of the first wireless communication apparatus or second antennas wirelessly communicating with the first wireless communication apparatus among a plurality of second antennas of the second wireless communication apparatus for maximizing communication quality on the basis of the communication quality for each time between first antenna and second antenna calculated using a position of the one or more second antennas and movement schedule information representing a position of the first wireless communication apparatus for each time by a controller,

wherein the movement schedule information includes at least the position at each time point of the first wireless communication apparatus disposed on a flying object flying above the Earth.

15 . A wireless communication method executed by a wireless communication apparatus, the wireless communication method comprising:

wirelessly communicating with a communication destination apparatus using one or more antennas; and

performing control to change one or both of antennas wirelessly communicating with the wireless communication apparatus among antennas of the communication destination apparatus or antennas wirelessly communicating with the communication destination apparatus among a plurality of the antennas of the wireless communication apparatus for maximizing communication quality on the basis of the communication quality for each time between the one or more antennas and the antennas of the communication destination apparatus calculated using a position of the one or more antennas and movement schedule information representing a position of the communication destination apparatus for each time,

wherein the movement schedule information includes at least the position at each time point of the first wireless communication apparatus disposed on a flying object flying above the Earth.

Assignments (5)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 14, 2025
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 072468/0951 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APPLICATION NUMBER 18/087,732 WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENTERED AS 18/008,732 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 063127 FRAME 0818. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: GOTO, DAISUKE; YAMASHITA, FUMIHIRO; ITOKAWA, KIYOHIKO; KOJIMA, YASUYOSHI
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064068/0693 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APPLICATION NUMBER 18/087,732 WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENTERED AS 18/008,732 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 063124 FRAME: 0849. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: KATO, CHIHAYA; NAKADAI, MITSUHIRO
To: JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY
Reel/Frame 064068/0846 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2023
From: KATO, CHIHAYA; NAKADAI, MITSUHIRO
To: JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY
Reel/Frame 063124/0849 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2023
From: GOTO, DAISUKE; YAMASHITA, FUMIHIRO; ITOKAWA, KIYOHIKO; KOJIMA, YASUYOSHI
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063127/0818 →
Priority Claims (1)
WO PCT/JP2020/022650 · Jun 9, 2020 · international
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2020022650 · Jun 9, 2020
Related Publication 20230216559A1 · Jul 6, 2023
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