Patents Assigned to Smartsky Networks LLC
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Patent number: 11375385Abstract: A base station within a network for providing ATG wireless communication in various cells may include a first antenna array, a base station unit and a remote radio head disposed between the base station unit and the first antenna array. The first antenna array defines a plurality of first sectors having respective widths defined in azimuth. Each of the first sectors includes a first sector floor and a first sector ceiling at respective elevation angles such that combining first sector floors and first sector ceilings creates at least a portion of a respective first base station conical cell centered at the first base station. The first base station is configured to define additional first base station conical cells at respective elevation angles between the first sector floor and the first sector ceiling.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2020Date of Patent: June 28, 2022Assignee: SmartSky Networks, LLCInventor: Douglas Hyslop
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Patent number: 11317297Abstract: A network for providing air-to-ground (ATG) wireless communication in various cells may include an in-flight aircraft including an antenna assembly, a plurality of ATG base stations, a plurality of terrestrial base stations. Each of the ATG base stations defines a corresponding radiation pattern, and the ATG base stations are spaced apart from each other to define at least partially overlapping coverage areas to communicate with the antenna assembly in an ATG communication layer defined between a first altitude and a second altitude. The terrestrial base stations are configured to communicate primarily in a ground communication layer below the first altitude. The terrestrial base stations and the ATG base stations are each configured to communicate using the same radio frequency (RF) spectrum in the ground communication layer and ATG communication layer, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2020Date of Patent: April 26, 2022Assignee: SmartSky Networks, LLCInventors: Ryan M. Stone, Douglas Hyslop
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Patent number: 11297552Abstract: A method for performing seamless relocation of a mobile terminal in a wireless network includes selecting a first serving gateway (SGW) among a plurality of SGWs and a first packet data network gateway (PGW) among a plurality of PGWs, wherein the first SGW connects to the first PGW to setup the first S5 session, establishing a first communication channel between the terminal and the first PGW and assigning an internet protocol (IP) address to the terminal, selecting a second SGW among the plurality of SGWs when the terminal is about to move out of an area being served by the first SGW, connecting the second SGW to the second PGW to setup a new S5 session when a second PGW among the plurality of PGWs is closer to the second SGW than the first PGW or connecting the second SGW to the first PGW to modify the first S5 session when no PGW is closer to the second SGW than the first PGW, establishing a second communication channel between the terminal and the second SGW using the IP address allocated to the terminal,Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2019Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: SmartSky Networks, LLCInventors: David Aaron Claassen, Lei Wang
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Patent number: 11289804Abstract: An antenna assembly may include an antenna element, a radome structure disposed proximate to the antenna element and including a plurality of plasma elements, a driver circuit operably coupled to the plasma elements to selectively ionize individual ones of the plasma elements, and a controller. The controller may be operably coupled to the driver circuit to provide control of plasma density of the individual ones of the plasma elements. The plasma elements may include respective enclosures. At least some of the enclosures may have at least two peripheral edge surfaces substantially fully contacted by corresponding peripheral edge surfaces of adjacent enclosures at at least one section along a longitudinal length thereof.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2020Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: SmartSky Networks, LLCInventors: Gerard James Hayes, Koichiro Takamizawa, Donald L. Alcorn, James O. Legvold, Robert Michael Barts
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Patent number: 11252578Abstract: A spectral mapping module may include processing circuitry configured to receive spectral activity information from one or more assets that have flown through an area. The spectral activity information may be associated with location information indicating a respective location at which each portion of the spectral activity information was obtained. The processing circuitry may be further configured to associate the spectral activity information with respective volumetric elements that are each associated with respective portions of the area, determine spectral activity indicators for each of the respective volumetric elements that has spectral activity information associated therewith, and generate display data including the spectral activity indicators.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2019Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: SmartSky Networks, LLCInventors: Paul Sameit, Koichiro Takamizawa
