Systems and methods for handling information from wireless nodes, including nodes for communication with aircraft

• US 20060094417A1
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Allen, David L., Mitchell, Timothy M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,450,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

Systems and methods for handling information from wireless nodes, including nodes for communication with aircraft, are disclosed. A system in accordance with one aspect of the invention includes a sensor configured to sense information corresponding to a characteristic of a wireless node. The wireless node can be one of a plurality of wireless nodes configured to transmit and receive wireless signals. The wireless nodes can also be linked to a non-wireless network portion. The system can further include a transmitter configured to transmit the information via the network, and a receiver operatively coupled to the transmitter to receive the information via the network. Accordingly, the system can be used to automatically identify and track diagnostic information corresponding to the state of one or more wireless nodes.

Claims

1. A method for handling information about an information network, comprising:

sensing information corresponding to a characteristic of a wireless node, wherein the wireless node is one of a plurality of wireless nodes that are in operational use and that are configured to transmit and receive wireless signals via a network; and

transmitting the information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting information corresponding to aircraft operations via a non-wireless network portion.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing information includes sensing information corresponding to a characteristic of at least one of a radio, a power supply, a filter, a media converter, a housing positioned around at least one of the radio, the power supply, the filter and the media converter, and a volume within the housing.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the information includes transmitting the information via a non-wireless network portion.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the information includes transmitting the information in a wireless manner from the one wireless node to another of the plurality of wireless nodes.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing information includes sensing at least one of a current and a voltage.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing information includes sensing at least one of a temperature and a humidity of an interior of an enclosure in which components of the wireless node are housed.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein components of the wireless node are housed in an outdoor enclosure, and wherein sensing information includes sensing at least one of a temperature and a humidity of an interior of the enclosure.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein components of the wireless node are housed in an enclosure, and wherein the enclosure includes an access door, and wherein sensing information includes sensing a position of the access door.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing information includes sensing diagnostic information indicative of how the node is functioning.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless node includes multiple linked components, and wherein sensing information includes sensing information corresponding to characteristics of a plurality of the linked components.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving information includes receiving information over a period of time, and wherein the method further comprises organizing the information to present time-dependent trends.

13. A method for handling information about an information network, comprising:

automatically receiving via a network information corresponding to a characteristic of a wireless node of the network;

wherein the wireless node is one of a plurality of wireless nodes that are in operational use and that are configured to transmit and receive wireless signals via the network.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein receiving the information includes receiving the information via a non-wireless network portion.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the information for review to isolate a fault at the node.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the information for review to isolate a fault at the node and service the node.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein receiving the information includes receiving the information directly from the wireless node via the network.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the information is transmitted wirelessly from the one wireless node to another wireless node, and wherein receiving the information includes receiving the information from the other wireless node.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein receiving information includes receiving information corresponding to a characteristic of at least one of a radio, a power supply, a filter, a media converter, a housing positioned around at least one of the radio, the power supply, the filter and the media converter, and a volume within the housing.

20. A method for handling information about an information network, located at least in part at an airport, the method comprising:

sensing a state of at least one component of an outdoor wireless node while the wireless node is in operational use, wherein the outdoor wireless node is one of a plurality of outdoor wireless nodes that are located at an airport and that are coupled to a non-wireless network portion, the outdoor wireless node including a radio having a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver, a power supply coupled to the radio, a media converter coupled to the radio, a link coupled between the radio and the non-wireless network portion, and an environmental enclosure disposed around the radio, the media converter and the power supply;

transmitting information corresponding to the state of the at least one component over the non-wireless network portion via the link to a server computer; and

based on the information received at the server computer, determining a maintenance procedure to perform on the outdoor node.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting information corresponding to aircraft operations via the non-wireless network portion.

22. A method for handling information about an information network, comprising:

automatically receiving information corresponding to characteristics of a plurality of wireless nodes that are in operational use, wherein the wireless nodes are configured to transmit and receive wireless signals, and wherein the wireless nodes are linked to a network; and

automatically providing the information for access in a database.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein receiving information includes receiving information over a period of time, and wherein the method further comprises organizing the information to present time-dependent trends.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein sensing information includes sensing information corresponding to a characteristic of at least one of a radio, a power supply, a filter, a media converter, a housing positioned around at least one of the radio, the power supply, the filter and the media converter, and a volume within the housing.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein transmitting the information includes transmitting the information in a wireless manner from the one wireless node to another of the plurality of wireless nodes.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein sensing information includes sensing at least one of a current and a voltage.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein sensing information includes sensing at least one of a temperature and a humidity of an interior of an enclosure in which components of the wireless node are housed.

