The Boeing Company

Geoffrey O White

Jeffrey Paul Harrang

Michael De La Chapelle

Robert Paul Higgins

George W Fitzsimmons

Ronald Steven Carson

William R Richards

Greg A Bengeult

Paulus J Martens

Russell Berkheimer

Arthur F Morrison

Daniel F Miller

Richard D Williams, Ii

Michael G Lynch

Julio A Navarro

Shashi M Sanzgiri

Russel Berkheimer

Michael Gabriel Lynch

Greg Alan Bengeult

Paulus Johannes Martens

Richard D Ii Williams

A system for bi-directional data content transfer between a plurality of mobile platforms, such as aircraft or cruise ships, and a ground-based control segment. The system includes the ground-based control segment, a space segment and a mobile system disposed on each mobile platform. The ground-based control segment includes an antenna which is used to transmit encoded RF signals representative of data content to the space segment. The space segment includes a plurality of satellite transponders, with one of the transponders being designated by the ground-based control segment to transpond the encoded RF signals to the mobile system. The mobile system includes steerable receive and transmit antennas. The receive antenna receives the encoded RF signals from the satellite transponder, which are thereafter decoded, demodulated, D/A converted by a communications subsystem and transmitted to a server. The server filters off that data content not requested by any occupants on the mobile system. A local area network (LAN) receives the remaining data content and provides same to individual users on the mobile platform in accordance with previously submitted programming requests or data input by the users at access stations associated independently with each user. The transmit antenna is used to transmit data content from laptop computers, PDAs or other user electronic devices coupled to the access stations back to the designated satellite transponder. The satellite transponder then transponds the data back to the antenna of the ground-based control segment.

Method and apparatus for providing bi-directional data services and live television programming to mobile platforms

A phased array antenna system including a plurality of metal, column-like elements formed adjacent the RF probes for improving the electrical performance of the system. In one embodiment a hole is formed in a multi-layer, probe-integrated printed wiring board of the system and metal material is plated thereon to fill the hole. The metal, column-like elements are each disposed generally in between associated pairs of the RF probes. The metal, column-like elements essentially form metal pins that improve the return loss bandwidth, probe-to-probe isolation, insertion loss bandwidth, higher order mode suppression and cross-polarization generation.

Antenna-integrated printed wiring board assembly for a phased array antenna system

An antenna system and an associated method are provided that are capable of providing improved cross-polarization isolation, thereby negating the otherwise deleterious effects of cross-coupling between orthogonally polarized signals that occur within a dual orthogonally polarized antenna, such as a phased array antenna. Thus, the antenna system can more reliably transmit and/or receive dual orthogonally polarized signals over a wide range of elevation and azimuth scan angles.

Antenna system having active polarization correlation and associated method

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Kent, WA, United States of America

Geoffrey O White