SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGEMENT OF WIRELESS DEVICES ABOARD AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20100267375A1
• Filed: 04/16/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Federal Express Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Federal Express Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Lemmon, Andrew N., Jacobs, J. Randy, Skaaksrud, Ole-Petter
• Granted Patent: US 9,095,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• 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 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method of management of a wireless device in an aircraft may include transitioning the wireless device from a first mode to a second mode based on data that is indicative of a change in flight condition of the aircraft. One of these modes may be a state of the device in which a transmitter of the device is deactivated and the other mode may be a state of the device in which the transmitter is activated. The data indicative of the change in flight condition may either be downloaded to the device from an external source, acquired from a sensor(s) embedded in the device, or may be determined based on both the data acquired by the sensor(s) and data downloaded to the device.

Claims

1. A method of management of a wireless device in an aircraft using a processor of the device, comprising:

transitioning the wireless device using the processor, from a first mode to a second mode based on data that is indicative of a change in flight condition of the aircraft, one of the first mode and the second mode being a state of the device in which a transmitter of the device is deactivated and the other of the first mode and the second mode being a state of the device in which the transmitter is activated.

2. The method of claim 1, further including transmitting the data indicative of the change in flight condition to the device from a source external to the device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the data includes downloading data related to flight details of the aircraft to the device from a remote computer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting the data further includes downloading updated data that indicates changes in flight details of the aircraft to the device from a remote source.

5. The method of claim 1, further including acquiring the data indicative of the change in flight condition from on a sensor embedded in the device.

6. The method of claim 1, further including determining the change in flight condition based both on data transmitted to the device from a source external to the device, and on data acquired by a sensor embedded in the device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transitioning the wireless device includes transitioning the device from a normal mode to a disabled mode upon receipt of data indicative of aircraft takeoff, the normal mode being a state of the device wherein both the device and a transmitter of the device are activated, and the disabled mode being a state of the device wherein both the device and the transmitter are deactivated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transitioning the wireless device includes transitioning the device from a disabled mode to an airborne mode upon receipt of data indicative of the aircraft reaching cruise altitude, the disabled mode being a state of the device wherein both the device and a transmitter of the device are deactivated, and the airborne mode being a state of the device wherein the device is activated and the transmitter is deactivated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein transitioning the wireless device includes transitioning the device from an airborne mode to a disabled mode upon receipt of data indicative of aircraft descent, the airborne mode being a state of the device wherein the device is activated and a transmitter of the device is deactivated, and the disabled mode being a state of the device wherein both the device and the transmitter are deactivated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transitioning the wireless device includes transitioning the device from a disabled mode to a normal mode upon receipt of data indicative of the completion of aircraft landing, the disabled mode being a state of the device wherein both the device and a transmitter of the device are deactivated, and the normal mode being a state of the device wherein both the device and the transmitter of the device are activated.

11. A method of management of a wireless device in an aircraft by processor, comprising:

automatically transitioning the device from a normal mode to a disabled mode during aircraft takeoff using the processor, the normal mode being a state of the device wherein both the device and a transmitter of the device are activated, and the disabled mode being a state of the device wherein both the device and the transmitter of the device are deactivated; and

automatically transitioning the device from a disabled mode to the normal mode after the aircraft has landed using the processor.

12. The method of claim 11, further including automatically transitioning the device from the disabled mode to an airborne mode using the processor, after the aircraft reaches a predetermined altitude, the airborne mode being a state of the device wherein the device is activated and a transmitter of the device is deactivated.

13. The method of claim 12, further including automatically transitioning the device from the airborne mode to the disabled mode using the processor, during descent of the aircraft.

14. The method of claim 11, further including automatically transitioning the device from the disabled mode to an airborne mode using the processor after takeoff of the aircraft upon receipt of data indicative of aircraft takeoff, the airborne mode being a state of the device wherein the device is activated and a transmitter of the device is deactivated.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein receipt of the data includes acquiring the data indicative of aircraft takeoff by a sensor embedded in the device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the sensor includes at least one of an accelerometer and a pressure sensor.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein receipt of the data includes downloading data on flight details of the aircraft to the device from a source external to the device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein downloading data of flight details further includes downloading updated data that indicates changes in the flight details.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein receipt of the data indicative of aircraft takeoff includes determining aircraft takeoff based on both data downloaded to the device from a source external to the device and data collected by a sensor embedded in the device.

