SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSOCIATING A WIRELESS MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE WITH A SPECIFIC VEHICLE

• US 20080064332A1
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Mitchell, Bradley J., Lee, Donald B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,813,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/42 for mass transport vehicles, e.g. buses, trains or aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A communications system may include a first transceiver and a second transceiver both mountable to a vehicle. The first transceiver may include a range substantially limited to a close proximity of the vehicle. The communications system may also include a mobile communications device. The mobile communications device may be adapted to receive a signal from the first transceiver when within the range of the first transceiver. The signal may include information useable by the mobile communications device for configuration of the mobile communications device for two-way communications with the second transceiver.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

a first transceiver mountable to a vehicle, wherein the first transceiver includes a range substantially limited to a close proximity of the vehicle;

a second transceiver mountable to the vehicle; and

a mobile communications device adapted to receive a signal from the first transceiver when within the range of the first transceiver, wherein the signal includes information useable by the mobile communications device for configuration for two-way communications with the second transceiver.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the information comprises one of a squelch ID code, a signal preamble code, a service set identifier (SSID), a token ID, a frequency, and a channel.

3. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is one of a group comprising an aircraft, a watercraft, and a terrestrial vehicle.

4. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver comprises a signal transmission power to prevent interference with any other short-range transceiver mounted to another proximately located vehicle.

5. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver comprises a signal transmission power to limit the range of the first transceiver to less than about thirty (30) feet.

6. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver is one of a group comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) target, a radio transceiver, an ultrasonic transceiver, an infrared transceiver, and a B-field transceiver.

7. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft and wherein the first transceiver is mounted to one of a nose wheel landing gear and a main landing gear.

8. The communications system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of first transceivers, each mounted at a predetermined location on the vehicle and at about a selected distance from one another.

9. The communications system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft and one of the plurality of first transceivers is mounted proximate to a door of the aircraft.

10. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft and the first transceiver is mounted proximate to a door of the aircraft, and wherein the communications system further comprises a third transceiver mountable in a jet way to receive the signal from the first transceiver.

11. The communications system of claim 10, wherein the third transceiver is one of a group comprising a RFID reader, a radio transceiver, an ultrasonic transceiver, an infrared transceiver, and a B-field transceiver to receive the signal from the first transceiver and to transmit another signal to the mobile communications device.

12. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the second transceiver is couplable to at least one of an airplane interphone system and a flight deck communications system of an airplane.

13. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device comprises a wireless headset.

14. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device comprises a mobile transceiver to communicate with the first transceiver and the second transceiver mounted to the vehicle.

15. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device comprises:

a first mobile transceiver to communicate with the first transceiver mounted to the vehicle; and

a second mobile transceiver to communicate with the second transceiver mounted to the vehicle.

16. The communications system of claim 15, wherein the first mobile transceiver is one of a group comprising a RFID reader, a radio transceiver, an ultrasonic transceiver, an infrared transceiver, and a B-field transceiver.

17. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device comprises a processor to perform at least one of a group comprising:

append a prefix to each communication to the second transceiver mounted to the vehicle;

detect a code associated with each communication received by the mobile communications device and convert the communication to audio signals in response to the code corresponding to a specific code received from the first transceiver; and

tune the mobile communications device to one of a channel or a frequency corresponding to a channel or frequency received from the first transceiver.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving the signal from the first transceiver comprises reading a RFID target to acquire one of a group including a squelch ID code, a signal preamble code, a service set identifier (SSID), a token ID, a frequency, and a channel.

