An antenna system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes one or more antennas, a reflector, and a control system. The control system is configured to determine a density of antenna towers near the UAV, determine a position for an active antenna of the one or more antennas based on the density, and adjust the active antenna to the determined position. In some embodiments, the antenna system further includes one or more switches, each of the one or more antennas is a different distance from the reflector, and the switches are used to adjust the active antenna to the determined position by selecting a one of the one or more antennas closest to the determined position as the active antenna. In some embodiments, the antenna system further includes an actuator and the active antenna is moved to the determined position using the actuator.

Systems and methods for modifying control over a device in a vehicle are provided. The modification may comprise disabling an ability of a passenger to control the device via one or more passenger interface systems, limiting controls available to the passenger via the one or more passenger interface systems, transferring the ability to control the device to another user using a different user interface system, and/or transferring the ability to control certain functionalities of the device to another user using the different user interface system.

A base station allocates unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) preambles for use by UAV user equipment (UE) devices that are different from terrestrial preambles allocated for terrestrial UE devices. The UAV preambles can be allocated to different subscription levels, such that each UAV UE device can only use UAV preambles associated with the UAV UE device's subscription level. The UAV UE device transmits random access request message using the selected UAV preamble and the base station responds with a random access response message indicating whether access is granted to the UAV UE device. The base station can dynamically manage access to the base station by limiting the subscription levels that are associated with the UAV preambles.

A method for establishing a free-space data transmission channel between movable and/or spatially fixed network nodes. Dynamic position information is collected regarding movable network nodes and static position information relating to spatially fixed network nodes. Specific and node-dependent parameters for the fixed network nodes is collected, based on collected dynamic and static position information. A prioritization list is created of the fixed network nodes. Checking occurs, for the network node having the highest priority of the multiplicity of movable or spatially fixed network nodes in the created prioritization list, which of a selection of movable or spatially fixed network nodes are possible for setting up a directional free-space data transmission channel with the network node having the highest priority of the fixed network nodes. A directional free-space data transmission channel is set up.

A first beam is implemented, from a set of vehicle-based antennas, for current or future communication with a ground-based or satellite-based network via an external antenna (e.g., of a base station or satellite). A second beam may be implemented to detect or determine a better pointing angle for the first beam, thereby “fine tuning” the pointing angle for the first beam. Specifically, the second beam may be “swept” through a range of pointing angles while a signal parameter representing signal quality or strength is measured, detected, or calculated at each pointing angle. The values for the signal parameter may be evaluated to identify a desired value and the pointing angle at which the desired value was obtained. The first beam may be reoriented or repointed at the desired pointing angle, and one or more nodes of vehicle-based communication system may communicate with an external network via the first beam.

Provided is a method for remotely uploading certified software from a source to a data update module on an asset via a wireless communications link. The method includes encrypting the communications link between the source and the data update module to form a secure tunnel and verifying credentials of the source via the data update module when a software update file is transmitted. A load assurance check is performed on a portion of the transmitted update file to confirm integrity of the transmitted file when the credentials of the source are verified. The uploading of the certified software is immediately activated when the file integrity is verified, the activating occurring automatically and being devoid of human intervention.

An air traffic control system includes one or more servers each including a network interface, a processor, and memory; and a database communicatively coupled to the one or more servers, wherein the network interface in each of the one or more servers is communicatively coupled to one or more passenger drones via a plurality of wireless networks at least one of which comprises a cellular network; wherein the one or more servers are configured to obtain operational data from a passenger drone, obtain conditions from one or more of the operational data and the database, determine a future flight plan based on the operational data and a flying lane assignment for the passenger drone, determine potential collisions in the future flight plan based on static obstructions and dynamic obstructions, obtained from the database based on the future flight plan, and provide evasive maneuver instructions to the passenger drone.

An aviation-related communication network includes a plurality of base stations configured to communicate with in-flight aircraft, a plurality of aviation-related communication network radios disposed on selected aircraft where the aviation-related communication network radios are configured to communicate with base stations of the aviation-related communication network via aviation-related communication network communication links using a first communication standard, and a first wireless access point on each of the selected aircraft to define a first wireless local area network on each of the selected aircraft. At least some of the selected aircraft include a second wireless local area network that defines a priority access network. Devices of the priority access network may be provided with priority access to bandwidth supplied by the aviation-related communication network relative to devices of the first wireless local area network.

An apparatus is disclosed, the apparatus comprising a means for receiving selection of a relay system associated with a base station (10) of a communications network, the relay system comprising a first antenna (15) for substantially fixed orientation towards an antenna (12) of the base station and a second antenna (16) which is mechanically movable about one or more axes responsive to the control data to provide one of a range of possible orientations. The apparatus may also comprise a means for sending control data to the selected relay system for controlling the orientation of the second antenna, the control data comprising at least positioning instructions received from a node of the communications network for causing positioning of the second antenna to a particular orientation associated with a mobile target object (19).

A data transmission method includes: determining link quality of a first link between an unmanned aerial vehicle and an unmanned aerial vehicle controller, link quality of a second link between the unmanned aerial vehicle and a base station, and link quality of a third link between the base station and the unmanned aerial vehicle controller; and determining one or more data transmission links for data to be transmitted, based on the link quality of the first link, the link quality of the second link, and the link quality of the third link.