JP2005159448A - Broadband wireless communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize broadband wireless communication between a terminal device possessed by a passenger in a moving body such as an aircraft and a ground communication network at low cost without using a satellite and with high reliability. To.
A broadband wireless communication system according to the present invention includes a base station 12 provided with a base station antenna 11 and connected to a terrestrial communication network 14, a wireless relay station 16 mounted on each of a plurality of mobile bodies, and a mobile body. Each of the radio relay station 16 and the terminal device 17 is connected to the base station 12 and each of the radio relay stations 16 by a one-to-many broadband wireless line. The wireless relay station 16 transmits and receives signals via wireless or wired communication between the wireless system and the base station 12 and the wireless system or wired communication system with the terminal device 17. This is characterized in that the terminal device 17 in the mobile unit and the terrestrial communication network 14 are connected via the radio relay station 16 and the base station 12 to perform broadband communication.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a broadband wireless communication system that performs broadband communication by wirelessly connecting a terminal device possessed by an occupant or passenger in a moving body such as an aircraft, a ship, a train, and an automobile and a ground communication network.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the following technologies are known as techniques for wirelessly connecting terminal devices of occupants and passengers in moving bodies such as airplanes, ships, trains, automobiles, and the like and a ground communication network for communication.

First, as a first conventional technology, there is an aircraft Internet system (Connection by Boeing) planned by Boeing in the United States, and the service contents are disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 below, and the domestic technical standards for that are the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. The information and communications council reported on October 29, 2003, and its press release is published in Non-Patent Document 2 below. This system connects an aircraft and a geostationary satellite by radio in the uplink 14 GHz band and downlink 12 GHz band, connects the passengers in the aircraft and the ground communication network via the satellite, and the Internet of about 1 Mbps upstream and 5 Mbps downstream for passengers in the aircraft. It provides a usage environment.
E. Laase and W. Richards, “Deploying Connection by Boeing (SM) Satellite Services”, Proc. AIAA 21th International Comm. Satellite Systems Conf. Exhibit, 2003-2315, Yokohama, Japan, Apr. 2003. Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Information and Communications Council Advisory No. 2013 report “Technical conditions for high-speed, high-capacity aeronautical mobile satellite communications systems using Ku-band”, October 29, 2003

  The first prior art described above has a feature that it can provide a communication environment equivalent to the ground to passengers in an aircraft that have been isolated from a broadband information network so far, regardless of domestic or international routes.

In addition, as a second conventional technique, there is an in-flight mobile phone system planned to be serviced by US AirCell, Inc., and the service contents and system contents are described in, for example, Non-Patent Document 3 and Non-Patent Document 4 below. Yes.
J. Blumenstein, “Cellular: Tommorow's Inflight Phone”, Proc. IPEC-2003 Conf., London, Apr. 2003. S. Cutbirth, “Personal Cell Phone Use Inflight”, WAEA (World Airline Entertainment Association) Technical Committee, July 2002 (Updated in Nov. 2002).

  In this system, a plurality of mobile phone base stations for aircraft are installed on the ground at a certain interval, wirelessly connected to a relay base station installed on the aircraft, and a mobile phone that supports a plurality of different wireless standards on the aircraft. By configuring a cell phone's micro cell (pico cell), passengers in the aircraft can use ordinary mobile phone terminals as they are in the aircraft, and carriers are selected between passengers on the ground and other aircraft. It provides an environment where calls can be made without interruption.

  In the second prior art described above, in an airplane flying over the land, the mobile phone terminal that the passenger brings into the aircraft is used as it is to connect to the mobile phone network on the ground operated by an arbitrary carrier. Therefore, the system cost can be reduced as compared with the first prior art using the satellite because the satellite is not used.

As a third conventional technique, there is a broadband wireless communication system using commercial aircraft described in a US patent (see Patent Document 1 below) acquired by US TeleAvionics.
US Pat. No. 6,285,878

  This system pays attention to the fact that a large number of passenger and cargo aircrafts are flying at the same time today. A wireless repeater is installed on each aircraft and wirelessly connected to the ground wireless terminals. Each flying aircraft is connected by a wireless line, and one or a plurality of aircraft is regarded as an orbiting satellite, and a wireless network environment is provided to users on the ground. In addition, this system can provide not only a wireless network environment to users on the ground but also an environment for connecting passengers on the aircraft to the ground network.

