Patent ID: 9730077
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: H04B,H04W

Claim:
1. An air-to-ground (ATG) network providing wireless communication to an in-flight aircraft capable of passing through various cells of the ATG network, the ATG network comprising: a first ATG base station defining a first radiation pattern focusing energy toward the horizon; a second ATG base station defining a second radiation pattern focusing energy toward the horizon; and a plurality of additional ATG base stations, each of which defines a corresponding radiation pattern focusing energy toward the horizon, wherein the first, second and additional ATG base stations are spaced apart from each other to define at least partially overlapping coverage areas to communicate with an antenna assembly on the in-flight aircraft in an ATG communication layer defined between a first altitude and a second altitude via the ATG network, wherein a plurality of terrestrial base stations are configured to communicate primarily in a ground communication layer below the first altitude via a terrestrial communication network, and wherein the first, second and additional ATG base stations are each configured to communicate in the ATG communication layer using the same radio frequency (RF) spectrum used by the terrestrial base stations in the ground communication layer.