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Patent number: 11233534Abstract: A method of interference mitigation may include receiving a desired signal from an asset of the system at an antenna assembly and associating the desired signal with relative phase distribution information based on a relative location of origin of the desired signal where the relative phase distribution information is predetermined for the antenna assembly. The method further includes receiving an interfering signal and associating the interfering signal with relative phase distribution information based on a relative location of origin of the interfering signal where the desired signal and the interfering signal forming a received signal set. The method further includes normalizing signals of the received signal set to respective relative phases associated with each respective relative location of origin, and performing interference cancellation of the interfering signal based on the normalized signals.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2018Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: SmartSky Networks, LLCInventors: Gerard James Hayes, Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr., Koichiro Takamizawa, John Swartz, Mike Barts, James O. Legvoid
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Patent number: 11233560Abstract: An air-to-ground communications system includes at least one base station to be positioned on the ground and including a ground-based transceiver, a phased array antenna coupled to the ground-based transceiver, and a beamforming network coupled to the ground-based transceiver. The ground-based transceiver is configured to provide data traffic and control information to an aircraft. The beamforming network is configured to simultaneously generate at least one narrow antenna beam for the data traffic and at least one wide beam for the control information.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2019Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: SmartSky Networks, LLCInventors: Christopher D. Moffatt, Kevin Carl Gustke
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Patent number: 11223417Abstract: A network for providing high speed data communications may include multiple terrestrial transmission stations that are located within overlapping communications range and a mobile receiver station. The terrestrial transmission stations provide a continuous and uninterrupted high speed data communications link with the mobile receiver station employing a wireless radio access network protocol.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2021Date of Patent: January 11, 2022Assignee: SmartSky Networks, LLCInventor: Donald Alcorn
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Patent number: 11212719Abstract: An inter-network communication controller may include processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may be configured to receive location information associated with an in-flight aircraft being tracked and provided with air-to-ground (ATG) wireless communication services by a first ATG network. The first ATG network may employ beamforming directed to the aircraft to provide the communication services. The processing circuitry may also be configured to provide the location information to a second ATG network to enable the second ATG network to utilize the location information for employing beamforming to establish wireless communication with the aircraft. The first ATG network and the second ATG network may each operate over different ranges of radio frequency (RF) spectrum.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2018Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: SmartSky Networks, LLCInventor: Douglas Hyslop
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Patent number: 11184043Abstract: A method of enhancing wireless communication performance includes receiving information indicative of a local interferer where the local interferer is identified based on dynamic position information indicative of a position of at least one mobile communication node, performing noise cancellation relative to a received signal by removing an interference signal associated with the local interferer to generate a scrubbed signal, and providing the scrubbed signal for additional signal processing.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2019Date of Patent: November 23, 2021Assignee: SmartSky Networks, LLCInventors: Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr., Gerard James Hayes, Koichiro Takamizawa, Joe Klein
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Patent number: 10657828Abstract: Disclosed are algorithms and agent-based structures for a system and technique for analyzing and managing the airspace. The technique includes managing bulk properties of large numbers of heterogeneous multidimensional aircraft trajectories in an airspace, for the purpose of maintaining or increasing system safety, and to identify possible phase transition structures to predict when an airspace will approach the limits of its capacity. The paths of the multidimensional aircraft trajectories are continuously recalculated in the presence of changing conditions (traffic, exclusionary airspace, weather, for example) while optimizing performance measures and performing trajectory conflict detection and resolution. Such trajectories are represented as extended objects endowed with pseudo-potential, maintaining objectives for time, acceleration limits, and fuel-efficient paths by bending just enough to accommodate separation.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2017Date of Patent: May 19, 2020Assignee: Smartsky Networks LLCInventors: Bruce K. Sawhill, James W. Herriot, Bruce J. Holmes
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Patent number: 10548059Abstract: A method for performing seamless relocation of a mobile terminal in a wireless network includes selecting a first serving gateway (SGW) among a plurality of SGWs and a first packet data network gateway (PGW) among a plurality of PGWs, wherein the first SGW connects to the first PGW to setup the first S5 session, establishing a first communication channel between the terminal and the first PGW and assigning an internet protocol (IP) address to the terminal, selecting a second SGW among the plurality of SGWs when the terminal is about to move out of an area being served by the first SGW, connecting the second SGW to the second PGW to setup a new S5 session when a second PGW among the plurality of PGWs is closer to the second SGW than the first PGW or connecting the second SGW to the first PGW to modify the first S5 session when no PGW is closer to the second SGW than the first PGW, establishing a second communication channel between the terminal and the second SGW using the IP address allocated to the terminal,Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2018Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: Smartsky Networks LLCInventors: David Aaron Claassen, Lei Wang
