Abstract: Systems and methods for transmission and display of synchronized physical and visual data for three-dimensional display are disclosed. Physical and visual data may be encoded and interlaced to enable synchronized transmission of the data in efficient manners. A single data transport stream may be utilized to transmit both physical and visual data over a communication channel, allowing physical and visual data to be efficiently co-joined on a same surface at a receiving end to provide a realistic, true three-dimensional representation.

Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) displays and methods for controlling the displays are disclosed. A display may include an n-layered 3D column, wherein each i-th layer of the n-layered 3D column includes a group of at least one illuminable element uniquely positioned within the n-layered 3D column. The display may also include a 2D macro-pixel configured to control a depth of illumination within the n-layered 3D column. The macro-pixel may include n-number of control groups, and each i-th control group of the n-number of control groups may include at least one individual pixel uniquely positioned to selectively provide at least one directional beam toward the group of at least one illuminable element positioned in the i-th layer of the n-layered 3D column, thereby allowing the macro-pixel to control the depth of illumination within the n-layered 3D column by selectively engaging at least one of the n-number of control groups of the macro-pixel.

Abstract: Methods for controlling directional antennas (and systems for performing same) may include one or more operations including, but not limited to: determining a location of an aircraft using a Kalman filter; selecting at least one communication tower for air-to-ground communication; computing a vector between the location of the aircraft and at least one selected communication tower; and configuring a directional antenna of an aircraft to correspond to the vector.

Abstract: A distributed system for flight and route management (FARM) of one or more aircraft of the system may include onboard processing devices for combining sensor data local to an aircraft with cloud-based data received through the system from other aircraft or from ground-based processing devices, thereby generating situation models of each aircraft relative to its flight path and in the context of current and predictive conditions (weather, traffic, terrain, threats, etc.). The FARM system may evaluate situation models against prioritized constraint sets of business rules or policies associated with each aircraft's flight plan to determine, crosscheck, and implement possible modifications to the flight plan. Localized aircraft data and flight plan modifications may be propagated through the system via a variety of communications networks to provide synchronized, holistic airspace data portraits to aircraft and ground control alike.

Abstract: An aircraft satellite communications system is provided. The aircraft satellite communications system may include a receiver/transmitter system configured for transmitting and receiving data from a low earth orbit satellite. The low earth orbit satellite is in communication with a host. The low earth orbit satellite is configured for receiving a request from the receiver/transmitter system and communicating the request to the host. The aircraft satellite communications system also includes a receiver configured for receiving data from a geostationary orbit satellite. The geostationary orbit satellite is also in communication with the host and is configured to receive a response to the request from the host and to transmit the response to the receiver.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and related method providing high speed wireless data connectivity between a vehicle and a temporary stationary location for the vehicle. The system comprises at least three steerable antennas configured for transmission and reception of a broadband RF signal. A first antenna is mounted to the temporary stationary location to send and receive data from one data source available to the system. A second steerable antenna mounted near the temporary location and third steerable antenna mounted to the vehicle provides a communication link between the temporary location and the vehicle. The systems disclosed herein may enable a RF node capable of accepting fiber, cable and satellite modem inputs and communicating wireless gigabit data to a transceiver on the vehicle.

Abstract: An antenna system for a vehicle. The antenna system includes at least one antenna, wherein each of the at least one antenna is configured to send signals to and receive signals from one or more non-geostationary satellites. Additionally, the antenna system includes at least one directional antenna, wherein each of the at least one directional antenna is configured to receive signals from one or more geostationary satellites. Furthermore, the at least one antenna and the at least one directional antenna are configured to be communicatively coupled to a computing device on-board the vehicle.

Abstract: A system and method enable broadband communication between a remote or airborne station and a terrestrial network linking any other station around the earth. The airborne station connectivity may be routed either via a proximal LEO SAT belonging to a high density LEO SAT constellation as well as via a proximal ground based station directly connected with the terrestrial network. Latency values available to the airborne station are within tolerance for video conferencing by employing steerable antenna elements onboard the airborne station to establish connectivity with and actively track one or more proximal LEO SATs. The airborne station maintains connectivity with the ground based station where available via cellular geographical transmission patterns to deconflict specific bands of limited spectrum as well as protocols specific to the local wireless network. The high density LEO SAT constellation is networked and connected to the terrestrial network via several global down links.

Abstract: A computer system identifies a subset of internet content of interest to a future set of passengers for a particular flight. The computer system compiles the subset of the internet content in advance of the flight and delivers the subset of internet content to a corresponding airport gate. A routing table of individual pages and links in those individual pages is constructed. A computer system with a large data storage element in an aircraft receives the subset of internet content and delivers it to passengers on demand, in flight.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for implementing a security construct for downloading, delivering and protecting large amounts of data for transfer to an aircraft upload capability in a short period of time, including between individual legs of a flight for a particular aircraft or fleet of aircraft. Large data packages include In Flight Entertainment and Electronic Flight Bag data. The data is downloaded at an available rate using wired communication paths communicating with various data sources via communication networks to a mobile communication device. The data is secured in the mobile communication device according to particular encryption schemes acceptable to data content providers. The mobile communication device securely holds the data for carriage to the aircraft where wired communication is established to upload the data in available abbreviated amounts of time in a manner that is not dependent on the availability of wireless communicating bandwidth.

Abstract: A system and method for communication relay via a repeater platform satellite vehicle to a near surface station in the Polar Region is disclosed. A preferred embodiment receives a plurality of positioning and content data from a plurality of constellations of Geosynchronous Equatorial Orbit (GEO) Satellite Vehicles (SAT). Additionally, the system receives a plurality of position, time and altitude data from constellations of available repeater platform (RP) SATs. The system receives a request for content from a near surface station located in an area lacking adequate line-of-sight to the GEO based signal. The system aligns antenna elements onboard the desired RP SATs to amplify and relay the GEO based signal toward the near surface station and vice versa. Additionally, the system commands directional antenna elements onboard the station to send and receive the relayed signal making the GEO based content available to the near surface station.

