Patent ID: 8447292

Claim:
A system for managing radio frequency communications between a plurality of wireless subscriber devices located in an aircraft and a plurality of Air-To-Ground terrestrial base stations, which are located on the ground, comprising: a plurality of independently operable radio frequency antennas mounted on the exterior surface of said aircraft; a transmitter, located in said aircraft, for generating radio frequency communication signals for application to said plurality of independently operable radio frequency antennas to simultaneously maintain multiple Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency communications links with said Air-To-Ground terrestrial base stations independent of a handoff process, to concurrently exchange call traffic between said plurality of wireless subscriber devices and a plurality of said Air-To-Ground terrestrial base stations; a data flow controller, comprising: a traffic determination process, responsive to call traffic comprising communications from a plurality of wireless subscriber devices located in said aircraft, for determining the call traffic load presented by the plurality of wireless subscriber devices for transmission to the Air-To-Ground terrestrial base stations and Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency communications link service quality to said Air-To-Ground terrestrial base stations, a data router, responsive to said call traffic load and Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency communications link service quality, for dividing said call traffic into multiple segments for distribution among said plurality of radio frequency antennas; and an interface located in said aircraft for simultaneously transmitting each of said multiple segments to an associated one of said plurality of independently operable radio frequency antennas, comprising: a first polarizer for generating said radio frequency communication signals at a first polarization, a second polarizer for generating said radio frequency communication signals at a second polarization, which is substantially orthogonal to said first polarization, a first connection interface for applying a first set of said radio frequency communication signals at said first polarization to a first radio frequency antenna, and a second set of said radio frequency communication signals at said second polarization to said first radio frequency antenna, and a second connection interface for applying a third set of said radio frequency communication signals at said first polarization to a second radio frequency antenna, and a fourth set of said radio frequency communication signals at said second polarization to said second radio frequency antenna.