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Patent number: 10517097Abstract: A network controller including processing circuitry may be configured to receive dynamic position information indicative of a three dimensional position of at least one mobile communication node, compare fixed position information indicative of fixed geographic locations of respective access points of a network to the dynamic position information to determine a relative position of the at least one mobile communication node relative to at least one of the access points based on the fixed position information and the dynamic position information, and provide network control instructions to at least one network asset based on the relative position.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2019Date of Patent: December 24, 2019Assignee: Smartsky Networks LLCInventors: Gerard James Hayes, Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr., Koichiro Takamizawa
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Patent number: 9497640Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2016Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: Smartsky Networks LLCInventors: Douglas Hyslop, Andrew P. Caplan
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Patent number: 9014704Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Smartsky Networks LLCInventors: Douglas Hyslop, Andrew P. Caplan
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Patent number: 9008669Abstract: Aspects described herein relate to a network for providing air-to-ground wireless communication in various cells. The network includes a first base station array, each base station of which includes a respective first antenna array defining a directional radiation pattern that is oriented in a first direction, wherein each base station of the first base station array is disposed spaced apart from another base station of the first base station array along the first direction by a first distance. The network also includes a similar second base station array where the second base station array extends substantially parallel to the first base station array and is spaced apart from the first base station array by a second distance to form continuous and at least partially overlapping cell coverage areas between respective base stations of the first and second base station arrays.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: Smartsky Networks LLCInventors: Douglas Hyslop, Andrew P. Caplan, Mike Dodson
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Patent number: 8922436Abstract: An aircraft communications system may include a RF-transparent enclosure, a plasma antenna element and a controller. The RF-transparent enclosure may be disposed substantially conformal with a portion of the aircraft. The plasma antenna element may be housed within the RF-transparent enclosure. The controller may be operably coupled to the plasma antenna element to provide control of operation of the plasma antenna element. The plasma antenna element may include one or more RF-conductive plasma devices that are selectively ionized to a plasma state under control of the controller.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2013Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Smartsky Networks LLCInventors: Ryan Mitchell Stone, Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr.
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Publication number: 20140333485Abstract: An aircraft communications system may include a RF-transparent enclosure, a plasma antenna element and a controller. The RF-transparent enclosure may be disposed substantially conformal with a portion of the aircraft. The plasma antenna element may be housed within the RF-transparent enclosure. The controller may be operably coupled to the plasma antenna element to provide control of operation of the plasma antenna element. The plasma antenna element may include one or more RF-conductive plasma devices that are selectively ionized to a plasma state under control of the controller.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2013Publication date: November 13, 2014Applicant: Smartsky Networks, LLCInventors: Ryan Mitchell Stone, Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr.
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Publication number: 20140328421Abstract: A network for providing high speed data communications may include multiple terrestrial transmission stations that are located within overlapping communications range and a mobile receiver station. The terrestrial transmission stations provide a continuous and uninterrupted high speed data communications link with the mobile receiver station employing a wireless radio access network protocol.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2013Publication date: November 6, 2014Applicant: Smartsky Network LLCInventor: Smartsky Network LLC
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Patent number: 8880060Abstract: A network for providing high speed data communications may include multiple terrestrial transmission stations that are located within overlapping communications range and a mobile receiver station. The terrestrial transmission stations provide a continuous and uninterrupted high speed data communications link with the mobile receiver station employing a wireless radio access network protocol.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2012Date of Patent: November 4, 2014Assignee: Smartsky Networks LLCInventor: Donald Alcorn