Abstract: An on-board aircraft computer is configured to receive flight relevant data from another aircraft through a satellite data link configured to route data between aircraft. The on-board aircraft computer then incorporates such flight relevant data into one or more on-board systems such as a flight management system. The on-board aircraft computer may include two receivers such that a second receiver establishes communication with a second satellite signal during transition between two discrete regions of satellite communication. Furthermore, a satellite routes flight relevant data from one aircraft to another without communication with a ground station.

Abstract: A directional antenna system for an aircraft is disclosed. The directional antenna system may include an enclosure, a linear antenna array disposed within the enclosure and a controller. The linear antenna array may include a plurality of antenna elements physically oriented in the same orientation. The plurality of antenna elements may be positioned along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance center-to-center. The controller may be in communication with each of the plurality of antenna elements of the linear antenna array. The controller may be configured for independently controlling a RF phase angle of each of the plurality of antenna elements based on a position of the aircraft and at least one ground station available to the aircraft, allowing the linear antenna array to concentrate RF radiations in a particular wavelength toward a general direction.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed enabling deconfliction between a ground-based radio and an airborne radio while both radios are in wireless data communication with a ground-based cellular network via the same ground-based connection node or tower. An orthogonal plurality of time/frequency segments is divided into a ground group of segments and an air group of segments by dynamically placing a frequency barrier between the two groups. Through dynamic allocation between groups and between the plurality of time/frequency segments within each group, interference free communication may coexist while both radios are wirelessly connected to the same tower. Additionally, an uplink (from airborne radio to tower) frequency may be moved to a second, distant frequency band to deconflict with the uplink and downlink first frequency band allotted to the ground-based radio while the downlink from tower to airborne radio remains within the first frequency band.

Abstract: The present invention includes a plurality of native cellular nodes configured to provide wireless connectivity to one or more ground-based wireless devices, each native node including a BTS having a transceiver configured to transmit a downlink signal to the ground-based devices at a native downlink frequency and receive an uplink signal from the ground-based devices at a native uplink frequency, a plurality of augmented nodes configured to provide connectivity to one or more airborne devices, each augmented node including an augmented BTS having a transceiver configured to transmit a downlink signal to the one or more airborne communications devices via an upwardly directed antenna at the native downlink frequency and receive an air-to-ground uplink signal from the airborne devices at a selected air-to-ground uplink frequency different from the native uplink signal frequency, wherein the native nodes and the augmented nodes are configured to operate on a common backhaul infrastructure.

Abstract: A directional antenna is disclosed. The directional antenna may include a support structure for defining a support surface; a first antenna stack positioned on the support surface, the first antenna stack having multiple antenna elements oriented in a first orientation, allowing the first antenna stack to concentrate radiations in a first direction; a second antenna stack positioned on the support surface, the second antenna stack having multiple antenna elements oriented in a second orientation, the second orientation being rotated a predetermined angle with respect to the first orientation, allowing the second antenna stack to concentrate radiations in a second direction different from the first direction; and a controller configured to selectively activate at least one of the first antenna stack or the second antenna stack to steer the radiations of the directional antenna in different directions without physical/mechanical movement of the antenna stacks.

Abstract: A system for mitigating radio frequency (RF) interferences. The system may comprise an interference cancellation module communicatively coupled with a first antenna, the interference cancellation module configured for mitigating interferences from a second antenna by phase shifting a signal receivable at the first antenna according to a phase shift value, the phase shift value being predetermined when the second antenna is oriented in an initial directional orientation. The system may further comprise a variable RF delay module communicatively coupled with the interference cancellation module, the variable RF delay module configured for determining a current directional orientation of the second antenna, the variable RF delay module further configured for providing a phase compensation value based upon the current directional orientation of the second antenna.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed enabling deconfliction between a ground-based radio and an airborne radio while both radios are in wireless data communication with a ground-based cellular network via the same ground-based connection node or tower. An orthogonal plurality of time/frequency segments is divided into a ground group of segments and an air group of segments by dynamically placing a frequency barrier between the two groups. Through dynamic allocation between groups and between the plurality of time/frequency segments within each group, interference free communication may coexist while both radios are wirelessly connected to the same tower. Additionally, an uplink (from airborne radio to tower) frequency may be moved to a second, distant frequency band to deconflict with the uplink and downlink first frequency band allotted to the ground-based radio while the downlink from tower to airborne radio remains within the first frequency band.

Abstract: An in-flight video system for providing video services to an aircraft is disclosed. The video system may include a receiving module positioned on an aircraft. The receiving module may be configured for: receiving video signals being broadcasted on a ground-based cellular network, processing the video signals received and providing a video stream. The video system may further include a processor communicatively connected to the receiving module. The processor may be configured for distributing the video stream to at least one end device onboard the aircraft.

Abstract: The present invention includes a plurality of native cellular nodes configured to provide wireless connectivity to one or more ground-based wireless devices, each native node including a BTS having a transceiver configured to transmit a downlink signal to the ground-based devices at a native downlink frequency and receive an uplink signal from the ground-based devices at a native uplink frequency, a plurality of augmented nodes configured to provide connectivity to one or more airborne devices, each augmented node including an augmented BTS having a transceiver configured to transmit a downlink signal to the one or more airborne communications devices via an upwardly directed antenna at the native downlink frequency and receive an air-to-ground uplink signal from the airborne devices at a selected air-to-ground uplink frequency different from the native uplink signal frequency, wherein the native nodes and the augmented nodes are configured to operate on a common backhaul infrastructure.