  The third prior art described above has a feature that a wireless network environment can be provided to terrestrial users distributed over a wide area without using expensive satellites by connecting a plurality of aircraft wirelessly. In addition, it is possible to provide an environment where broadband passengers can be connected to a ground network without using an expensive satellite, as in the second prior art, for in-flight passengers regardless of whether they are on land or offshore. It has the characteristics.

  However, since the first prior art needs to use a geostationary satellite located at a very far distance of 36,000 km above the equator, in principle, radio waves are greatly attenuated. An antenna with a large aperture is required on the aircraft. On the other hand, the size of an antenna installed on a satellite or an aircraft is limited to a certain predetermined size due to physical and cost restrictions. For this reason, the information transmission speed must be about several Mbps or less. In addition, since the satellite launch and operation costs are extremely high, there is a problem that the communication charge cannot be sufficiently reduced.

  In addition, since the second conventional technology is a technology limited to the mobile phone service, the communication band is the same as that of the mobile phone (maximum of about 2 Mbps for the third generation mobile phone), and there is no problem with the call. In the case of data communication such as the Internet, there is a problem that the communication speed is limited. In addition, the antennas provided on both sides to connect the aircraft and the ground base station wirelessly use a wide beam that is nearly non-directional, so the equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) cannot be increased, and high-speed transmission is not possible. There was a limit.

  In addition, according to the third prior art, the wireless circuit connection between the aircrafts depends on the flight schedule of the aircraft, and the flight schedule is generally required for the transportation of passengers and cargo regardless of the wireless circuit connection request. Since it is determined by conditions such as the weather, there is not necessarily a guarantee that wireless lines can be connected between aircrafts, and there is a problem that the reliability of wireless lines cannot always be ensured.

  The present invention has been proposed in view of the above, and is capable of performing broadband wireless communication between a terminal device possessed by a passenger inside a moving body such as an aircraft and a ground communication network at low cost without using a satellite and high An object is to provide a broadband wireless communication system that can be realized with reliability.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 includes a base station antenna capable of changing a beam direction, and is mounted on each of a base station connected to a terrestrial communication network and a plurality of mobile units. A wireless relay station and a terminal device comprising a wireless communication terminal or information terminal possessed by a passenger inside the mobile body, and each of the base station and the wireless relay station captured by the base station antenna of the base station Between the wireless relay station and each of the terminal devices inside the mobile body, signals are transmitted and received via wireless or wired communication, and the wireless relay station Performs a signal system conversion between a radio system between a base station and a radio system or a wired communication system between terminal devices, and a terminal device and a terrestrial communication network possessed by a passenger inside the mobile body. Connected via a wireless relay station and base station Performing band communication, it is characterized in that.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect of the present invention, the base station antenna is composed of a plurality of antenna elements, and a plurality of directions of radio waves are mechanically scanned or It has means capable of electronic scanning and has the ability to simultaneously capture multiple mobiles and track them over a wide range, broadband wireless transmission with high effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP), and interference reduction with other radio stations It is characterized by that.

  Further, in the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the configuration of the invention described in claim 1, the radio relay station is a machine having a beam generation function that always directs the direction of the base station and tracks it. It comprises a scanning antenna or an electronic scanning array antenna.

  Further, in the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the configuration of the invention described in claim 1 described above, a plurality of the base stations are installed at intervals, and the coverage of the plurality of base stations is straddled. It is characterized by having a function that allows communication to continue even when the mobile body moves.

  In addition to the configuration of the invention described in claim 1, the invention described in claim 5 is a high-altitude wireless communication platform such as an aircraft, a balloon, or an airship that flies or stays at high altitude. Use one of the base station antenna beams installed on the base station on the high-level wireless communication platform to establish a wireless connection with the gateway station on the ground and connect to the ground communication network via the gateway station. It is characterized by that.

  Furthermore, in the invention described in claim 6, in addition to the configuration of the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 5, the moving body is at least one of an aircraft, a ship, a train, and an automobile. It is characterized by that.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, a wireless relay station is provided in a mobile body, and a terminal device possessed by a passenger inside the mobile body is connected to a ground communication network such as a telephone network or the Internet via a wireless relay station and a base station. Since broadband communication is used, passengers and passengers of mobile objects such as aircraft, ships, trains, and automobiles can communicate with people and computers outside the mobile object in the same way as when they are on the ground. Communication etc. can be performed.

