Air-to-ground cellular communication network terrestrial base station having multi-dimensional sectors with alternating radio frequency polarizations
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 an aircraft and an Air-To-Ground cellular communications network, comprising:
- 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 to exchange call traffic between said plurality of wireless subscriber devices and said Air-To-Ground cellular communications network, each of said multi-dimensional Radio Frequency sectors producing a plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns having an extent in azimuth and angular elevation above a horizontal plane, each of said base station three-dimensional antenna patterns in a plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns having different extents in azimuth and angular elevation above a horizontal plane than the three-dimensional antenna pattern of others in said plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns plurality of multi-dimensional Radio Frequency sectors; and
antenna pattern polarizer for polarizing adjacent ones of said plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns in a sector from among at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.
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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
14 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 an aircraft and an Air-To-Ground cellular communications network, comprising:
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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 to exchange call traffic between said plurality of wireless subscriber devices and said Air-To-Ground cellular communications network, each of said multi-dimensional Radio Frequency sectors producing a plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns having an extent in azimuth and angular elevation above a horizontal plane, each of said base station three-dimensional antenna patterns in a plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns having different extents in azimuth and angular elevation above a horizontal plane than the three-dimensional antenna pattern of others in said plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns plurality of multi-dimensional Radio Frequency sectors; and antenna pattern polarizer for polarizing adjacent ones of said plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns in a sector from among at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for managing radio frequency communications in a non-terrestrial region of space between a plurality of wireless subscriber devices located in an aircraft and an Air-To-Ground cellular communications network, comprising:
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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 producing a plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns having an extent in azimuth and angular elevation above a horizontal plane, each of said base station three-dimensional antenna patterns in a plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns having different extents in azimuth and angular elevation above a horizontal plane than the three-dimensional antenna pattern of others in said plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns plurality of multi-dimensional Radio Frequency sectors; and polarizing of adjacent ones of said plurality of three-dimensional antenna patterns in a sector from among at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification