On-Board Gateway for Non-Terrestrial Cellular Connectivity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in providing cellular-based communications to electronic devices while they are connected to a non-terrestrial network, as they lack the infrastructure to support native terrestrial features, leading to interference with ground-based systems and limited connectivity.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that process communication requests by modifying them to indicate the identification of the destination electronic device, allowing for seamless transmission of text and voice communications between devices connected to terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks through an on-board communications network, using a registration server and SIP trunk provider to facilitate cellular-based connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cellular base stations are installed on-board the vehicle to support native terrestrial features, then cellular connectivity is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary between the non-terrestrial network and terrestrial cellular networks. The gateway translates and bridges communication protocols, allowing mobile devices to access terrestrial cellular services without requiring complex on-board cellular infrastructure. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by providing cellular connectivity through a simplified external gateway rather than complex internal base stations.
2Reliability
If mobile devices increase transmission power to connect to ground-based cell sites, then connectivity is improved, but harmful interference to ground-based systems and battery drain increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device serves as a mediator that receives communications from mobile devices on the non-terrestrial network and relays them to terrestrial cellular networks using appropriate power levels and protocols. This eliminates the need for mobile devices to increase transmission power, thereby preventing harmful interference to ground-based cell sites while maintaining connectivity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If on-board cellular base stations are used to provide terrestrial features, then native communication features are improved, but cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device provides terrestrial communication features by mediating between the non-terrestrial network and external cellular networks. Instead of requiring complex on-board base stations, the gateway translates and forwards communications, enabling native feature support through a simpler external infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device provides multi-functional support by enabling multiple terrestrial communication features (voice, text, data) through a single external platform. This universal approach allows mobile devices to access various native features without requiring separate specialized infrastructure for each function.
4Ease of operation
If mobile devices connect to on-board networks without proper identification mapping, then ease of operation is improved, but communication reliability to external networks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing identification mappings between non-terrestrial device identifiers and terrestrial network addresses. This pre-mapping ensures that communications can be reliably routed from external networks to mobile devices without requiring complex real-time resolution, thus maintaining both ease of operation and communication reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments are provided for processing voice communication requests intended for a destination electronic device connected to an on-board communications network. According to certain aspects, a server may receive a request for a routing number and provide the routing number to a service provider network. The server may also identify an identification of a destination electronic device included in a voice communication request, modify the voice communication request to indicate the identification of the destination electronic device, and transmit, to an on-board communications network for delivery to the destination electronic device, a communication according to the voice communication request that was modified.