Aircraft data communications services for users
First Claim
1. A method of providing wireless data communication service between a moving object having a communication server and a first ground station, the method comprising:
- establishing a radio communication path between the moving object and a first ground station;
establishing a connection between the first ground station and a second ground station;
bridging the radio communication path from the first ground station to the second ground station;
transmitting data to the second ground station via the first ground station using a first protocol associated with the radio communication path and a second protocol associated with the connection between the first ground station and the second ground station;
establishing a link layer connection between the moving object and the first ground station using a point-to-point protocol; and
wherein the communication server includes software architecture including a plurality of software functional layers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system provide efficient, flexible, and convenient data communication services for users over public wireless systems. The system includes a data communication server, having a plurality of interface units, for facilitating data communication between a moving object and one or more ground terminals via a radio communication path. The data communication server establishes the radio communication path over one of a plurality of wireless data networks including packet data networks and satellite data networks and preferably includes a pre-determined software architecture.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of providing wireless data communication service between a moving object having a communication server and a first ground station, the method comprising:
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establishing a radio communication path between the moving object and a first ground station;
establishing a connection between the first ground station and a second ground station;
bridging the radio communication path from the first ground station to the second ground station;
transmitting data to the second ground station via the first ground station using a first protocol associated with the radio communication path and a second protocol associated with the connection between the first ground station and the second ground station;
establishing a link layer connection between the moving object and the first ground station using a point-to-point protocol; and
wherein the communication server includes software architecture including a plurality of software functional layers.
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2. A method of providing data communication services, comprising:
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establishing a radio communication path between a moving object and a ground station using a data communication server co-located with the moving object, the data communications server including a plurality of interface units for accessing different data networks including an Ethernet interface unit, an ISDN interface unit, and a predetermined wireless data network interface unit;
said step of establishing including;
sending a channel request signal, via the ISDN interface unit and a communication unit, to the ground station; and
receiving an acknowledgement signal via the ISDN interface unit and the communication unit, including a channel assignment, back from the ground station indicating a channel is being made available and being assigned for the radio communication path;
transmitting data to and receiving data from said ground station over said packet data network, said data including either of user information or moving object operation information;
wherein said data communication server includes software architecture including software functional layers, the layers including a system resources layer, a system services layer, an application programming interface layer, and an application layer, and the application programming interface layer including components representable by objects for providing communication services with each object including a communicator, a receptor, and service logic;
wherein the objects include objects for retrieving time-sensitive information for a user, a FMS object for database loading, and FOQA object for obtaining and managing ACMS data; and
the system services layer including either of TCP/IP, data compression, cryptographic, scheduling, or transaction-oriented services. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of providing data communication services, comprising:
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establishing a radio communication path between a moving object and a ground station using a data communication server co-located with the moving object, the data communications server including a plurality of interface units;
said step of establishing including;
sending a channel request signal to the ground station; and
receiving an acknowledgement signal back from the ground station;
transmitting data to and receiving data from said ground station, said data including either of user information or moving object operation information;
wherein said data communication server includes software architecture including software functional layers, the layers including a system resources layer, a system services layer, an application programming interface layer, and an application layer, the application programming interface layer including a device for retrieving time-sensitive information. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for providing data communication services, comprising:
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a data communication server, co-located with a moving object, for establishing a radio communication path between a moving object and a ground station;
wherein the data communication server including software architecture including software functional layers, the layers including a system resources layer, a system services layer, an application programming interface layer, and an application layer.
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Specification