20. A system for management of a wireless device in an aircraft, comprising:

a wireless device configured to be positioned within the aircraft; and

software residing in the wireless device, the software being configured to transition the wireless device from a normal mode to a disabled mode during aircraft takeoff, and from a disabled mode to a normal mode after aircraft landing, the normal mode being a state of the device wherein both the device and a transmitter of the device are activated, and the disabled mode being a state of the device wherein both the device and the transmitter are deactivated.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the software is configured to transition the device to disabled mode upon receipt of data indicative of aircraft takeoff.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the data indicative of aircraft takeoff is acquired from a sensor embedded in the device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the sensor includes one of an accelerometer and a pressure sensor.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the data indicative of aircraft takeoff is downloaded to the device from a source external to the device.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the data indicative of aircraft takeoff is determined based on both data downloaded to the device from a source external to the device and data acquired by a sensor embedded in the device.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the software is further configured to transition the device from the disabled mode to an airborne mode after aircraft takeoff, the airborne mode being a state of the device wherein the device is activated and the transmitter of the device is deactivated.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the software is further configured to transition the device from the airborne mode to the disabled mode during descent of the aircraft.

28. A system for management of a wireless device, comprising:

a processor for executing program instructions for management of the wireless device;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing the program instructions, the processor when executing the program instructions, performs a process to transition the wireless device from a first mode to a second mode upon receipt of data that is indicative of a change in flight condition of the aircraft, one of the first mode and the second mode being a state of the device in which a transmitter of the device is deactivated and the other of the first mode and the second mode being a state of the device in which the transmitter is activated.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the processor further performs a process to transition the device from a normal mode to a disabled mode during aircraft takeoff and to transition the device from a disabled mode to a normal mode after aircraft landing, the normal mode being a mode in which the device and a transmitter of the device are activated, and the disabled mode being a mode in which both the device and the transmitter are deactivated.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the processor further performs a process to transition the device from the disabled mode to an airborne mode after takeoff and transition the device from the airborne mode to the disabled mode during descent of the aircraft, the airborne mode being a mode in which the device is activated and the transmitter of the device is deactivated.

31. A wireless device, comprising:

a sensor configured to measure one or more environmental parameters associated with a change in a flight condition of an aircraft;

a processor configured to receive real-time signals from the sensor and change an operating state of a transmitter of the wireless device based on the received signals.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the sensor includes an accelerometer.

33. The device of claim 31, wherein the sensor includes a pressure sensor.

34. The device of claim 31, wherein the processor is configured to deactivate the transmitter when the received signals correspond to a signal indicative of takeoff of an aircraft.

35. The device of claim 31, wherein the change in flight condition is one of takeoff or landing of the aircraft.

36. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions for performing a method of management of a wireless device aboard an aircraft when executed by a processor of the wireless device, the method comprising steps performed by the processor of:

transitioning the wireless device from a first mode to a second mode based on data that is indicative of a change in flight condition of the aircraft, one of the first mode and the second mode being a state of the device in which a transmitter of the device is deactivated and the other of the first mode and the second mode being a state of the device in which the transmitter is activated.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein transitioning the wireless device includes transitioning the device from a normal mode to a disabled mode upon receipt of data indicative of aircraft takeoff, the normal mode being a state of the device wherein both the device and a transmitter of the device are activated, and the disabled mode being a state of the device wherein both the device and the transmitter are deactivated.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein transitioning the wireless device from a first mode to a second mode includes transitioning the device from a disabled mode to an airborne mode upon receipt of data indicative of the aircraft reaching cruise altitude, the disabled mode being a state of the device wherein both the device and a transmitter of the device are deactivated, and the airborne mode being a state of the device wherein the device is activated and the transmitter is deactivated.

39. A method of management of a wireless device using a processor of the device, comprising:

transitioning the wireless device using the processor, from a first mode to a second mode based at least on data that indicates the relative position of the device with respect to a reference point, one of the first mode and the second mode being a state of the device in which a transmitter of the device is deactivated and the other of the first mode and the second mode being a state of the device in which the transmitter is activated.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the reference point includes one of a specific location or an object.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the reference point includes an aircraft.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the reference point includes an airport.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein the transitioning of the device is further based on data that indicates a change in flight condition of an aircraft.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the change in flight condition includes one of scheduled, historical, or actual change in flight condition of the aircraft.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the change in flight condition includes one of takeoff or landing of the aircraft.

46. The method of claim 39, wherein the reference point is a wireless access point.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the wireless access point is positioned on a mobile machine.