Integrated television and broadband data system for aircraft
| Title: | Integrated television and broadband data system for aircraft |
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| Patent Number: | 7,643,440 |
| Publication Date: | January 05, 2010 |
| Appl. No: | 10/793701 |
| Application Filed: | March 04, 2004 |
| Abstract: | An integrated airborne broadband data and television system is disclosed. The integrated system includes an aircraft mounted pointable antenna unit. Further, the integrated system includes pointing command electronics providing pointing commands to the antenna unit. The pointing commands are based on requested access to one of data services and television services. Further, the disclosed integrated system includes a processing unit directing signal information to one of a data transmitter receiver and a television signal receiver decoder unit. |
| Inventors: | Johnson, Mark W. (Cedar Rapids, IA, US); Barnes, Geoffrey J. (Cedar Rapids, IA, US); Merry, Christopher M. (Long Beach, CA, US); Evans, Christopher T. (Cedar Rapids, IA, US) |
| Assignees: | Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Cedar Rapids, IA, US) |
| Claim: | 1. An integrated airborne broadband data and television system, comprising: an aircraft mounted pointable antenna unit; a user interface to provide information to transition from data services to television services and from the television services to the data services; pointing command electronics providing pointing commands to steer the antenna unit, the pointing commands being based on requested access to one of the data services and the television services, wherein the pointing command electronics comprise a gimbal electronics module, wherein the pointing command electronics determine when the antenna unit can be steered from pointing to a broadband data services satellite to pointing to a broadcast television satellite in response to the information from the user interface to transition from the data services to the television services; and a processing unit directing signal information to one of a data transmitter receiver server and a television signal receiver decoder unit. |
| Claim: | 2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit provides television broadcast signals to an intermediate multiplexer unit coupled to a plurality of receiver decoder units, each receiver decoder unit coupled to a respective television encoder unit. |
| Claim: | 3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data transmitter receiver unit is coupled to a frequency converting unit. |
| Claim: | 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the frequency converting unit delivers transmit signals to a power amplifier unit. |
| Claim: | 5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the power amplifier unit delivers an amplified transmit signal to the antenna. |
| Claim: | 6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the broadband data services include internet data services. |
| Claim: | 7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gimbal electronics module receives data services signals from the broadband data services satellite in a data services mode and television signals from the television satellite in a television mode. |
| Claim: | 8. An integrated airborne data services and broadcast television services system comprising: at least one aircraft tail mounted pointable antenna unit; pointing command electronics providing pointing commands to steer the at least one antenna unit, the pointing commands dependent on received satellite parameters and dependent on aircraft positioning parameters, wherein the pointing command electronics determine when the antenna unit can be steered from pointing to a broadband data services satellite to pointing to a broadcast television satellite in response to a user request to transition from data services to television services; and a processing unit directing received signal information to at least one of a broadband data subsystem and a broadcast television subsystem. |
| Claim: | 9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the pointing command electronics comprise a gimbal electronics module. |
| Claim: | 10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processing unit provides television broadcast signals to an intermediate multiplexer unit coupled to a plurality of receiver decoder units, each receiver decoder unit coupled to a respective television encoder unit. |
| Claim: | 11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the broadband data subsystem is coupled to a frequency converting unit. |
| Claim: | 12. The system of claim 11 wherein the frequency converting unit delivers transmit signals to a power amplifier unit. |
| Claim: | 13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the power amplifier unit delivers an amplified transmit signal to the antenna. |
| Claim: | 14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the broadband data services include internet data services. |
| Claim: | 15. A method of receiving both broadband data and television broadcast signals on board an aircraft, comprising: receiving first pointing parameters for directing an aircraft mounted antenna toward a broadband data services satellite; pointing the antenna according to the first pointing parameters; receiving, via the antenna, broadband data services signals; receiving a request for broadcast television services from a user interface within the cabin of the aircraft; generating second pointing parameters for pointing the antenna toward a broadcast television satellite; pointing the antenna by steering according to the second pointing parameters; and receiving, via the antenna, broadcast television signals. |
| Claim: | 16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising providing pointing command electronics for generating the first and second pointing parameters, the pointing command electronics comprising a gimbal electronics module. |
| Claim: | 17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising providing the television broadcast signals to an intermediate multiplexer unit. |
| Claim: | 18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising providing the broadband data services signals to a frequency converting unit. |
| Claim: | 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the frequency converting unit delivers transmit signals to a power amplifier unit. |
| Claim: | 20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the power amplifier unit delivers an amplified transmit signal to the antenna. |
| Claim: | 21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the broadband data services include internet data services. |
| Current U.S. Class: | 370/316 |
| Patent References Cited: | 4352200 September 1982 Oxman 5912641 June 1999 Dietrich 5973647 October 1999 Barrett et al. 5990928 November 1999 Sklar et al. 6201797 March 2001 Leuca et al. 6529706 March 2003 Mitchell 6626275 September 2003 Lee 6677900 January 2004 Thouvenel et al. 6720920 April 2004 Breed et al. 6950073 September 2005 Clymer et al. 2002/0087992 July 2002 Bengeult et al. 2002/0150061 October 2002 Arsenault |
| Other References: | Airshow Previews New Multi-Region Airborne TV System, Partners with Jet Aviation for Certification on Wide Body Business Jet, May 28, 2002, 2 pages, Airshow, Inc., Tustin, CA. cited by other Airshow Signs Strategic Alliance With AeroSat for Next Generation TV Antennas, Dec. 4, 2001, 2 pages, Airshow, Inc., Tustin, CA. cited by other |
| Assistant Examiner: | Nguyen, Huy D |
| Primary Examiner: | Feild, Joseph H |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Evans, Matthew J. Barbieri, Daniel M. |
| Accession Number: | edspgr.07643440 |
| Database: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| Language: | English |
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