Patent ID: 7746828

Claim:
An apparatus for enhancing aeronautical broadband communication, the apparatus comprising: a first antenna configured to communicate using a signal orientation corresponding to a first polarization; a second antenna configured to communicate using a signal orientation corresponding to a second polarization, said second polarization having at least one characteristic difference from said first polarization; a third antenna configured to communicate using a signal orientation corresponding to said first polarization; a fourth antenna configured to communicate using a signal orientation corresponding to said second polarization; at least one processor configured to combine the signals received from said first antenna and said third antenna in a proportion based on an algorithm for selecting a signal according to a first signal quality measurement selected from one of a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), a signal to interference ratio (SIR), or a signal to noise ratio (SNR); and the at least one processor configured to combine the signals received from said second antenna and said fourth antenna in a proportion based on an algorithm for selecting a signal according to a second signal quality measurement selected from one of a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), a signal to interference ratio (SIR), or a signal to noise ratio (SNR).