Patents Assigned to Smartsky Networks LLC
  • Patent number: 10959054
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS, LLC
    Inventors: Gerard James Hayes, Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr., Koichiro Takamizawa
  • Patent number: 10945139
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Hyslop, Andrew P. Caplan
  • Patent number: 10911105
    Abstract: A base station within a network for providing ATG wireless communication in various cells may include an antenna array defining a plurality of wedge shaped sectors having respective widths defined in azimuth, and a beamforming control module. The beamforming control module may be configured to communicate with the antenna array via a first RF chain to perform beamforming defining traffic channel beams having a first width, and a second RF chain to perform beamforming defining control channel beams having a second width. The second width may be greater than the first width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Hyslop, Gerard James Hayes, Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10891607
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS, LLC
    Inventors: Ryan Mitchell Stone, Blane Edward Rockafellow, Bryan S. Trainum, Charles Jason Rinker
  • Patent number: 10855364
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS, LLC
    Inventor: Donald Alcorn
  • Patent number: 10837769
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and a system for determining locations of telecommunication ground stations. In one aspect, the method includes creating heat map data set representing air traffic volume at grid units of a geographic region, determining a ground station location at one of the grid units having air traffic volume greater than that of others of the grid units, modifying the heat map data by excluding data representing one or more of the grid units surrounding the ground station location, and repeating the determining and modifying steps until a predetermined quantity of ground station locations is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventor: James W. Herriot
  • Patent number: 10794704
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventor: James W. Herriot
  • Patent number: 10770785
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventors: Gerard James Hayes, Koichiro Takamizawa, Donald L. Alcorn, James O. Legvold, Robert Michael Barts
  • Patent number: 10764804
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventor: Douglas Hyslop
  • Patent number: 10757585
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Hyslop, Andrew P. Caplan
  • Patent number: 10728337
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventors: Ryan M. Stone, Blane E. Rockafellow, Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10721593
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventors: Gerard James Hayes, Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr., Koichiro Takamizawa
  • Patent number: 10708791
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventor: Douglas Hyslop
  • Patent number: 10657828
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Smartsky Networks LLC
    Inventors: Bruce K. Sawhill, James W. Herriot, Bruce J. Holmes
  • Patent number: 10623968
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventor: Douglas Hyslop
  • Patent number: 10548059
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Smartsky Networks LLC
    Inventors: David Aaron Claassen, Lei Wang
  • Patent number: 10517097
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Smartsky Networks LLC
    Inventors: Gerard James Hayes, Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr., Koichiro Takamizawa
  • Patent number: 10484079
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventor: Donald Alcorn
  • Patent number: 10461843
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventors: Christopher D. Moffatt, Kevin Carl Gustke
  • Patent number: 10455432
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Hyslop, Andrew P. Caplan