  In addition, a mobile occupant or a passenger can use a wireless communication terminal or an information terminal that is carried by the mobile body or provided by the mobile body.

  In addition, since the geostationary satellite is not used, the distance between the base station on the ground and the moving body is extremely short compared to the distance to the geostationary satellite even in the case of the aircraft with the longest distance. On the receiving side, a large reception power can be obtained with a relatively small antenna, and broadband wireless communication can be easily realized. Furthermore, since no satellite is used, the system cost can be reduced.

  In addition, it is not a system configuration that relays mobile units wirelessly, but a direct wireless connection with a fixed ground base station that does not depend on the operation schedule of the mobile unit. Sex can be secured.

  According to claim 2 of the present invention, the ground base station wirelessly connects simultaneously with a plurality of moving bodies using a plurality of tracking beams having a strong directivity gain and a high effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP). In order to maintain a connection with these while moving within the coverage area of the base station, high received power can be obtained on both the mobile side and the base station side, and broadband wireless communication that could not be realized in the past can be continued. Can be done.

  In addition, the tracking beam can keep the side lobe level (the radio wave leaked and radiated outside the direction of the antenna) low, and if the base station antenna is an electronic scanning type, the direction of the base station antenna By performing the interference removal processing in the direction control mechanism, it is possible to reduce interference between another radio relay station and the base station that use the same frequency band.

  According to claim 3 of the present invention, the radio relay station is provided with a mechanical scanning antenna or an electronic scanning array antenna having a beam generation function that always directs and tracks the direction of the base station. Wireless connection to the ground base station with a beam with directional gain and high effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP), and connection with the base station while moving within the coverage area of the base station Therefore, high received power can be obtained on both the mobile unit side and the base station side, and broadband wireless transmission that could not be realized conventionally can be performed continuously.

  Further, the tracking beam can keep the side lobe level low, and when the radio relay station antenna is an electronic scanning type, the interference cancellation processing is performed in the directivity control mechanism of the radio relay station antenna so that the same frequency band can be obtained. It is possible to reduce interference between other radio stations using the mobile relay station.

  Further, according to claim 4 of the present invention, a function is provided in which a plurality of base stations are installed at intervals, and communication can be continued even when a mobile body moves across the coverage of the plurality of base stations. As a result, the occupants and passengers of the mobile body can always maintain the connection with the ground communication network.

  In addition, by placing base stations so that the coverage areas of multiple base stations overlap, if there is a high probability that radio wave propagation will be blocked by buildings or undulations on the ground, the radio wave A good radio link and base station can be selected to maintain high radio communication quality.

  Furthermore, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the base station is installed on the radio communication platform at a high degree, the coverage area of the base station can be increased compared to the case where it is installed on the ground, and the base station is installed. The number can be reduced.

  In addition, compared with the case where a base station is installed on the ground, the probability of blocking radio waves by obstacles such as buildings and undulations on the ground can be greatly reduced.

  In addition, the position of the high-level wireless communication platform on which the base station is mounted can be easily changed as necessary.

  In addition, if a wireless link is separately connected between base stations installed in a plurality of high-level wireless communication platforms, a gateway station for connecting to a terrestrial communication network can be appropriately selected, and communication traffic can be distributed or a failed gateway can be selected. Stations can be avoided, a flexible system configuration that is resistant to ground disasters and the like can be achieved, and mobile bodies that move on or off the land can also be covered.

  Further, since the system configuration is not a system configuration that relays moving mobile units but a platform dedicated to relaying, a highly reliable wireless line that is not affected by the operation schedule of the mobile unit can be secured.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a broadband wireless communication system according to the present invention. The broadband wireless communication system according to the present invention is a communication system that performs wireless broadband communication by connecting a terminal device 17 possessed by an occupant or a passenger in a mobile body 15 and a ground communication network 14. A radio relay station 16 mounted on each mobile unit 15 and a terminal device 17 including a radio communication terminal or an information terminal held by a passenger inside the mobile unit 15 are provided. The base station 12 includes a base station antenna 11 and a gateway station 13. This base station 12 is installed in a place with a good line of sight, and is connected to each of the radio relay stations 16 mounted on a plurality of moving bodies 15 such as an aircraft, a ship, a train, and an automobile that move within the range of the line of sight. They are connected by a one-to-many broadband wireless link.

