Airborne IP address structure

• US 20030084174A1
• Filed: 08/23/2001
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Skahan, Vincent D. Jr., DʼAnnunzio, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,985,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/668 Internet protocol [IP] address subnets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/677 Multiple interfaces, e.g. multihomed nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

An Internet protocol (IP) networking architecture includes a command and control sub-network (CCN) interconnecting a plurality of control interfaces wherein each control interface has a corresponding logical CCN address. A passenger services sub-network (PSN) interconnects a plurality of passenger interfaces wherein each passenger interface has a corresponding logical PSN address. The architecture further includes an air-to-ground sub-network (AGN) providing Internet access to the passenger interfaces via one or more isolation systems having corresponding logical CCN address and corresponding logical PSN address. By providing the isolation systems with multiple logical addresses, devices communicating on the AGN and PSN can be blocked from accessing the CCN addresses.

Claims

1. An Internet protocol (IP) networking architecture for an aircraft, the architecture comprising:

a command and control sub-network (CCN) interconnecting a plurality of control interfaces wherein each control interface has a corresponding logical CCN address;

a passenger services sub-network (PSN) interconnecting a plurality of passenger interfaces wherein each passenger interface has a corresponding logical PSN address; and

an air-to-ground sub-network (AGN) providing Internet access to the passenger interfaces via one or more isolation systems having corresponding logical CCN addresses and corresponding logical PSN addresses such that devices communicating on the AGN and the PSN are blocked from accessing the CCN addresses.

2. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the isolation systems have logical AGN addresses corresponding to an aircraft identifier such that the aircraft has a unique subnet address.

3. The architecture of claim 2 wherein an airborne router is defined as one of the isolation systems, the airborne router having a device identifier such that the aircraft identifier and the device identifier define the logical AGN address for the airborne router.

4. The architecture of claim 2 wherein a web server is defined as one of the isolation systems, the web server having a device identifier such that the aircraft identifier and the device identifier define the logical AGN address for the web server.

5. The architecture of claim 1 wherein a seat electronics box is defined as one of the passenger interfaces, the logical PSN address of the set electronics box acting as a proxy for devices coupled to the seat electronics box.

6. The architecture of claim 5 wherein the seat electronics box has seat processor for translating PSN addresses into AG addresses in accordance with the address resolution protocol.

7. The architecture of claim 5 wherein a port is defined as one of the passenger interfaces, the port having a logical PSN address for which the logical PSN address of the seat electronics box serves as a proxy.

8. The architecture of claim 5 wherein a passenger-supplied computing device is defined as one of the passenger interfaces, the passenger-supplied computing device having a logical PSN address for which the logical PSN address of the seat electronics box serves as a proxy.

9. The architecture of claim 1 wherein one or more seat electronics boxes are defined as being control interfaces such that the seat electronics boxes have corresponding logical CCN addresses.

10. The architecture of claim 9 wherein one or more area distribution boxes are defined as being control interfaces such that the area distribution boxes have corresponding logical CCN addresses, the area distribution boxes serving as hubs for the seat electronics boxes.

11. The architecture of claim 1 wherein the AGN further provides Internet access to a plurality of crew interfaces wherein each crew interface has a corresponding logical AGN address.

12. The architecture of claim 11 wherein an aircraft interface unit is defined as one of the crew interfaces such that the aircraft interface unit has a corresponding logical AGN address.

13. The architecture of claim 11 wherein a control panel is defined as one of the crew interfaces such that the control panel has a corresponding logical AGN address.

14. The architecture of claim 11 wherein a media server is defined as one of the crew interfaces such that the media server has a corresponding logical AGN address.

15. An IP networking architecture for an aircraft, the architecture comprising:

a command and control sub-network (CCN) interconnecting a plurality of seat electronics boxes and area distribution boxes, the seat electronics boxes and area distribution boxes being defined as control interfaces such that each control interface has a corresponding logical CCN address;

said area distribution boxes serving as hubs for the seat electronics boxes;

a passenger services sub-network (PSN) interconnecting a plurality of passenger interfaces wherein each passenger interface has a corresponding logical PSN address;

said seat electronics boxes being further defined as passenger interfaces such that the seat electronics boxes have corresponding logical PSN addresses; and

an air-to ground sub-network (AGN) providing Internet access to the passenger interfaces via one or more isolation systems having corresponding logical CCN addresses and corresponding logical PSN addresses such that devices communicating on the AGN and the PSN are blocked from accessing the CCN addresses;

said AGN further providing Internet access to a plurality of crew interfaces wherein each crew interface has a corresponding logical AGN address.

16. The architecture of claim 15 wherein the isolation systems have logical AGN addresses corresponding to an aircraft identifier such that the aircraft has a unique subnet address.

17. A method for structuring Internet protocol (IP) addresses within an aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning logical command and control sub-network (CCN) addresses to a plurality of control interfaces;

assigning logical passenger services sub-network (PSN) addresses to a plurality of passenger interfaces; and

assigning a logical CCN address, a logical PSN address and a logical air-to-ground sub-network (AGN) address to an isolation system such that devices communicating on the AGN and the PSN are blocked from accessing the CCN addresses.

18. The method of claim 17 further including the step of assigning an aircraft identifier to the logical AGN address of the isolation system such that the aircraft has a unique subnet address.

19. The method of claim 18 further including the step of defining an airborne router as the isolation system, the airborne router having a device identifier such that the aircraft identifier and the device identifier define the logical AGN address for the airborne router.

20. The method of claim 18 further including the step of defining a web server as the isolation system, the web server having a device identifier such that the aircraft identifier and the device identifier define the logical AGN address for the web server.