GOGO BUSINESS AVIATION LLC

The present disclosure generally relates to traffic steering, and more particularly relates to traffic steering for an airplane network. In some embodiments, a system may include: a router configured to: (i) tag traffic received via a vehicle network, and (ii) send the tagged traffic to a satellite terminal (STE) modem. The system may further include the STE modem, which may include: (i) a first data access point name (APN) configured to route first traffic to a nearest internet gateway based on a first tag of the first traffic, and (ii) a second APN configured to route second traffic to a datacenter based on a second tag of the second traffic.

Systems and methods are described for connecting with LEO satellites while reducing emissions toward GEO satellite communications. A system to implement the instant techniques may include a system comprised of a user communications equipment and a LEO constellation. The user equipment (“UE”) may comprise a communications modem and an active antenna unit with a transmit and receive beamformer. In further implementations, the UE may include additional receive only beamformers. The LEO constellation can have a regenerative payload or bent pipe, and can include orbits at different altitudes. Methods as described herein may include a procedure by which the user equipment and LEO satellite work together to identify candidate serving satellites, and select the one that allows to meet the power density requirements to avoid interfering with the GEO satellites.

Systems and methods for dynamically metering network access in a vehicle network are disclosed. An exemplary method includes periodically receiving one or more performance metrics of one or more communication links that support wireless communications for one or more networked computing devices onboard a vehicle, wherein the one or more performance metrics fluctuate over time, periodically determining a link quality indicator based upon the one or more performance metrics, and periodically transmitting the link quality indicator to a traffic shaper system to cause the traffic shaper system to dynamically allocate bandwidth among the one or more networked computing devices based upon the link quality indicator.

A machine learning-based proxy model may be generated to determine quality of user experience in a vehicle-based communication network in the absence of direct feedback from the users regarding the user experience. The machine learning-based proxy model may include supervised and/or unsupervised machine learning models, including for example a k-means clustering algorithm and/or an artificial neural network. Once generated, the proxy model may be applied to observed operational parameters of the vehicle-based communication network to quantify the user experience for any user for any duration of the vehicle-based communication network.

A machine learning-based proxy model may generate measurements of quality of user experience in a vehicle-based communication network in the absence of direct feedback from the users regarding the user experience. Once generated, the proxy model may be applied to observed operational parameters of the on-board network to quantify the user experience for any user in any given instance. User experience measurements (e.g., trends identified therein) may be utilized to identify and implement adjustments to hardware, firmware, software, and/or service procedures associated with implementation of the on-board network. These adjustments may be implemented between transits of the vehicle, or in some cases, during transit of the vehicle to improve the user experience over the duration of use of the vehicle-based communication network.

Systems and methods are provided for opportunistic load balancing across one or more communication links supported by one or more base stations. As part of the opportunistic load balancing process, a load balancer may measure a performance metric and an idle capacity metric for the one or more communication links. In some embodiments, the load balancer may directionally measure the performance metric and the idle capacity metric. Based on the measured metrics, the load balancer may determine a candidate base station for a network socket. The load balancer may then establish the network socket with the candidate base station. As a result, the load balancer may help alleviate network congestion.

Techniques for controlling or managing uplink access of a UE to a base station using unlicensed spectrum includes signaling an indication of different uplink access constraints so the UE connects to the base station when the UE and/or the uplink direction between the UE and the base station meet the uplink access constraints. The indication may be broadcast in a reference or synchronization signal, e.g., by utilizing unused or undesignated bits. Uplink access constraints may include a threshold distance of UEs from the base station, interference in the uplink direction (which may differ from interference in the downlink direction), etc. Based on the indicated constraints, the UE may determine whether or not to consider the base station as a candidate serving cell for wireless network access. The UE may be an in-flight aircraft and the base station may be a logical cell of a network that provides in-flight connectivity services.

An antenna installation assistant application provides one or more GUIs representing ports of a vehicle-mountable antenna, as well as one or more on-board modems and/or other network hardware. The assistant application may determine, and indicate to a user of the assistant application, whether ports of the antenna are connected to ports of the modem (or other hardware), and more specifically, whether each connection is correct for the hardware. The assistant application thus may guide an installer through installation of one or more antenna in a manner that is responsive to actions taken by the installer, including correct or incorrect wired connections between hardware for a vehicle-based communications network.

Techniques for controlling user data consumption are disclosed herein. An example method includes receiving a user connection to a network on-board a vehicle, the network being an on-board network; and executing a volume control with credit (VCC) algorithm. Executing the VCC algorithm includes provisioning a data credit for the user connection corresponding to an initial usage estimate, placing the user connection into a first mode, initiating a timer associated with the user connection, and iteratively provisioning additional data credits associated with the user connection based on the timer. Executing the VCC algorithm further includes determining whether the user corresponding to the user connection has consumed data through the on-board network in excess of the data credit and the additional data credits; and responsive to determining that the user has consumed data in excess of the data credit and the additional data credits, placing the user connection into a second mode.

Systems and methods are provided for opportunistic load balancing across one or more communication links supported by one or more base stations. As part of the opportunistic load balancing process, a load balancer may measure a performance metric and an idle capacity metric for the one or more communication links. In some embodiments, the load balancer may directionally measure the performance metric and the idle capacity metric. Based on the measured metrics, the load balancer may determine a candidate base station for a network socket. The load balancer may then establish the network socket with the candidate base station. As a result, the load balancer may help alleviate network congestion.