  In this broadband wireless communication system, an occupant or passenger boarding a moving body 15 uses a terminal device 17 used by the occupant or passenger to connect to a ground communication network 14 such as a telephone exchange network, the Internet, or a business communication network. It connects via the base station antenna 11, the base station 12, and the gateway station 13, and provides the communication environment equivalent to connecting and communicating with the terrestrial communication network 14 directly with respect to the passenger | crew and passenger of the mobile body 15 .

  The base station antenna 11 of the base station 12 can generate beams toward a plurality of mobile bodies 15 in a plurality of directions at the same time, and changes the beam directions at the same time to track the mobile body 15 that moves every moment. In addition, it has a function of generating a beam that captures the moving body 15 that has newly entered the cover area of the antenna. The base station 12 has a function of separating or multiplexing communication signals corresponding to a plurality of mobile units 15, a modulation / demodulation function, and the like, and the gateway station 13 is provided between each mobile unit 15, the base station 12, and the gateway station 13. It has a function of performing protocol conversion, routing processing, etc. between the communication method used and the communication method used in the terrestrial communication network.

  In addition, in the mobile unit 15, the radio relay station 16 performs signal system conversion. That is, the radio relay station 16 is between a radio system with the ground base station 12 and a radio system or a wired communication system with a terminal device 17 used by an occupant or a passenger on the moving body 15. Signal system conversion is performed so that communication can be performed within the mobile unit 15 using the same communication system as the wireless system or the wired communication system of the wireless communication terminal or information terminal used on the ground. As the communication method, for example, a mobile phone, a wireless LAN, a wired LAN, an analog TV / radio broadcast, a digital TV / radio broadcast, and the like can be considered.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a ground base station antenna. The base station antenna 11 includes a plurality of antenna elements 21, a high frequency circuit 22 to which the antenna elements 21 are connected, and an antenna pointing direction control mechanism 23.

  The antenna element 21 may be configured separately for transmission and reception or may be configured as a common use. The antenna element 21 is arranged on one surface or a plurality of surfaces so that a wide range can be scanned, and a signal transmitted from the antenna element 21 or a signal received by the antenna element 21 is appropriately amplified and filtered by the high-frequency circuit 22. Processing such as wave and frequency conversion is performed. The antenna directivity direction control mechanism 23 performs directivity control so that the plurality of beams of the antenna element 21 simultaneously capture or track the directions of the plurality of moving bodies 15. This antenna directing direction control may be electronic scanning, mechanical scanning, or a combination thereof. In the case of electronic scanning, either a phased array system that performs directivity control using analog signals or a digital beam forming system that performs directivity control using digital signal processing may be used. The relative position information of the mobile unit 15 as viewed from the ground base station 12 for antenna directivity control is sent from the mobile unit 15 via wireless or wire, or sent from a position detection sensor installed on the ground. Alternatively, it is sent from a control center that manages the operation of the mobile unit 15.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the internal structure of the moving body. Here, the moving body 15 is described as an aircraft. The mobile unit 15 is provided with a mobile unit mounted antenna 30 for wireless connection with the ground base station 12. The moving body-mounted antenna 30 includes one or a plurality of antenna elements 31, a high-frequency circuit 32 to which they are connected, and an antenna directivity direction control mechanism 33. In addition, a wireless relay station 16 that is connected to the mobile unit mounted antenna 30 by wire is provided inside the mobile unit 15. In addition, an indoor antenna 34 is provided, and the wireless relay station 16 and the wireless communication terminal 36 used by passengers and passengers inside the moving body 15 are connected via a wireless line 35 via the indoor antenna 34. Yes. In addition, the wireless relay station 16 and the information terminal 36 used by passengers and passengers inside the mobile body are connected by a wireless line 35 or a wired line 37.

