Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Zoned or cellular telephone system
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-12
2001-09-04
Hunter, Daniel (Department: 2684)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Zoned or cellular telephone system
C455S428000, C455S430000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06285878
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to new use and methods for transoceanic long-distance broad band data communications and, specially, new use and methods for communication using fleets of commercial aircraft as the low-flying-communication satellite infrastructure capable of real-time broad band data and network applications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Airplane was invented almost one hundred years ago. (1903, by the Wright brothers) In the beginning, their size, speed, altitude, range and payload capabilities were all very limited. As years went by, airplanes became much more powerful and air travel became a big business. Fleets of airplanes carrying passengers and cargo became an industry called “commercial airlines”.
Today's big commercial airlines, such as United Airlines or American Airlines, have huge fleets of planes flying from all over the world to all over the world. And their Jumbo jets can carry hundreds of passengers or tons of cargo and reach its destinations within hours.
Meanwhile, the long-distance telecommunication industry also became a major player for linking up people. The travel business and the telecommunication business can not be separated since once the passenger reaches their destination, they will call their friends, family members or business associates or vice versa. Of course, not just travelers have the telecommunication needs.
Currently, transoceanic communication technologies rely heavily on either underwater submarine fiber optics cables or communication satellites. Both system are extremely expensive and have their drawbacks.
The fiber optics cable is good for land-line based technology (versus wireless system), it is extremely expensive to install (even on land) but cheap for its bandwidth(after installed). It takes years to plan and deploy the system but the system can carry heavy loads of broad band data. The fiber optics system, just like any of the wired systems has its major drawback in that it is very expensive to cross water; i.e. ocean sea or lake. Also, it is not economical to install underwater fiber in the less populated regions since the investment is huge and the system has tremendous bandwidth but may lack customers or applications to pay for it.
The other dying industry is communication satellites that are dedicated for serving real-time data. Communication satellites are also extremely expensive, with its weak signals, limited bandwidth, short life expectancy, bad propagation delay and vulnerable to the hostile space environment. The communication satellite is a wireless systems has the advantage that it can be quickly deployed into the orbit in space for quicker services than the fiber optics cable systems.
Using microwave relay station to linkup from point to point was common in the 60's. The mountain top repeaters operated as “line-of-sight” bridges. The wireless signals hopped from repeater to next repeater until it reached its destination. However, the microwave relay station also has its major drawbacks in that it is not feasible to install the repeaters on the water (across ocean) and their bandwidth is limited compare to the fiber optics cables so these microwave relay stations are also becoming obsolete.
Accordingly, there are big demands for an alternative new long-distance telecommunication infrastructure that is low cost, the infrastructure that already exists (for other applications), equipment can be easily installed, easily maintained telecommunication system and capable of broad band data. The present invention is directed to providing such a new telecommunication system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a transoceanic broad band wireless data communication system solution without those current systems drawbacks. The system provides hub cities to hub cities telecommunication needs by utilizing fleets of commercial aircraft to act as the constellation of low-flying communication satellites that linkup the wireless signals.
More than one fleet of commercial aircraft have to be used for this linkup; i.e. since crossing the ocean such as the pacific ocean across San Francisco to Tokyo is around 5,000 miles. The line-of-sight range of these commercial aircraft that fly at typical cruising altitude of 40,000 feet is 240 miles radius. These commercial aircraft could send the broad band wireless data to the next aircraft ahead/behind for another 240 miles; thus giving the maximum line-of sight (LOS) radio frequency range of 480 miles at 40,000 feet.
To carry forward signals for 5,000 miles, at its ideal condition, ten or more commercial aircraft would be required. Signals takeoff (transmitted) from San Francisco relay station tower (at 40,000 feet) will be received within 480 miles (of its west direction) to the first airborne aircraft, then repeated by the first aircraft to the second (keeping going west), then the third . . . finally landing (received) at the Tokyo relay station. These fleets of commercial aircraft have to travel accordingly to fill the communication gaps at same speed, same direction and within its LOS ranges (max. 480 miles @ 40,000 feet) to form the constellation as the low-flying-satellites and make the connection. However, popular routes have commercial aircraft fly from hub cities to hub cities on an increasingly busy schedule. The broad band wireless data link is not limited (to only one channel) but depend on the density of these fleets of the commercial aircraft.
Throughout aviation history, airplanes have only been used to carry passengers and cargo. Now is the time for these commercial airlines to realize their self-imposed limitation and add electronic signal (broad band wireless data) for the telecommunication industry as their new cargo. This invention introduces a new use of the existing technologies and paves the way for the next generation of economical transoceanic or point to point telecommunication applications.
There is almost no cost to the commercial airliners which are already in the air. The equipment can be small, lightweight, low-cost and low-power. In the case of onboard equipment failure; the commercial aircraft crew could troubleshoot it over-the-air or wait until the aircraft landed for services. For the commercial airliners, not only do they get paid for the data they carry but the airliners themselves could also benefit by using the same telecommunication system for aviation communication, aide to navigation, provide in-flight telecommunications (news, phone call, provide Internet services and etc . . . ) and entertainment services to its passengers.
COMPARISON FOR TRANSOCEANIC TELECOMMUNICATION
CARRIERS
Comm.
Aircraft linkup
Satellites
Underwater Fiber optics
Planning
Low
High
extremely high
cost
Equiptment
Low
very high
extremely high
cost
Installation
very low
extremely
extremely high
cost
high
Installation
low
low
extremely high
time
Installation
low
extremely
high
risk
high
Operating
Low
Low
high
cost
Maintenance
Low
high
extremely high
cost
(always need
adjust)
Equiptment
extremely long
very short
medium
life
(5 years ?)
(10 years?
got be seaworthy!)
Bandwidth
high
low
extremely high
(the distance
is shorter)
Reliability
high
low
low
(satellites al-
(system is very
ways fail)
complicated With
too many variables)
Data inte-
good
low
extremely high
grity
Real time
very good
terrible; due
very good
Voice
to Propaga-
quality
tion delay
(geo-station-
ary sat.)
Flexibility
high
poor
noon
Against
high
poor
poor
disasters
Overall
high
low
medium
performance
Overall cost
1
50
100
ratio (based
on 20 years)
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patent: 5592470 (1997-01-01), Rudrapatna et al.
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patent: 5878034 (1999-03-01), Heshey et al.
patent: 5887258 (1999-03-01), Lemozit et al.
patent: 6018659 (2000-01-01), Ayyagari et al.
patent: 6021797 (2001-03-01), Leuca et al.
patent: 6047165 (2
Hunter Daniel
Nguyen Thuan T.
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