# US 12,224,846 B2 · Air to ground wireless repeater/relay system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,224,846 B2 - Document ID: US12224846B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/673,151 - Filed: 2022-02-16 - Published: 2023-08-17 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-02-16 - Assignees: T-Mobile Innovations LLC - Applicants: T-Mobile Innovations LLC - Inventors: Jun Liu; Egil Arnfinn Gronstad - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224846B2 ## CPC - H04B 7/18504: {Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform} - H04B 7/18506: {Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service} - H04W 16/28: using beam steering - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Systems and methods for controlling the air to ground network coverage in an underserved area include an aerial vehicle and control circuitry communicatively coupled to relay circuitry, antenna circuitry, and a ground site. The control circuitry is structured to receive signal data corresponding to a radio signal, the relay circuitry structured to convert the radio signal into a subsequent signal, determine one or more airline schedules and one or more flight statuses associated with an underserved area, based on the one or more airline schedules and the one or more flight statuses determined, determine an aerial vehicle location as the aerial vehicle navigates to the underserved area, and generate a command to activate, via the antenna circuitry, transmission of air to ground network coverage based on the subsequent signal to the underserved area when the aerial vehicle location is in the underserved area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling, via a telecommunications network, air to ground network coverage in an underserved area, the method comprising: receiving, by a control system communicatively coupled to relay circuitry, antenna circuitry, and a ground site, signal data corresponding to a radio signal, the relay circuitry structured to convert the radio signal into a subsequent signal; determining one or more airline schedules and one or more flight statuses associated with an underserved area; based on the one or more airline schedules and the one or more flight statuses determined, determining an aerial vehicle location as an aerial vehicle navigates to the underserved area; and generating a command to activate transmission of air to ground network coverage based on the subsequent signal to the underserved area when the aerial vehicle location is in the underserved area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the aerial vehicle comprises an aircraft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more flight statuses are generated in real-time or near real-time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein one or more antennas are controlled based on at least one of a location of the ground site, signal strength of a ground donor cell, the aerial vehicle location, or an aerial vehicle altitude. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the ground site comprises one or more Next Generation nodes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein one or more antenna beam orientations are directed based on at least one of the underserved area or the aerial vehicle location. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein one or more antennas are moved between an active state or an inactive state based on at least one of the aerial vehicle location or the one or more flight statuses corresponding to one or more aerial vehicles in the underserved area. ### Claim 8 Non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to: receive, by a control system communicatively coupled to relay circuitry, antenna circuitry, and a ground site, signal data corresponding to a radio signal, the relay circuitry structured to convert the radio signal into a subsequent signal; determine one or more airline schedules and one or more flight statuses associated with an underserved area; based on the one or more airline schedules and the one or more flight statuses determined, determine an aerial vehicle location as an aerial vehicle navigates to the underserved area; and generate a command to activate, via the antenna circuitry, transmission of air to ground network coverage based on the subsequent signal to the underserved area when the aerial vehicle location is in the underserved area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the underserved area comprises an area associated with at least one of a forest, national park, mountain, desert, or rural area. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the one or more flight statuses are generated in real-time or near real-time. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein one or more antennas are controlled based on at least one of a location of the ground site, signal strength of a ground donor cell, the aerial vehicle location, or an aerial vehicle altitude. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the ground site comprises one or more Next Generation nodes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein one or more antennas are moved between an active state or an inactive state based on at least one of the aerial vehicle location or the one or more flight statuses corresponding to one or more aerial vehicles in the underserved area. ### Claim 14 A system for controlling the air to ground network coverage in an underserved area, the system comprising: an aerial vehicle; and control circuitry communicatively coupled to relay circuitry, antenna circuitry, and a ground site, the control circuitry structured to: receive signal data corresponding to a radio signal, the relay circuitry structured to convert the radio signal into a subsequent signal; determine one or more airline schedules and one or more flight statuses associated with an underserved area; based on the one or more airline schedules and the one or more flight statuses determined, determine an aerial vehicle location as the aerial vehicle navigates to the underserved area; and generate a command to activate, via the antenna circuitry, transmission of air to ground network coverage based on the subsequent signal to the underserved area when the aerial vehicle location is in the underserved area. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the underserved area comprises an area associated with at least one of a forest, national park, mountain, or rural area. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the aerial vehicle comprises an aircraft. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the ground is to provide the radio signal to the aerial vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more flight statuses are generated in real-time or near real-time. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the aerial vehicle comprises at least one of the control circuitry, relay circuitry, or antenna circuitry. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the ground site comprises one or more Next Generation nodes.