  The antenna element 31 of the mobile unit mounted antenna 30 may be configured separately for transmission and reception or may be configured for both transmission and reception. A signal transmitted from the antenna element 31 or a signal received by the antenna element 31 is subjected to appropriate amplification, filtering, frequency conversion, and the like in the high frequency circuit 32. The antenna directivity direction control mechanism 33 performs directivity control so that one or two beams of the antenna simultaneously capture or track the direction of one or two different ground base stations 12. This directing direction control may be electronic scanning, mechanical scanning, or a combination thereof. In the case of electronic scanning, either a phased array system that performs directivity control using analog signals or a digital beam forming system that performs directivity control using digital signal processing may be used. The relative position information of the ground base station 12 as viewed from the mobile unit 15 for antenna directivity control is sent from, for example, a position detection sensor installed on the mobile unit, or from a control center that manages the operation of the mobile unit 15. It is done. When the mobile body 15 is an aircraft, the antenna element 31 can be installed on the bottom surface of the mobile body that is easily wirelessly connected to the ground base station 12, as shown in FIG. In the case of a train or a car, it may be installed on the upper surface of a mobile body that is easily wirelessly connected to the base station 12 on the ground. The wireless relay station 16 can be installed at a high position in the room of the mobile unit 15 and, as described above, the wireless system between the base station 12 on the ground and the terminal device 36 used by passengers and passengers. Signal system conversion between the wireless system and the wired communication system is performed.

  As described above, in the broadband wireless communication system of the present invention, the mobile relay 15 is provided with the wireless relay station 16, the terminal device 17 (36) possessed by the passenger inside the mobile 15 and the ground communication network such as a telephone network or the Internet. 14 is connected to the mobile station 15 via the radio relay station 16 and the base station 12 to perform broadband communication. Therefore, passengers and passengers of the mobile body 15 such as airplanes, ships, trains, automobiles, etc. You can make phone calls, Internet communications, broadcast consultations, etc. with your computer, just as you do when you are on the ground.

  Moreover, the passenger | crew and passenger of the mobile body 15 can use the radio | wireless communication terminal or information terminal which each one brings in or a mobile body provides.

  In addition, since no geostationary satellite is used, the distance between the base station 12 on the ground and the moving body 15 is extremely short compared to the distance to the geostationary satellite even in the case of an aircraft with the longest distance, and thus the attenuation of radio waves is small. Therefore, a large received power can be obtained with a relatively small antenna on the receiving side, and broadband wireless communication can be easily realized. Furthermore, since no satellite is used, the system cost can be reduced.

  In addition, it is not a system configuration that relays mobile units wirelessly, but a direct wireless connection with a fixed ground base station that does not depend on the operation schedule of the mobile unit. Sex can be secured.

  The ground base station 12 is wirelessly connected simultaneously with the plurality of moving bodies 15 using a plurality of tracking beams having strong directivity gain and high effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP), and the moving body 15 moves. In addition, in order to maintain the connection with them while inside the cover area of the base station 12, high reception power is obtained on both the mobile unit side and the base station side, and broadband wireless communication that could not be realized in the past is continuously performed. be able to.

  Further, the tracking beam can keep the side lobe level (the radio wave leaking and radiating outside the direction in which the antenna is facing) low, and when the base station antenna 11 is an electronic scanning type, the base station antenna 11 By performing the interference removal processing in the directivity direction control mechanism, interference reduction between the base station 12 and another radio relay station using the same frequency band is possible.

  Further, since the radio relay station 16 on the mobile unit 15 side is also provided with a mechanical scanning antenna or an electronic scanning array antenna having a beam generation function that always directs the direction of the base station 12 and tracks it, strong directivity is provided. The base station 12 can be wirelessly connected to the ground base station 12 with a beam having a high gain and effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP), and the base station 12 Therefore, high reception power is obtained on both the mobile unit 15 side and the base station 12 side, and broadband wireless transmission that could not be realized conventionally can be performed continuously. Further, this tracking beam can keep the side lobe level low. When the radio relay station antenna 30 is an electronic scanning type, the same effect can be obtained by performing interference removal processing in the directivity control mechanism of the radio relay station antenna 30. It is possible to reduce interference with other radio stations using the frequency band.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the broadband wireless communication system according to the present invention. This 2nd Embodiment is a communication system in case the mobile body 15 moves over the wide area exceeding the coverage area of one ground base station 12. FIG. The case where the moving body 15 is an aircraft 15A will be described as an example. This communication system includes a plurality of base stations 47 to 49 installed at appropriate intervals on the ground, a single aircraft 15A that moves from P1 to P6 in that order, and a plurality of base stations 47 to 49. It consists of radio lines 410 to 417 that sequentially connect one aircraft 15A moving in the sky from P1 to the position of P6.

