Network hub for a reconfigurable data network having physical transmission media

• US 20030209630A1
• Filed: 03/19/2003
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orland Kermit Iii White
• Original Assignee: Orland Kermit Iii White
• Inventors: White, Orland Kermit III
• Granted Patent: US 6,666,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/1R
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A data network includes a plurality of network devices, a plurality of physical transmission lines each coupled to a respective one of said plurality of network devices, and a network hub coupled to each of said plurality of physical transmission lines. The network hub has a removable and replaceable termination element providing signal connectivity between selected ones of said plurality of transmission lines. In one embodiment, the data network is installed within an aircraft including a fuselage, an empennage connected to the fuselage, a lift-generating surface coupled to the fuselage, and at least one engine for propelling the aircraft.

Claims

1. An aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage;

an empennage connected to the fuselage;

a lift-generating surface coupled to the fuselage;

at least one engine for propelling the aircraft coupled to at least one of the fuselage and the lift-generating surface; and

a data network within said fuselage, said data network including;

a plurality of network devices within said aircraft;

a plurality of physical transmission lines each coupled to a respective one of said plurality of network devices; and

a network hub coupled to each of said plurality of physical transmission lines, said network hub having a removable and replaceable termination element providing signal connectivity between selected ones of said plurality of transmission lines.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein said plurality of physical transmission lines comprise fiber optic cabling.

3. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein said plurality of physical transmission lines includes at least three physical transmission lines.

4. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein said network hub is disposed adjacent an exterior of the fuselage, and wherein said fuselage includes an openable and closeable exterior access panel covering said network hub to permit access to said network hub from the exterior of said fuselage.

5. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein said aircraft comprises an airplane and said lift-generating surface comprises at least one wing.

6. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein said replaceable termination element comprises a first replaceable termination element and wherein said aircraft further comprises a diverse second replaceable termination element providing signal connectivity between different ones of said plurality of transmission lines, wherein said first and said second replaceable termination elements can be alternatively installed in said network hub to obtain diverse first and second network configurations, respectively.

7. A data network, including:

a plurality of network devices;

a plurality of physical transmission lines each coupled to a respective one of said plurality of network devices; and

a network hub coupled to each of said plurality of physical transmission lines, said network hub having a removable and replaceable termination element providing signal connectivity between selected ones of said plurality of transmission lines.

8. The data network of claim 7, wherein said plurality of physical transmission lines comprise fiber optic cabling.

9. The data network of claim 7, wherein said plurality of physical transmission lines includes at least three physical transmission lines.

10. The data network of claim 7, wherein said replaceable termination element comprises a first replaceable termination element and wherein said aircraft further comprises a diverse second replaceable termination element providing signal connectivity between different ones of said plurality of transmission lines, wherein said first and said second replaceable termination elements can be alternatively installed in said network hub to obtain diverse first and second network configurations, respectively.

11. An aircraft, comprising a fuselage, an empennage connected to the fuselage, a lift-generating surface coupled to the fuselage, at least one engine for propelling the aircraft coupled to at least one of the fuselage and the lift-generating surface, and the data network of claim 7 within said fuselage.

12. A network hub, comprising:

a connector having connections for a plurality of physical transmission lines each coupled to a respective one of said plurality of network devices; and

a removable and replaceable termination element providing signal connectivity between selected ones of said plurality of transmission lines.

13. The network hub of claim 12, wherein said replaceable termination element comprises a first replaceable termination element, and further comprising a diverse second replaceable termination element providing signal connectivity between different ones of said plurality of transmission lines, wherein said first and said second replaceable termination elements can be alternatively installed in said network hub to obtain diverse first and second network configurations, respectively.

14. The network hub of claim 12, wherein the physical transmission lines comprise fiber optic cables and wherein said replaceable termination element provides optical signal connectivity between selected ones of said fiber optic cables.