US 11,658,754 B2
On-demand aerial communication using directional antennas
Yan Wan, Plano, TX (US); Yixin Gu, Austin, TX (US); Chenyuan He, Austin, TX (US); Songwei Li, Austin, TX (US); Mushuang Liu, Austin, TX (US); and Shengli Fu, Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Austin, TX (US); and University of North Texas, Denton, TX (US)
Filed by Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Austin, TX (US); and University of North Texas, Denton, TX (US)
Filed on Feb. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/168,973.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/970,313, filed on Feb. 5, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0258089 A1, Aug. 19, 2021
Int. Cl. H04B 17/318 (2015.01); H04B 7/0426 (2017.01); H04W 4/46 (2018.01); H04B 17/391 (2015.01)
CPC H04B 17/318 (2015.01) [H04B 7/043 (2013.01); H04B 17/391 (2015.01); H04W 4/46 (2018.02)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aerial communication system comprising:
an unmanned aerial vehicle platform;
a communication component integrated with the unmanned aerial vehicle platform, wherein the communication component includes a directional antenna, a Wi-Fi router, and a Wi-Fi adapter, wherein the communication component is configured to establish an Air to Air (A2A) communication channel with a remote directional antenna that is integrated with a remote unmanned aerial vehicle platform;
a computing component integrated with the unmanned aerial vehicle platform, wherein the computing component includes a microprocessor; and
a motor control component integrated with the unmanned aerial vehicle platform, wherein the motor control component includes a rotating motor that is configured to rotate the directional antenna for alignment with the remote directional antenna in accordance with a motor control signal outputted from the computing component,
wherein the computing component is configured to determine an optimal heading angle for transmission of communication signals from the directional antenna to the remote directional antenna in an unknown communication environment from received signal strength indicator (RSSI) information obtained from the remote directional antenna, wherein the RSSI indicates a performance level of the A2A communication channel,
wherein the computing component is configured to iteratively determine an environment-specific communication channel model in the unknown communication environment using the received RSSI information from the remote directional antenna, wherein the optimal heading angle for the directional antenna is determined using the communication channel model.