Increasing data transfer rates

Abstract

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.