Technique for selecting the best frequency for transmission based on changing atmospheric conditions

Abstract

A communication system transmits data between communication nodes over a data transmission path. The system collects data from at least two different sources to create a fused data stream that is used as the input to a model for determining a frequency at which to transmit the data by skywave propagation. The data is transmitted between the communication nodes at the frequency determined by the model.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 determining that data transmission is not needed, and:   (i) operating in a broadcast mode and transmitting audio to the public in a digital form;   (ii) collecting data from a digital data stream produced during broadcast mode;   (iii) collecting data from at least one additional data stream that has been transmitted by skywave propagation;   (iv) combining the data from the data streams to form a fused data stream;   (v) inputting the fused data stream to a transmission frequency model to determine an optimum working frequency for transmission of a data signal;   determining that data transmission is needed, and:   (i) operating in a data transmission mode in which an instruction data stream is sent by skywave propagation from a first communication node to a second communication node; and   (ii) transmitting the instruction data stream by skywave propagation at the optimum working frequency determined while operating in broadcast mode.   
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 collecting data from at least two different data streams that has been transmitted by skywave propagation;   combining the data from the data streams to form a fused data stream;   inputting the fused data stream to a transmission frequency model to determine an optimum working frequency for transmission of a data signal;   sending a first signal to switch frequencies from a first communications node for transmitting data to a second communications node for receiving data over a first communication link;   sending a second signal identical to the first signal from a first communications node for transmitting data to a second communications node for receiving data over a second communication link, wherein the second communication link has a greater latency than the first communication link; and   switching the frequency of a data transmission from the first communications node to the second communications node to the optimum working frequency upon successful receipt of either the first signal or the second signal.