System for managing the multiple air-to-ground communications links originating from each aircraft in an air-to-ground cellular communication network
First Claim
1. A system for managing radio frequency communications in a non-terrestrial region of space between a plurality of wireless subscriber devices located in each of a plurality of aircraft and a plurality of Air-To-Ground terrestrial base stations of an Air-To-Ground cellular communications network, comprising:
- a plurality of radio frequency antennas mounted on the exterior surface of each of said aircraft;
interconnect means, located in each of said aircraft, for selectively applying said radio frequency communication signals onto selected ones of said plurality of radio frequency antennas to simultaneously maintain multiple Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency communications links with selected ones of said plurality of Air-To-Ground terrestrial base stations of said Air-To-Ground cellular communications network;
a plurality of Air-To-Ground terrestrial base stations of said Air-To-Ground cellular communications network for populating said non-terrestrial region of space with a plurality of multi-dimensional Radio Frequency sectors, each having a plurality of radio frequency characteristics, to exchange call traffic between said plurality of wireless subscriber devices and said Air-To-Ground cellular communications network; and
connection management means for identifying a correspondence between selected ones of said aircraft radio frequency antennas and selected ones of said plurality of multi-dimensional Radio Frequency sectors to establish said Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency communications link.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The Multi-Link Aircraft Cellular System makes use of multiple physically separated antennas mounted on the aircraft, as well as the use of additional optional signal isolation and optimization techniques to improve the call handling capacity of the Air-To-Ground cellular communications network. These additional techniques can include polarization domain and ground antenna pattern shaping (in azimuth, in elevation, or in both planes). Further, if code domain separation is added, dramatic increases in capacity are realized. Thus, the Air-To-Ground cellular communications network can increase its capacity on a per aircraft basis by sharing its traffic load among more than one cell or sector and by making use of multiple physically separated antennas mounted on the aircraft, as well as the use of additional optional signal isolation and optimization techniques.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system for managing radio frequency communications in a non-terrestrial region of space between a plurality of wireless subscriber devices located in each of a plurality of aircraft and a plurality of Air-To-Ground terrestrial base stations of an Air-To-Ground cellular communications network, comprising:
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a plurality of radio frequency antennas mounted on the exterior surface of each of said aircraft; interconnect means, located in each of said aircraft, for selectively applying said radio frequency communication signals onto selected ones of said plurality of radio frequency antennas to simultaneously maintain multiple Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency communications links with selected ones of said plurality of Air-To-Ground terrestrial base stations of said Air-To-Ground cellular communications network; a plurality of Air-To-Ground terrestrial base stations of said Air-To-Ground cellular communications network for populating said non-terrestrial region of space with a plurality of multi-dimensional Radio Frequency sectors, each having a plurality of radio frequency characteristics, to exchange call traffic between said plurality of wireless subscriber devices and said Air-To-Ground cellular communications network; and connection management means for identifying a correspondence between selected ones of said aircraft radio frequency antennas and selected ones of said plurality of multi-dimensional Radio Frequency sectors to establish said Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency communications link. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for managing radio frequency communications in a non-terrestrial region of space between a plurality of wireless subscriber devices located in each of a plurality of aircraft and a plurality of Air-To-Ground terrestrial base stations of an Air-To-Ground cellular communications network, comprising:
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operating a plurality of radio frequency antennas mounted on the exterior surface of each of said aircraft; selectively applying said radio frequency communication signals onto selected ones of said plurality of radio frequency antennas to simultaneously maintain multiple Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency communications links with selected ones of said plurality of Air-To-Ground terrestrial base stations of said Air-To-Ground cellular communications network; populating, using a plurality of Air-To-Ground terrestrial base stations of said Air-To-Ground cellular communications network said non-terrestrial region of space with a plurality of multi-dimensional Radio Frequency sectors, each having a plurality of radio frequency characteristics, to exchange call traffic between said plurality of wireless subscriber devices and said Air-To-Ground cellular communications network; and identifying a correspondence between selected ones of said aircraft radio frequency antennas and selected ones of said plurality of multi-dimensional Radio Frequency sectors to establish said Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency communications links. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification