Airborne information and reconnaissance network

We describe a broadband/tactical communication network architecture for implementing a rapidly deployable, broadband, mobile, wireless network using unmanned airborne relay vehicles for extended LOS range. The essential concept consists of a deployed group of unmanned airborne vehicles (UAV) providing wireless network service among mobile terrestrial and airborne stations. Each UAV is linked via wireless to one or more of its immediate neighbor UAV's forming an airborne internetworked mesh for routing traffic between mobile customers. A method is provided for wireless links from the mobile stations to and from the UAV responsible for coverage of a particular region. The UAV's may be viewed as forming a network of 'cell towers in the sky' with advantages in cost and flexibility in comparison to terrestrial or satellite systems. The proposed network architecture is compatible with the asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) protocol. This paper describes the proposed mobility management enhancements to ATM protocol to enable Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network (B-ISDN) connectivity between fixed, relocatable, and mobile stations within the proposed network architecture. An approach for maintaining reliable ATM cell bearing wireless links in order to minimize the end-to-end ATM cell loss rate, and consequently minimize the retransmission of upper layer protocol data units is also discussed.