18. A method for communications with a specific vehicle, comprising:

receiving a signal from a first transceiver mountable to the vehicle when within a range of the first transceiver, wherein the range of the first transceiver is substantially limited to a close proximity of the vehicle; and

configuring a mobile communications device for two-way communications with a second transceiver based on the signal received from the first transceiver, wherein the second transceiver is mountable to the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving the signal comprises receiving one of a group including a squelch ID code, a signal preamble code, a service set identifier (SSID), a token ID, a frequency, and a channel.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising limiting a signal power of the first transceiver to prevent interference with any other first transceivers mounted to another proximately located vehicle.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving the signal from the first transceiver comprises receiving the signal from one of a plurality of first transceivers, wherein each of the plurality of first transceivers are mounted at a predetermined location on the vehicle and at about a selected distance from one another.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising communicating with a third transceiver located in a jet way of an airport.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein configuring the mobile communications device comprises configuring a wireless headset.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising performing at least one of a group comprising:

appending a prefix to each communication between the mobile communications device and the second transceiver;

detecting a code associated with each communication received by the mobile communications device and converting the communication to audio signals in response to the code corresponding to a specific code received from the first transceiver; and

tuning the mobile communications device to one of a channel or a frequency corresponding to a channel or frequency received from the first transceiver.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a warning signal in response to the mobile communications device receiving a communications signal from another vehicle not currently associated with the mobile communications device.

27. A method for communications with a specific vehicle, comprising:

mounting a first transceiver to the vehicle, wherein a range of the first transceiver is substantially limited to a close proximity of the vehicle; and

mounting a second transceiver to the vehicle for two-way voice communications with a mobile communications device, wherein the mobile communications device is configurable for two-way communications with the second transceiver based on a signal received from the first transceiver when the mobile communications device is within the range of the first transceiver.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft, and wherein the method further comprises mounting the first transceiver to at least one of a nose wheel landing gear and a main landing gear.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft, and wherein the method further comprises mounting the first transceiver proximate to a door of the aircraft to communicate with a third transceiver located in a jet way of an airport.

30. A vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle structure;

a first transceiver mountable to the vehicle structure, wherein the first transceiver includes a range substantially limited to a close proximity of the vehicle; and

a second transceiver mountable to the vehicle structure, for two-way voice communications with a mobile communications device, wherein the mobile communications device is configurable for two-way communications with the second transceiver based on a signal received from the first transceiver when the mobile communications device is within the range of the first transceiver.

31. The vehicle of claim 30, wherein the vehicle is one of a group comprising an aircraft, a watercraft, and a terrestrial vehicle.

32. The vehicle of claim 30, wherein the first transceiver comprises a signal transmission power to prevent interference with any other short-range transceiver mounted to another proximately located vehicle.

33. The vehicle of claim 30, wherein the first transceiver is one of a group comprising a radio frequency (RFID) target, a radio transceiver, an ultrasonic transceiver, an infrared transceiver, and a B-field transceiver.

34. The vehicle of claim 30, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft and wherein the first transceiver is mounted to one of a nose wheel landing gear and a main landing gear.

35. The vehicle of claim 30, further comprising a plurality of first transceivers each mounted at predetermined locations on the vehicle and at about a selected distance between one another.

36. The vehicle of claim 30, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft and the first transceiver is mounted proximate to a door of the aircraft to communicate with a third transceiver mountable in a jet way of an airport.

37. A wireless mobile communications device, comprising:

a first transceiver to receive a signal including one of a squelch ID code, a frequency, a signal preamble code, a service set identifier (SSID), a token ID, and a channel;

a second transceiver for two-way voice communications; and

a processor to configure the mobile communications device for two-way voice communications based on the signal received by the first transceiver.

38. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 37, wherein the first transceiver and the second transceiver are integrated.

39. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 37, wherein the first transceiver is one of a group comprising a RFID reader, a radio transceiver, an ultrasonic transceiver, an infrared transceiver, and a B-field transceiver.

40. The wireless mobile communications device of claim 37, wherein the processor and control logic unit is adapted to perform one of the group comprising:

append a prefix to each communication transmitted by the second transceiver;

detect a code associated with each communication received by the second transceiver and convert the communication to audio signals in response to the code corresponding to a specific code received by the first transceiver; and

tune the mobile communications device to one of a channel or a frequency corresponding to a channel or frequency received by the first transceiver.