28. The method of claim 22 wherein components of the wireless node are housed in an outdoor enclosure, and wherein sensing information includes sensing at least one of a temperature and a humidity of an interior of the enclosure.

29. The method of claim 22 wherein components of the wireless node are housed in an enclosure, and wherein the enclosure includes an access door, and wherein sensing information includes sensing a position of the access door.

30. The method of claim 22 wherein sensing information includes sensing diagnostic information indicative of how the node is functioning.

31. A system for handling information about an information network, comprising:

a sensor configured to sense information corresponding to a characteristic of a wireless node, wherein the wireless node is one of a plurality of wireless nodes configured to transmit and receive wireless signals via a network; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the information via the network.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising the wireless node, and wherein the wireless node includes a radio, a power supply, a filter, a media converter, a housing positioned around at least one of the radio, the power supply, the filter and the media converter, and wherein the sensor is configured to sense information corresponding to a characteristic of at least one of the radio, the power supply, the filter, the media converter, the housing, and a volume within the housing.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein the sensor is configured to sense at least one of a temperature and a humidity of an interior of an enclosure in which components of the wireless node are housed.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein the sensor is configured to sense at least one of a current and a voltage of a component of the wireless node.

35. The system of claim 31 wherein components of the wireless node are housed in an enclosure, and wherein the enclosure includes an access door, and wherein the sensor is configured to sense a position of the access door.

36. The system of claim 31 wherein the network includes a non-wireless portion and a server, and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the information to the server via the non-wireless portion of the network.

37. A system for handling information about an information network, comprising:

sensor means for sensing information corresponding to a characteristic of a wireless node, wherein the wireless node is one of a plurality of wireless nodes configured to transmit and receive wireless signals, the wireless nodes being linked to a network; and

transmitter means for transmitting the information via the network.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the sensor means is configured to sense at least one of a temperature and a humidity of an interior of an enclosure in which components of the wireless node are housed.

39. The system of claim 37 wherein components of the wireless node are housed in an enclosure, and wherein the enclosure includes an access door, and wherein the sensor means is configured to sense a position of the access door.

40. A system for handling information about an information network, comprising:

a sensor configured to sense information corresponding to a characteristic of a wireless node, wherein the wireless node is one of a plurality of wireless nodes configured to transmit and receive wireless signals, the wireless nodes being linked to a non-wireless network portion;

a transmitter configured to transmit the information via the non-wireless network portion; and

a receiver operatively coupled to the transmitter to receive the information via the non-wireless network.

41. The system of claim 40, further comprising a computer aboard an aircraft and in wireless communication with the wireless node.

42. The system of claim 40 wherein the sensor is configured to sense at least one of a temperature and a humidity of an interior of an enclosure in which components of the wireless node are housed.

43. The system of claim 40 wherein components of the wireless node are housed in an enclosure, and wherein the enclosure includes an access door, and wherein the sensor means is configured to sense a position of the access door.

44. A computer-readable medium having contents configured to:

receive sensed information corresponding to a characteristic of a wireless node, wherein the wireless node is one of a plurality of wireless nodes configured to transmit and receive wireless signals, the wireless nodes being linked to a network; and

transmit the information.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 44 wherein the contents are configured to transmit information corresponding to aircraft operations via a non-wireless network portion.

46. A system for providing wireless communications at an airport, comprising:

multiple wireless nodes located outside a terminal building at an airport, each wireless node including an enclosure, a wireless transmitter and wireless receiver located within the enclosure, and least one sensor located within the enclosure and configured to sense diagnostic information corresponding to a characteristic of the wireless node while the wireless node is in operational use;

a non-wireless network portion coupled to each of the wireless nodes;

multiple aircraft that are movable to and from the airport and that each include an aircraft computer in wireless communication with the wireless nodes when the aircraft are at least proximate to the airport; and

a server computer coupled to the network to receive the diagnostic information via the network.

47. The system of claim 46, further comprising an airline maintenance computer coupled to the network.