SYSTEM FOR HANDOFF OF AIRCRAFT-BASED CONTENT DELIVERY TO ENABLE PASSENGERS TO RECEIVE THE REMAINDER OF A SELECTED CONTENT FROM A TERRESTRIAL LOCATION

• US 20080141314A1
• Filed: 01/28/2008
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gogo Business Aviation LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aircell LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lauer, Bryan A., Targosz, Kenneth, Lemond, Eric, Chari, Anand K., Cruz, Joseph M., Sladky, Dennis G., Moffatt, Michael A., Weigman, Thomas E., Dunham, Richard C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,702,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/023 Buffering or recovering information during reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

The Content Delivery Handoff System enables a passenger'"'"'s wireless device, operating in an airborne wireless cellular network, to receive selected content and to ensure continuity and/or completion of the content delivery when the aircraft reaches its destination before the entirety of the selected content is delivered to the passenger. This completion of content delivery can occur in a spatially and temporally disjunct manner where the delivery of the remainder of the selected content occurs at a terrestrial location or on a subsequent flight and at a later time.

Claims

1. A system for providing electronic content to passengers, who are equipped with wireless electronic devices and who request electronic content while onboard an aircraft and receive less that all of said selected electronic content during the flight of the aircraft, comprising:

content delivery means for storing data indicative of an amount of said selected electronic content delivered to said passenger during the flight of the aircraft; and

handoff means, responsive to said passenger requesting said selected electronic content following conclusion of said flight of said aircraft, for delivering a previously undelivered portion of said selected electronic content, as indicated by said stored data indicative of an amount of said selected electronic content delivered to said passenger during said flight of the aircraft, to said passenger.

2. The system for providing electronic content to passengers of claim 1 further comprising:

login means, responsive to said passenger requesting said selected electronic content following conclusion of said flight of said aircraft, for confirming authorization of said passenger to access said selected electronic content.

3. The system for providing electronic content to passengers of claim 1 wherein said content delivery means comprises:

requester identification means for storing data that identifies a passenger who requests electronic content while onboard an aircraft; and

content identification means for storing data that identifies said selected electronic content.

4. The system for providing electronic content to passengers of claim 3 wherein said content delivery means further comprises:

passenger query means for storing data which indicates whether said passenger wishes to receive said previously undelivered portion of said selected electronic content.

5. The system for providing electronic content to passengers of claim 1 further comprising:

deliver control means for enabling said passenger to control delivery of said previously undelivered portion of said selected electronic content.

6. The system for providing electronic content to passengers of claim 5 further comprising:

content rewind means for enabling said passenger to receive at least some of the previously delivered portion of said selected electronic content.

7. The system for providing electronic content to passengers of claim 1 further comprising:

content aging means for storing data indicative of a time period following conclusion of said flight when said passenger can request said selected electronic content.

8. The system for providing electronic content to passengers of claim 1 further comprising:

link means, responsive to a passenger located onboard said aircraft and equipped with a wireless electronic device selecting said electronic content, for establishing wireless communications between said passenger electronic device and a source of said selected electronic content.

9. A method of providing electronic content to passengers, who are equipped with wireless electronic devices and who request electronic content while onboard an aircraft and receive less that all of said selected electronic content during the flight of the aircraft, comprising:

storing data indicative of an amount of said selected electronic content delivered to said passenger during the flight of the aircraft; and

delivering, in response to said passenger requesting said selected electronic content following conclusion of said flight of said aircraft, a previously undelivered portion of said selected electronic content, as indicated by said stored data indicative of an amount of said selected electronic content delivered to said passenger during said flight of the aircraft, to said passenger.

10. The method of providing electronic content to passengers of claim 9 further comprising:

confirming authorization, in response to said passenger requesting said selected electronic content following conclusion of said flight of said aircraft, of said passenger to access said selected electronic content.

11. The method of providing electronic content to passengers of claim 9 wherein said step of delivering comprises:

storing passenger data that identifies a passenger who requests electronic content while onboard an aircraft; and

storing content data that identifies said selected electronic content.

12. The method of providing electronic content to passengers of claim 10 wherein said step of delivering further comprises:

storing handoff data which indicates whether said passenger wishes to receive said previously undelivered portion of said selected electronic content.

13. The method of providing electronic content to passengers of claim 9 further comprising:

enabling said passenger to control delivery of said previously undelivered portion of said selected electronic content.

14. The method of providing electronic content to passengers of claim 12 further comprising:

enabling said passenger to receive at least some of the previously delivered portion of said selected electronic content.

15. The method of providing electronic content to passengers of claim 9 further comprising:

storing content aging data indicative of a time period following conclusion of said flight when said passenger can request said selected electronic content.

16. The method of providing electronic content to passengers of claim 9 further comprising:

establishing, in response to a passenger located onboard said aircraft and equipped with a wireless electronic device selecting said electronic content, wireless communications between said passenger electronic device and a source of said selected electronic content.

