Patents Assigned to Smartsky Networks LLC
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Patent number: 11968026Abstract: 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: October 30, 2023Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventor: Donald Alcorn
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Patent number: 11955018Abstract: 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: April 20, 2020Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventors: Bruce K. Sawhill, James W. Herriot, Bruce J. Holmes
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Patent number: 11930373Abstract: 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: January 7, 2022Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventors: Paul Sameit, Koichiro Takamizawa
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Patent number: 11923955Abstract: A unified radio system for providing wireless communication to a communication device on an aircraft regardless of aircraft altitude may include a terrestrial network including a plurality of terrestrial base stations configured to communicate primarily in a ground communication layer below a first altitude, an ATG network including a plurality of ATG base stations configured to communicate primarily in an ATG communication layer above a second altitude, an air-to-air mesh network for data relays through connected aircraft, and an aircraft with an onboard antenna assembly and a unified radio. The unified radio may be configured to monitor network parameters of the terrestrial network and the ATG network and switch between a currently serving network and a non-serving network based on the network parameters.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2020Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventors: Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr., Bruce J. Holmes, Gerard James Hayes, James Evans Ladd, Jr.
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Patent number: 11899118Abstract: A global positioning system (GPS) receiver may include an antenna configured to receive GPS signals from GPS satellites, a radio frequency (RF) front end configured to pre-process signals received by the antenna, a demodulator/converter configured to perform demodulation and analog-to-digital conversion of output signals received from the RF front end, a clock configured to provide a consistent clock signal, and a digital signal processor configured to receive the clock signal and make time and code measurements associated with determining a location of the GPS receiver based on the signals received by the antenna. The GPS receiver may be configured to eliminate reflected or indirect signals from the time and code measurements.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2022Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventors: Gerard James Hayes, Koichiro Takamizawa, Douglas Hyslop
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Patent number: 11893566Abstract: An aerospace commerce exchange system may include a network, a plurality of clients operably coupled to the network, and an aerospace commerce exchange platform operably coupled to the network to provide exchange services to the clients. At least one of the clients may be operably coupled to the aerospace commerce exchange platform via an air-to-ground wireless communication link or satellite link (or other links with which an aircraft may be associated) to provide or receive data associated with at least one of the exchange services.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2020Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventors: Ryan Mitchell Stone, Blane Edward Rockafellow, Bryan S. Trainum, Charles Jason Rinker
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Patent number: 11889371Abstract: 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: March 1, 2022Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventors: David Aaron Claassen, Lei Wang
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Patent number: 11882627Abstract: A context awareness engine may include processing circuitry configured to receive a context update request from a content provider for an originator of a content request from a source internet protocol (IP) address associated with a dynamic context, determine updated context information for the originator based on the source IP address, and provide the updated context information to the content provider to enable the content provider to provide a response to the content request including requested content or additional content that is based on the updated context information.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2022Date of Patent: January 23, 2024Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventors: Richard Pilock, Blane Rockafellow, Bryan S. Trainum, Brian Rudloff, Michael Spencer Toedtli, Thomas Dale Gahagen
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Patent number: 11876595Abstract: 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 12, 2022Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventor: Donald Alcorn
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Patent number: 11876594Abstract: A beamforming control module including processing circuitry may be configured to receive fixed position information indicative of a fixed geographic location of a base station, receive dynamic position information indicative of a three dimensional position of at least one mobile communication station, determine an expected relative position of a first network node relative to a second network node based on the fixed position information and the dynamic position information, and provide instructions to direct formation of a steerable beam from an antenna array of the second network node based on the expected relative position.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2022Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventor: Douglas Hyslop
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Patent number: 11870149Abstract: An antenna assembly includes a plurality of antenna elements disposed in a circular pattern and equidistant from each other in angular separation relative to a common reference point at a center of the circular pattern. The antenna assembly may include or be operably coupled to a phase control module configured to apply selected phase fronts to each of the antenna elements to generate constructive and destructive interference patterns to define a directive beam in a desired direction. The selected phase fronts may include no phase adjustment, a positive phase adjustment value and a negative phase adjustment value, the positive and negative phase adjustment values each having a same magnitude.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2019Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventors: Gerard James Hayes, Koichiro Takamizawa, James O. Legvold, Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr., Mike Barts, John Swartz
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Patent number: 11871245Abstract: 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: March 29, 2022Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventors: Ryan M. Stone, Douglas Hyslop
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Patent number: 11871298Abstract: 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 12, 2023Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventors: Gerard James Hayes, Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr., Koichiro Takamizawa
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Patent number: 11864004Abstract: 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 18, 2023Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventors: Douglas Hyslop, Andrew P. Caplan
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Patent number: 11838768Abstract: 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: December 6, 2022Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventor: Douglas Hyslop
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Patent number: 11811441Abstract: 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: January 7, 2022Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventors: Gerard James Hayes, Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr., Koichiro Takamizawa, John Swartz, Mike Barts, James Legvold
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Patent number: 11743795Abstract: A network for providing air-to-ground (ATG) wireless communication in various cells may include a receiver station disposed on an aircraft in flight, a plurality of base stations, each base station defining a corresponding radiation pattern such that the base stations are spaced apart from each other to define at least partially overlapping coverage areas, and a control module in communication with at least one of the base stations. The control module may be configured to receive information indicative of an altitude of the aircraft and select a frequency for communication between the at least one of the base stations and the receiver station based on the altitude.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2022Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventor: Douglas Hyslop
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Patent number: 11728883Abstract: A network analytics control module may include processing circuitry configured to receive three dimensional location information and corresponding signal quality information for a particular asset in an air-to-ground (ATG) network, make a service quality inference for the particular asset based at least in part on the received information, and provide an instruction for a network control activity based on the service quality inference.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2021Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventors: David Claassen, Douglas Hyslop
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Patent number: 11700308Abstract: An information manager may include processing circuitry configured to receive dynamic aircraft information associated with operation of an in-flight aircraft, receive a message from a communication device on the in-flight aircraft for transmission to a ground based content server via a wireless communication network capable of communicating with in-flight assets, and generate an aviation cookie for communication to the content server along with the message. The aviation cookie may be generated based on the dynamic aircraft information and may enable the content server to generate content based at least in part on the dynamic aircraft information.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2022Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventors: Ryan M. Stone, Blane E. Rockafellow, Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr.
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Patent number: 11694558Abstract: A method and system for continuously re-planning a vehicle's path, in the face of stationary and moving obstacles, dynamically calculates a new path in real time which is both efficient and maintains minimum safety clearances relative to obstacles. Repulsion signals emanating from obstacles and propagating through delineated sections of a grid representing a geographic space are summed along with values representing the relative distance of the sections from the vehicle origin and vehicle destination. The grid sections having optimal values according to a predetermined criteria represent an efficient and safe travel path between the vehicle origin and destination.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2020Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLCInventor: James W. Herriot