Concentric Antenna Cells for Air-to-Ground Elevation Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wireless communication systems struggle to provide reliable and cost-effective connectivity to aircraft at varying altitudes due to bandwidth limitations and high latency, with existing antennas focusing on horizontal coverage and failing to support aircraft above a certain elevation.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a base station with multiple antenna arrays positioned at varying elevation angles to create concentric cells, providing 3D coverage by combining the coverage areas of a first antenna array extending from the horizon to a first elevation and a second antenna array extending from the first elevation to a higher elevation, with additional patch antennas to fill gaps, ensuring continuous air-to-ground wireless communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If conventional vertical antennas are used to maximize horizontal coverage, then the coverage area and signal strength in the horizontal plane are improved, but the ability to support connectivity for aircraft at high elevations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from conventional 2D horizontal coverage to 3D spherical coverage by tilting antenna arrays at various elevation angles. This dimensional change allows the system to cover both horizontal areas and vertical elevation ranges, enabling aircraft connectivity at high altitudes while maintaining ground coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the coverage space into multiple elevation sectors, with different antenna arrays responsible for different elevation ranges. Each antenna array is tilted at a specific angle to cover a particular sector, and the segments are combined to achieve complete spherical coverage.
2Device complexity
If a single antenna array is used to provide wide coverage, then the device complexity is reduced, but coverage gaps at varying elevations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple antenna arrays with different tilt angles to form a unified coverage system. The individual coverage areas of each antenna array are merged to create continuous spherical coverage, eliminating gaps that would exist with a single antenna configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
Different antenna arrays are assigned different local qualities in terms of their tilt angles and coverage sectors. Each antenna is optimized for its specific elevation range, with local quality variations that collectively provide uniform global coverage across all elevations.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects described herein relate to a base station for providing air-to-ground wireless communication over various altitudes. The base station includes a first antenna array comprising one or more antennas configured to form a first cell coverage area extending substantially from a horizon up to a first elevation angle away from the first antenna array to a predetermined distance from the first antenna array. The base station further includes a second antenna array configured at an uptilt elevation angle to form a second cell coverage area extending at least from the first elevation angle to a second elevation away from the second antenna array, wherein the first cell coverage area and the second cell coverage area are concentric to define the ATG cell at least to the predetermined distance and up to a predetermined elevation.