  Details of the communication connection method according to the second embodiment will be described in order over time. First, when it is assumed that the position P1 of the aircraft 15A is included in the coverage area of the base station 47, the aircraft 15A is connected to the base station 47 through the radio line 410. Next, when the aircraft 15A moves to the position P2, if the position P2 of the aircraft 15A is still included in the cover area of the base station 47, the wireless link position of the aircraft 15A moves to 411 while the wireless connection between the two is maintained. To do. At this time, the antenna of the base station 47 tracks the positions P1 and P2 of the aircraft 15A in the sky, and the antenna of the aircraft 15A tracks the base station 47, and the wireless line is not shifted (handover). At this time, since the aircraft 15A moving at the position P2 gradually leaves the cover area of the base station 47 and approaches the cover area of the adjacent base station 48, the antenna mounted on the aircraft 15A can simultaneously generate two beams. In this case, the wireless connection 412 is also established with the base station 47 while maintaining the wireless connection 411 with the base station 47, thereby establishing a wireless connection to two base stations at the same time. The wireless connection 411 is disconnected at the point of time when the wireless terminal 411 is completely moved from the cover area of the base station 47 to the cover area of the base station 48, and the wireless connection 412 is completely transferred (handover). If the antenna mounted on the aircraft 15A can generate only one beam at the same time, the two wireless connections 411 and 412 are not performed at the same time. When the radio field intensity of the base station 48 becomes stronger than the radio field intensity, the wireless connection 411 may be disconnected and transitioned to a connection using only the wireless connection 412 (handover).

  Similarly, when the positions P3 and P4 of the aircraft 15A are included in the coverage area of the base station 48, the wireless connection between the two is maintained, and only the wireless connection is moved from 413 to 414 without handover. When the aircraft 15A moves to a position (intermediate position between P4 and P5) near the boundary between the respective cover areas of the base station 48 and the base station 49 adjacent thereto, the wireless connection is changed from 414 to 415. While 15A moves from P5 to P6, the wireless connections 416 and 417 with the base station 49 are maintained.

  Note that the wireless connection method is the same even if the aircraft 15A is another moving body such as a ship, a train, or an automobile.

  As described above, in the second embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of base stations 47 to 49 are installed at intervals, and communication is performed even when the moving body 15A moves across the coverage of the plurality of base stations. Therefore, the occupant and the passenger of the moving body 15A can always maintain the connection with the ground communication network.

  In addition, when the base stations are arranged so as to overlap the cover areas of the plurality of base stations 47 to 49, when there is a high probability that radio wave propagation is blocked by ground buildings or undulations, the mobile unit 15A side A radio channel and a base station with better radio wave propagation conditions can be selected, and thus high radio communication quality can be maintained.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the broadband wireless communication system according to the present invention. In the third embodiment, the function of the ground base station is installed on the radio communication platform at most. As shown in FIG. 5, the system configuration in this case includes a high altitude radio communication platform 51 that flies or stays at a predetermined altitude, a base station 52 mounted on the altitude radio communication platform 51, a base station 52, and a ground communication network. 14, a base station antenna 53 and a radio line 54 mounted on the high-level radio communication platform 51, an antenna 55 of a gateway station 56 installed on the ground, a gateway station 56 connected to the ground communication network 14, The mobile station 15 includes an aircraft, a ship, a train, an automobile, and the like that are wirelessly connected to the base station 52 mounted on the radio communication platform 51.

  In the third embodiment, the base station 52 and the base station antenna 53 for wirelessly connecting to each mobile unit 15 and connecting to the ground communication network 14 are not on the ground, but on an aircraft or balloon flying at a predetermined altitude. It is mounted on an altitude wireless communication platform 51 such as a ship or airship, and is connected to the ground communication network 14 via a ground antenna 55 and a gateway station 56 that are wirelessly connected through a wireless line 54. The functions of the base station 52 and the base station antenna 53 are the same as those of the base station in the first and second embodiments. The base station 52 and the base station antenna 53 have a function of simultaneously generating and tracking a plurality of mobile objects. In addition, it connects to the antenna 55 of the terrestrial gateway station 56 by the radio line 54 and generates a tracking beam for maintaining it. The antenna 55 of the terrestrial gateway station 56 has a function of maintaining the wireless line 54 with the high-degree wireless communication platform 51 by having a directivity control mechanism so as to always point in the direction of the high-degree wireless communication platform 51. Have. The gateway station 56 has a function of performing protocol conversion, routing processing, and the like between a communication method used between each mobile unit 15, the base station 52, and the gateway station 56 and a communication method used in the ground communication network.

