Communications systems for aircraft including wireless systems
First Claim
1. A wireless computer communication system for use with passenger computing devices while onboard an aircraft, comprising:
- an access point positioned aboard the aircraft to permit wireless communication with the passenger computing device of at least one passenger;
an airborne server on the aircraft communicatively coupled to the access point;
a wireless adaptor positioned aboard the aircraft for connection with the passenger computing device of the passenger, the wireless adaptor comprising a transmitter portion and a receiver portion to establish a wireless communication link between the wireless adaptor and the access point and thereby permit communication between the passenger computing device and the airborne server.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for permitting passengers on board an aircraft to send and receive electronic data is described. The components of the system on board the aircraft include a server having a plurality of nodes to which computer terminals are attached, as desired. The components of the system on board the aircraft include a wireless access point having a plurality nodes, where the wireless access point is attached to the server and to a plurality of wireless cards inserted into computer terminals, as desired. The computer terminals are laptop or palm-top personal computers belonging to the various passengers on board or fixed terminals within the aircraft. The server communicates with a wide variety of different terminals running different operating systems and with the access point. Each computer terminal is connected to the server via an aircraft cable or wireless network. Server has mass storage which contains a database of WWW pages which can be browsed by passengers using terminals. Server provides a domain name server (DNS) that masquerades as the passenger'"'"'s usual DNS. Server then links the passenger to the appropriate locally stored WWW page. Server also contains storage for e-mail messages. Connected to server is one or more radios. This permits data to be transferred to base station using communications network. A virtual private network (VPN) connects station to communications service provider networks, web content processor, and via links to the Internet, including access to subscriber ISPs/corporate mail servers and other mail servers. Points of Presence (POP) provide Internet access and e-mail service to subscribers of the service while not on the aircraft. POPs can also be used by communications service provider networks and web content processors as an alternate means to connect to VPN.
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Citations
72 Claims
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1. A wireless computer communication system for use with passenger computing devices while onboard an aircraft, comprising:
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an access point positioned aboard the aircraft to permit wireless communication with the passenger computing device of at least one passenger;
an airborne server on the aircraft communicatively coupled to the access point;
a wireless adaptor positioned aboard the aircraft for connection with the passenger computing device of the passenger, the wireless adaptor comprising a transmitter portion and a receiver portion to establish a wireless communication link between the wireless adaptor and the access point and thereby permit communication between the passenger computing device and the airborne server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A wireless computer communication system for use with passenger computing devices while onboard an aircraft, comprising:
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an airborne server on the aircraft;
an access point communicatively coupled to the airborne server; and
wireless means for connecting the passenger computing device of at least one passenger with the access point to thereby permit wireless communication between the passenger computing device and the airborne server. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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18. A method of wireless computer communication for use with passenger computing devices while onboard an aircraft, comprising:
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operating an airborne server on the aircraft;
providing an access point communicatively coupled to the airborne server; and
connecting the passenger computing device of at least one passenger with the access point using a wireless communication link to thereby permit wireless communication between the passenger computing device and the airborne server.
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25. A wireless electronic messaging system for use in an aircraft to permit electronic message communication between a passenger electronic messaging device operated by a passenger and a ground-based electronic messaging system via a wireless communication link, comprising:
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an airborne computing system;
an access point positioned aboard the aircraft and coupled to the airborne computing system to permit communication with the passenger messaging device and thereby form a computer network; and
a proxy server coupled to the computer network to emulate the response of the ground-based electronic messaging system with respect to the passenger messaging device whereby the passenger messaging device interacts with the proxy server in a manner consistent with the interaction between the passenger messaging device and the ground-based electronic messaging system when the passenger messaging device is not on the aircraft.
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48. A wireless electronic messaging system for electronic message communication between a passenger electronic messaging device operated by a passenger onboard an aircraft and a ground-based electronic messaging system via a wireless communication link, comprising:
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a base station to communicate with the passenger messaging device; and
a ground-based proxy server communicatively coupled to the base station to communicate with the ground-based electronic messaging system, the ground-based proxy server emulating the response of the passenger messaging device with respect to the ground-based electronic messaging system whereby the ground-based electronic messaging system interacts with the ground-based proxy server in a manner consistent with the interaction between the passenger messaging device and the ground-based electronic messaging system when the passenger messaging device is not on the aircraft.
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54. A method of wireless electronic messaging for use in an aircraft to permit electronic message communication between a passenger electronic messaging device operated by a passenger and a ground-based electronic messaging system via a wireless communication link, comprising:
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coupling the passenger messaging device to an airborne computing system to permit communication with the passenger messaging device and thereby form a computer network; and
emulating a response of the ground-based electronic messaging system with respect to the passenger messaging device whereby the passenger messaging device interacts with the airborne computing system in a manner consistent with the interaction between the passenger messaging device and the ground-based electronic messaging system when the passenger messaging device is not on the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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Specification