Stratospheric Platforms Limited

Andrew Faulkner

Peter Davidson

Paul Alexander

David Grace

A process for cooperative aerial inter-antenna beamforming for communication between (a) multiple moving platforms, each platform having an aerial antenna mounted thereon, such that the aerial antennas have variable positions and orientations over time, and (b) at least one user antenna mounted on user equipment having a lower altitude than the aerial antennas; the process involving a first beamforming operation which beamforming operation involves; transmitting data relating to the positions and orientations of the aerial antennas to a processing system, the processing system calculating and transmitting beamforming instructions to the aerial antennas, the aerial antennas thereby transmitting or receiving respective component signals for each user antenna, the component signals for each user antenna having essentially the same information content but differing in their phase and usually amplitude, so as to form a cooperative beam from the cooperative sum of the signals between the aerial antennas and the user antenna; carrying out a plurality of further beamforming operations, wherein the cooperative beam has essentially the same information content as that generated in the first beamforming operation, where by the further cooperative beams are directed to form a cluster of beams surrounding the first cooperative beam.

Generation and use of similar multiple beams

A process for cooperative aerial inter-antenna beamforming for communication between (a) multiple moving platforms, each platform having an aerial antenna mounted thereon, such that one or more aerial antennas have variable positions and orientations over time, and (b) first and second antennas connected to user equipment having a lower altitude than the aerial antennas; the process involving transmitting data relating to the positions and orientations of the aerial antennas to a processing system, the processing system calculating and transmitting beamforming instructions to the aerial antennas, the aerial antennas thereby transmitting or receiving respective first component signals for the first user antenna, and transmitting or receiving respective second component signals for the second user antenna, the first component signals each having essentially the same information content but differing in their phase and usually amplitude, the second component signals each having essentially the same information content but differing in their phase and usually amplitude, so as to form a first cooperative beam from the cooperative sum of the signals between the aerial antennas and the first user antenna, and a second cooperative beam from the cooperative sum of the signals between the aerial antennas and the second user antenna.

Increasing data transfer rates

A process for cooperative aerial inter-antenna beamforming for communication between (a) multiple moving platforms, each platform having an aerial antenna mounted thereon, such that the aerial antennas have variable positions and orientations over time, and (b) at least one antenna mounted on user equipment having a lower altitude than the aerial antennas; the process involving transmitting data relating to the positions and orientations of the aerial antennas to a processing system, the processing system calculating and transmitting beamforming instructions to the aerial antennas, the aerial antennas thereby transmitting or receiving respective component signals for each user antenna, the component signals for each user antenna having essentially the same information content but differing in their phase and usually amplitude, so as to form a cooperative beam from the cooperative sum of the signals between the aerial antennas and the user antenna. A method of determining the position of a moving aerial antenna or antenna element mounted on at least one moving platform, such that the aerial antennas have variable positions and orientations over time, the method involving determining the phase difference yi, being a fraction of a wavelength between the values 0 and 1, between signals of known wavelength &#x3bb;i; transmitted between (a) i ground based transmitters which may be backhaul base stations, wherein i is at least three, the ground based transmitters having known position to within &#x3bb;i/10 and (b) the aerial antenna or antenna element, thereby establishing the distance from the base station to the aerial antenna or antenna element to be &#x3bb;i(ni+yi), wherein ni is an unknown integer; determining the position of the aerial antennas or antenna elements approximately by differential GPS or other methods to within a small number of wavelengths &#x3bb;i thereby establishing that ni can be one of a limited number of possible integer values for each signal; the number of base stations and their positions being sufficient to allow elimination of the possible values of ni that are inconsistent with the limited number of possible values for ni from the other ground based transmitters, until only one integer value for each ni is established; establishing the location of the aerial antenna or antenna element by triangulation of its known distance &#x3bb;i(ni+yi), from at least three ground based transmitters.

Process and apparatus for communicating with a user antenna

The use of phased array antennas in ground based or low altitude user equipment linked to high altitude aerial platforms also utilizing sparse phased-array antennas (uniform and non-uniform), which enables the delivery of information services, including telecommunications, earth observation, astronomical and positioning services with higher data rates, lower weight, power consumption and sidelobe levels than for other antenna arrangements.

Process and apparatus for communicating with user antenna phased arrays

A process for cooperative aerial inter-antenna beamforming for communication between (a) multiple moving platforms, each platform having an aerial antenna mounted thereon, such that the aerial antennas have variable positions and orientation over time, and (b) at least two ground based antennas; the process involving transmitting data relating to the positions of the aerial antennas to a processing system, the processing system calculating and transmitting beamforming instructions to the ground based antennas, the ground based antennas thereby transmitting or receiving respective component signals for each aerial antenna, the component signals for each aerial antenna received or transmitted by the ground based antennas having essentially the same information content but differing in their phase and usually amplitude, so as to form a cooperative beam from the cooperative sum of the signals between the ground based antennas and the at least two aerial antennas.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Andrew Faulkner