  When a plurality of high-degree wireless communication platforms 51 and 57 are flying or stagnant, base stations of the plurality of high-degree wireless communication platforms 51 and 57 are connected to each other through a broadband line 58 wirelessly or optically. Instead of directly connecting a base station of one high altitude radio communication platform and a gateway station on the ground, one or more base stations of the altitude radio communication platform may be relayed and connected to another gateway station on the ground.

  Thus, in the third embodiment of the present invention, since the base station 52 is installed on the radio communication platform 51 at a high level, the cover area of the base 52 can be made wider than when it is installed on the ground. This can reduce the number of base stations installed.

  In addition, compared with the case where a base station is installed on the ground, the probability of blocking radio waves by obstacles such as buildings and undulations on the ground can be greatly reduced.

  Further, the position of the high-level wireless communication platform 51 on which the base station 52 is mounted can be easily changed as necessary.

  In addition, if a wireless link is separately connected between base stations installed in a plurality of high-level wireless communication platforms, a gateway station for connecting to a terrestrial communication network can be appropriately selected, and communication traffic can be distributed or a failed gateway can be selected. Stations can be avoided, and a flexible system configuration resistant to ground disasters and the like can be achieved, and mobile bodies that move on or above the sea away from the land can also be covered.

  Furthermore, since it is not a system configuration that relays mobile units but a system configuration that relays a platform dedicated to relaying, a highly reliable wireless line that is not affected by the operation schedule of the mobile unit can be secured.

1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a broadband wireless communication system according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of a ground base station antenna. It is explanatory drawing of a structure inside a moving body. It is a figure which shows 2nd Embodiment of the broadband wireless communication system which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows 3rd Embodiment of the broadband wireless communication system which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Base station antenna 12 Base station 13 Gateway station 14 Terrestrial communication network 15 Mobile body 15A Aircraft 16 Wireless relay station 17 Terminal device (wireless communication terminal, information terminal)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 Antenna element 22 High frequency circuit 23 Antenna directivity direction control mechanism 30 Mobile-mounted antenna 31 Antenna element 32 High frequency circuit 33 Antenna directivity direction control mechanism 34 Indoor antenna 35 Wireless line 36 Wireless communication terminal, information terminal 37 Wired line 47, 48, 49 Base station 51, 57 High-level wireless communication platform 52 Base station 53 Base station antenna 54 Wireless line 55 Antenna 56 Gateway station 58 Broadband line 410-417 Radio line P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6 Aircraft position

Claims (6)

A base station having a base station antenna capable of changing the beam direction and connected to the ground communication network;
A radio relay station mounted on each of a plurality of mobile units;
A terminal device comprising a wireless communication terminal or an information terminal possessed by a passenger inside the mobile body,
A one-to-many broadband wireless line connects the base station and each of the radio relay stations captured by the base station antenna of the base station,
Between the wireless relay station and each of the terminal devices inside the mobile body, signals are transmitted and received via wireless or wired,
The radio relay station performs a signal system conversion between a radio system with a base station and a radio system with a terminal device or a wired communication system,
Broadband communication is performed by connecting a terminal device possessed by a passenger inside the mobile unit and a terrestrial communication network via a radio relay station and a base station.
A broadband wireless communication system.   The base station antenna is composed of a plurality of antenna elements and has means capable of mechanical scanning or electronic scanning of a plurality of directions of radio waves. Simultaneous capture of a plurality of moving bodies and their wide tracking, high effective isotropic radiation power The broadband wireless communication system according to claim 1, comprising a function of performing broadband wireless transmission by (EIRP) and reducing interference with other wireless stations.   2. The broadband wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless relay station includes a mechanical scanning antenna or an electronic scanning array antenna having a beam generation function that always directs and tracks the direction of the base station.   The broadband wireless communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a function that allows communication to be continued even when a plurality of base stations are installed at intervals and a moving body moves across the coverage of the plurality of base stations. .   The above base station is installed on an altitude radio communication platform such as an aircraft, balloon, or airship that flies or stays at high altitude, and one of the base station antenna beams provided in the base station on the altitude radio communication platform is used. The broadband wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the broadband wireless communication system is wirelessly connected to a gateway station provided on the ground and connected to the ground communication network via the gateway station.   The broadband wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the moving body is at least one of an aircraft, a ship, a train, and an automobile.