Systems and Methods for Providing Hybrid Communication in a Transit Environment
First Claim
1. A method for providing network communication in a transit environment including one or more passenger vehicles, the method comprising:
- receiving a wireless communication at a wireless access point on a passenger vehicle traveling on a defined path;
reformatting the wireless communication into a wireline communication; and
transmitting the wireline communication onto a path-based communication line that is adjacent to or on the defined path, wherein the wireline communication is transmitted to a network connection point that couples the path-based communication line to a metropolitan network, and wherein the network connection point is operable to transmit the communication onto the metropolitan network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of systems and methods include an access point onboard a vehicle configured to communicatively connect one or more computers on the vehicle to a path-based communication line. The communication line is adjacent to, or on, a defined path, and connects the vehicle to a connection point to a metropolitan or backbone network. Signals sent to and from the vehicle-based computers may be in one format or protocol. Signals sent over the communication line may be in another format or protocol. Signals sent over the metropolitan network may be in yet another format or protocol. One or more devices onboard the vehicle and/or at the metropolitan network connection point can convert between signal formats and/or protocols.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for providing network communication in a transit environment including one or more passenger vehicles, the method comprising:
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receiving a wireless communication at a wireless access point on a passenger vehicle traveling on a defined path; reformatting the wireless communication into a wireline communication; and transmitting the wireline communication onto a path-based communication line that is adjacent to or on the defined path, wherein the wireline communication is transmitted to a network connection point that couples the path-based communication line to a metropolitan network, and wherein the network connection point is operable to transmit the communication onto the metropolitan network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for providing communication between a metropolitan network and communication devices onboard a vehicle in a transit environment, wherein the vehicle follows a defined path within the transit environment, the system comprising:
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a communication line configured to carry electrical communications to and from the vehicle, the communication line being on or adjacent to the defined path; a first transceiver onboard the vehicle configured to receive communications sent from a computing device onboard the vehicle and transmit the communications on the communication line; and a second transceiver coupled to the communication and a metropolitan network, the transceiver configured to receive communications transmitted over the communication line and transmit the communications on the metropolitan network. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for providing communications to and from computing devices communicating with a wireless format in a transit environment, the system comprising:
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means for receiving wireless communications from a computing device onboard a vehicle traveling a defined path in the transit environment; means for converting the wireless communications into a wireline format; means for transmitting wireline formatted communications to a communication line on or adjacent to the defined path; means for receiving the wireline communications, converting the communications to a format supported by a metropolitan network, and transmitting the communications on the metropolitan network.
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Specification