DEVICE AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A PORTABLE COMPUTER SYSTEM AND ITEMS OF AVIONICS EQUIPMENT

• US 20100105329A1
• Filed: 10/22/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Depape, Pierre, DURAND, Frederic, Delautier, Sebastien, Saletzki, Sebastien, Delannoy, Frederique, Moreau, Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 8,649,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters

Abstract

The device for communication between a portable computer system (128) comprising a display screen and avionic equipment items (150), which comprises:

• • at least one wide band high output wireless transmitter-receiver (104), adapted for carrying out a very short range point-to-point radio communication with the said portable computer system and
  • at least one interface (106) connected to the said avionic equipment items and adapted for transmitting data originating from the portable computer system to the avionic equipment items and data originating from the avionic equipment items to the portable computer system, through at least one said transmitter-receiver.

In some embodiments, this device is incorporated into a docking station (102), comprises a wireless feed (144) and a second transmitter-receiver (140) adapted for communicating with the portable computer system outside the said docking station.

Claims

1. - Device for communication between a portable computer system comprising a display screen and avionic equipment items, that comprises at least one wide band high output wireless transmitter-receiver, adapted for carrying out a very short range point-to-point radio communication with the said portable computer system and at least one interface connected to the said avionic equipment items and adapted for transmitting data originating from the portable computer system to the avionic equipment items and data originating from the avionic equipment items to the portable computer system, by means of at least one said transmitter-receiver.

2. - Device according to claim 1, in which the said wide band is of UWB type (acronym for “

Ultra Wide Band”

).

3. - Device according to claim 2, in which the said transmitter-receiver is incorporated into a docking station.

4. - Device according to claim 3, in which the said docking station comprises shielded walls constituting a Faraday cage, at least partially.

5. - Device according to claim 2, in which the said docking station comprises a second transmitter-receiver adapted for communicating with the said portable computer system when the said portable computer system is located outside the said docking station.

6. - Device according to claim 5, that comprises a means for automatic switching between the transmitter-receivers adapted for communicating with the said portable computer system according to the power of the signal received by the said transmitter-receivers adapted for communicating with the portable computer system.

7. - Device according to claim 1, that comprises a wireless feed.

8. - Device according to claim 7, in which the said wireless feed employs an electromagnetic induction.

9. - Device according to claim 1, in which the said transmitter-receiver is incorporated into a docking station.

10. - Device according to claim 9, in which the said docking station comprises shielded walls constituting a Faraday cage, at least partially.

11. - Device according to claim 9, in which the said docking station comprises a second transmitter-received adapted for communicating with the said portable computer system when the said portable computer system is located outside the said docking station.

12. - Device according to claim 11, in which the said docking station comprises shielded walls constituting a Faraday cage, at least partially.

13. - Device according to claim 11, which comprises a means for automatic switching between the transmitter-receivers adapted for communicating with the said portable computer system according to the power of the signal received by the said transmitter-receivers adapted for communicating with the portable computer system.

14. - Device according to claim 13, in which the said docking station comprises shielded walls constituting a Faraday cage, at least partially.

15. - Method for communication between a portable computer system comprising a display screen and avionic equipment items, that comprises a step of wide band high output wireless communicating over a very short range point-to-point radio link with the said portable computer system in order to transmit data originating from the avionic equipment items to the portable computer system and a step of communicating with the said avionic equipment items in order to transmit data originating from the portable computer system to the avionic equipment items.

16. - Method according to claim 15, in which, during the step of high output wireless communicating, the said wide band is of UWB type (acronym for “

Ultra Wide Band”

).

17. - Method according to claim 16, in which the step of wide band high output wireless communicating over a very short range point-to-point radio link is carried out when the said portable computer system is located in a docking station, by employing a first transmitter-receiver, the method further comprising a step of communicating with the said portable computer system by employing a second transmitter-receiver, when the said portable computer system is located outside the said docking station.

18. - Method according to claim 17, which comprises a step of automatic switching between the steps of communicating with the said portable computer system, the said switching being performed according to the power of the signal received by the said transmitter-receivers adapted for communicating with the portable computer system.

19. - Method according to claim 15, in which the step of wide band high output wireless communicating over a very short range point-to-point radio link is carried out when the said portable computer system is located in a docking station, by employing a first transmitter-receiver, the method further comprising a step of communicating with the said portable computer system by employing a second transmitter-receiver, when the said portable computer system is located outside the said docking station.

20. - Method according to claim 19, which comprises a step of automatic switching between the steps of communicating with the said portable computer system, the said switching being performed according to the power of the signal received by the said transmitter-receivers adapted for communicating with the portable computer system.