PHASE ARRAY ANTENNA PLATFORM COMMUNITY, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN PLATFORMS UTILIZING A FREE SPACE OPTICAL SYSTEM
Disclosed herein is a method for communicating between platforms, comprising the steps of initializing a first platform and a second platform; optically tracking a movement of the second platform by the first platform; and optically communicating bi-directionally between the first platform and the second platform. Disclosed herein is an optical communication device comprising various elements including but not limited to: a processor configured to provide at least a tracking mode and a communications mode; an input-output interface coupled to the processor; an electro-optic controller coupled to the input-output interface; an acquisition-tracking portion coupled to the electro-optic controller; and a communication portion coupled to the electro-optic controller. Disclosed herein is a method for communicating between platforms, comprising forming a phase array antenna, wherein the phase array antenna comprises a plurality of platforms arranged in a platform community; and synchronizing a time measurement at each of the platforms, wherein each platform comprises an optical communication device.
1 . A method for communicating between platforms utilizing a Free Space Optical system, the method comprising:
forming an airborne mesh network forming phase array antenna, wherein the airborne mesh network forming phase array antenna comprises a plurality of platforms arranged in a platform community; and
synchronizing a time measurement at each of the platforms, wherein each platform comprises an optical communication device.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting a seed message from a source external to the platform community;
determining, by the optical communication device at each of the platforms, a relative phase of the seed message at each platform based on a seed message arrival time at each platform; and
relaying the seed message from each platform to a central host platform along with a synchronized time reference using the optical communication device.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising
retransmitting the seed message by each of the platforms with the relative phase reversed; and
generating an optical signal that is in-phase with the seed message received from the source external to the platform community.
4 . A method for communicating between platforms utilizing a Free Space Optical system, the method comprising:
forming an airborne mesh network forming phase array antenna, wherein the airborne mesh network forming phase array antenna comprises a plurality of platforms arranged in a platform community;
synchronizing a time measurement at each of the platforms, wherein each platform comprises an optical communication device; and
wherein synchronizing the time measurement at each of the platforms comprises measuring a seed message time of arrival at each platform.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein generating the optical signal that is in-phase with the seed message, comprises combining multiple retransmissions of the seed message with the relative phase reversed.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the plurality of platforms is disposed at a first altitude in outer space outside of earth's atmosphere and at least one other of the plurality of platforms is disposed at a second altitude within earth's atmosphere.
7 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising: reflecting an optical signal to the optical communication device of a first platform from a retro-reflector of the optical communication device of a second platform; detecting the reflected optical signals by a detector array of a tracking device of the first platform; and determining, by the tracking device of the first platform, a retro-reflector angle pair associated with the second platform; and tracking, by the tracking device of the first platform, a position of the second platform using the reflector angle pair.
8 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising: relaying the seed message from each the platform to a central host platform along with a synchronized time reference using the communication device from at least one of the platforms of the platform community.
9 . The method of claim 4 , wherein distance, azimuth, and altitude measurements are further refined through triangularization of repetitive measurements from neighboring platforms within the community.
10 . A system for communicating between platform communities utilizing a Free Space Optical system, the system comprising:
forming an airborne mesh network forming phase array antenna, wherein the airborne mesh network forming phase array antenna comprises a plurality of platforms arranged in a platform community;
synchronizing a time measurement at each of the platforms, wherein each platform comprises an optical communication device;
transmitting a seed message from a source external to the platform community;
determining, by the optical communication device at each of the platforms, a relative phase of the seed message at each platform based on a seed message arrival time at each platform;
retransmitting the seed message by each of the platforms with the relative phase reversed;
generating an optical signal that is in-phase with the seed message received from the source external to the platform community; and
relaying the seed message from each platform to a central host platform along with a synchronized time reference using the optical communication device.
11 . A phase array antenna platform community comprising multiple fixed phase array antennas with each phase array antenna residing on an individual mobile platform.
12 . The phase array antenna platform community of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the multiple fixed phase array antennas reside on at least one of a manned or unmanned aircraft.
13 . The phase array antenna platform community of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the multiple fixed phase array antennas reside on at least one of a wing of an aircraft or within the aircraft.