Wireless transmission system and method

• US 20070213009A1
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakanishi, Yasuaki, Higashida, Masaaki, Ezaki, Toshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,620,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

Changing the seating configuration when there are wired connections to each seat is difficult. A wireless transmission system and method communicate wirelessly while also preventing interference with the ground communication system. The wireless transmission system wirelessly transmits data signals inside the aircraft, and has an altitude zone identification arrangement f or determining in which of N altitude zones the aircraft is flying, access points that can transmit the data signals wirelessly on any one frequency band selected from among M frequency bands, client units for receiving the data signals, and a selection unit for selecting one of the M frequency bands based on the altitude zone in which the aircraft is flying. The altitude zone identification arrangement includes an aircraft altitude detection unit and system control unit, and the selection unit includes the system control unit.

Claims

1. A wireless transmission system for wirelessly transmitting data signals in an aircraft, comprising:

a wireless transmission arrangement operable to wirelessly transmit the data signals on any one frequency band selected from among M (where M is an integer of 2 or more) frequency bands;

a wireless reception arrangement operable to receive the data signals; and

a selection arrangement operable to select one frequency band from the M frequency bands.

2. The wireless transmission system described in claim 1, further comprising:

an altitude zone identification arrangement operable to determine in which of N (where N is an integer of 2 or more) altitude zones the aircraft is flying;

wherein the selection arrangement selects the frequency band based on the altitude zone identified by the altitude zone identification arrangement.

3. The wireless transmission system described in claim 2, wherein the N altitude zones are a first altitude zone and a second altitude zone, and

the M frequency bands are a first frequency band and a second frequency band.

4. The wireless transmission system described in claim 3, wherein the average altitude of the first altitude zone is lower than the average altitude of the second altitude zone.

5. The wireless transmission system described in claim 3, wherein the second frequency band is wider than the first frequency band.

6. The wireless transmission system described in claim 3, wherein the wireless transmission arrangement is set to the first frequency band when the aircraft is in the first altitude zone, and the wireless transmission arrangement is set to the second frequency band when the aircraft is in the second altitude zone.

7. The wireless transmission system described in claim 6, wherein there is hysteresis characteristic between where the aircraft moves from the first altitude zone into the second altitude zone and where the aircraft moves from the second altitude zone into the first altitude zone.

8. The wireless transmission system described in claim 3, wherein the maximum altitude of the first altitude zone is greater than the minimum altitude of the second altitude zone.

9. The wireless transmission system described in claim 3, wherein at least part of the first frequency band is contained in the second frequency band.

10. The wireless transmission system described in claim 3, wherein one or both of dynamic frequency selection and transmission power control are applied in at least a part of the second frequency band.

11. The wireless transmission system described in claim 3, wherein at least a part of the first frequency band is in the 5.15 GHz to 5.25 GHz frequency band.

12. The wireless transmission system described in claim 2, wherein the altitude zone identification arrangement comprises an aircraft altitude detection arrangement operable to detect the altitude of the aircraft.

13. The wireless transmission system described in claim 2, wherein the N altitude zones vary based on the altitude of the Earth'"'"'s surface at the flight position of the aircraft.

14. The wireless transmission system described in claim 1, further comprising:

a server unit for storing and transmitting data signals;

a transmission trunk for carrying the data signals transmitted by the server unit by wire to the wireless transmission arrangement; and

a monitor unit for displaying the data signals received by the wireless reception arrangement.

15. The wireless transmission system described in claim 1, wherein the aircraft an airplane, a helicopter, a hovercraft, a floating object tethered to the ground, a rocket, a man-made satellite, or a space station.

16. The wireless transmission system described in claim 12, wherein the aircraft altitude detection arrangement includes at least one of an altimeter, a GPS receiver, a barometer, a speedometer, and a wireless carrier sensor.

17. A wireless transmission method for wirelessly transmitting data signals in an aircraft, comprising:

a step of wirelessly transmitting the data signals on any one frequency band selected from among M (where M is an integer of 2 or more) frequency bands;

a step of receiving the data signals; and

a step of selecting one frequency band from the M frequency bands.

18. The wireless transmission method described in claim 17, further comprising:

a step of determining in which of N (where N is an integer of 2 or more) altitude zones the aircraft is flying;

wherein the selection step is based on the identified altitude zone.