17. A system for providing electronic content to passengers, who are equipped with wireless electronic devices and who request electronic content while onboard an aircraft and receive less that all of said selected electronic content during the flight of the aircraft, comprising:

aircraft network means for generating radio frequency communication signals to communicate with passengers'"'"' wireless electronic devices onboard an aircraft;

link means, responsive to a passenger located onboard said aircraft selecting an electronic content, for establishing wireless communications between said passenger'"'"'s wireless electronic device and a source of said selected electronic content;

content delivery means for storing data indicative of an amount of said selected electronic content delivered to said passenger'"'"'s wireless electronic device during the flight of the aircraft; and

handoff means, located on the ground and responsive to said passenger requesting said selected electronic content following conclusion of said flight of said aircraft, for delivering a previously undelivered portion of said selected electronic content, as indicated by said stored data indicative of an amount of said selected electronic content delivered to said passenger during said flight of the aircraft, to said passenger.

18. The system for providing electronic content to passengers of claim 17 further comprising:

air-to-ground network means for radio frequency communications between said aircraft and a ground-based communications system having at least one transceiver located on the ground;

aircraft interface means for interconnecting said aircraft network means and said air-to-ground network means to establish communications between said passenger wireless electronic devices and said ground-based communications network;

content source means, located on the ground and accessible via said ground-based communications network, for delivering said requested electronic content to said passenger electronic device via said air-to-ground network means.

19. The system for providing electronic content to passengers of claim 17 wherein said handoff means comprises:

login means, responsive to said passenger requesting said selected electronic content following conclusion of said flight of said aircraft, for confirming authorization of said passenger to access said selected electronic content.

20. The system for providing electronic content to passengers of claim 17 wherein said content delivery means comprises:

requester identification means for storing data that identifies a passenger who requests electronic content while onboard an aircraft;

content identification means for storing data that identifies said selected electronic content; and

passenger query means for storing data which indicates whether said passenger wishes to receive said previously undelivered portion of said selected electronic content.

21. The system for providing electronic content to passengers of claim 17 further comprising:

deliver control means for enabling said passenger to control delivery of said previously undelivered portion of said selected electronic content.

22. The system for providing electronic content to passengers of claim 21 further comprising:

content rewind means for enabling said passenger to receive at least some of the previously delivered portion of said selected electronic content.

23. The system for providing electronic content to passengers of claim 17 further comprising:

content aging means for storing data indicative of a time period following conclusion of said flight when said passenger can request said selected electronic content.

24. A method of providing electronic content to passengers, who are equipped with wireless electronic devices and who request electronic content while onboard an aircraft and receive less that all of said selected electronic content during the flight of the aircraft, comprising:

generating radio frequency communication signals in an aircraft-based wireless network to communicate with passengers'"'"' wireless electronic devices onboard an aircraft;

establishing, in response to a passenger located onboard said aircraft selecting an electronic content, wireless communications between said passenger'"'"'s wireless electronic device and a source of said selected electronic content;

storing content delivery data indicative of an amount of said selected electronic content delivered to said passenger'"'"'s wireless electronic device during the flight of the aircraft; and

delivering, from a content source located on the ground and responsive to said passenger requesting said selected electronic content following conclusion of said flight of said aircraft, a previously undelivered portion of said selected electronic content, as indicated by said stored data indicative of an amount of said selected electronic content delivered to said passenger during said flight of the aircraft, to said passenger.

25. The method of providing electronic content to passengers of claim 24 further comprising:

establishing air-to-ground radio frequency communications between said aircraft-based wireless network and a ground-based communications system having at least one transceiver located on the ground;

delivering, from a content source located on the ground and accessible via said ground-based communications network, said requested electronic content to said passenger electronic device via said air-to-ground radio frequency communications.

26. The method of providing electronic content to passengers of claim 24 wherein said step of delivering comprises:

confirming authorization, in response to said passenger requesting said selected electronic content following conclusion of said flight of said aircraft, of said passenger to access said selected electronic content.

27. The method of providing electronic content to passengers of claim 24 wherein said step of delivering comprises:

storing passenger identification data that identifies a passenger who requests electronic content while onboard an aircraft;

storing content identification data that identifies said selected electronic content; and

storing passenger query data which indicates whether said passenger wishes to receive said previously undelivered portion of said selected electronic content.

28. The method of providing electronic content to passengers of claim 24 further comprising:

enabling said passenger to control delivery of said previously undelivered portion of said selected electronic content.

29. The method of providing electronic content to passengers of claim 28 further comprising:

enabling said passenger to receive at least some of the previously delivered portion of said selected electronic content.

30. The method of providing electronic content to passengers of claim 24 further comprising:

storing content aging data indicative of a time period following conclusion of said flight when said passenger can request said selected electronic content.