AIRCRAFT COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM WITH NETWORK SELECTION CONTROLLER AND ASSOCIATED METHOD
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communications system for an aircraft carrying at least some personnel having personal electronic devices (PEDs) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft includes a ground-based communications network, and a satellite-based communications network. An access point is in the aircraft for providing a WLAN for data communications with the PEDs. An air-to-ground transceiver in the aircraft cooperates with the access point for data communications with the ground-based communications network. A satellite receiver in the aircraft cooperates with the access point for data communications with the satellite-based communications network to the PEDs. At least one network selection controller determines whether to send data communications to the PEDs through the air-to-ground transceiver or the satellite receiver based on a communications link metric.
17 Citations
64 Claims
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1-33. -33. (canceled)
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34. A communications system for an aircraft carrying at least some personnel having personal electronic devices (PEDs) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft, the communications system comprising:
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a ground-based communications network; a satellite-based communications network; at least one access point in the aircraft for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for data communications with the PEDs; an air-to-ground transceiver in the aircraft cooperating with said at least one access point for data communications with said ground-based communications network; a satellite receiver in the aircraft cooperating with said at least one access point for data communications with the satellite-based communications network to the PEDs; and at least one network selection controller for determining whether to send data communications to the PEDs through said air-to-ground transceiver or said satellite receiver based on a communications link metric. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. An aircraft communications system for an aircraft carrying at least some personnel having personal electronic devices (PEDs) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft with either a ground-based communications network or a satellite-based communications network, the aircraft communications system comprising:
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at least one access point in the aircraft for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for data communications with the PEDs; an air-to-ground transceiver in the aircraft cooperating with said at least one access point for data communications with said ground-based communications network; a satellite receiver in the aircraft cooperating with said at least one access point for data communications with the satellite-based communications network to the PEDs; and an aircraft-based network selection controller for determining whether to send data communications to the PEDs through said air-to-ground transceiver or said satellite receiver based on a communications link metric. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method for operating a communications system for an aircraft carrying at least some personnel having personal electronic devices (PEDs) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft, the communications system comprising a ground-based communications network, a satellite-based communications network, at least one access point in the aircraft for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for data communications with the PEDs, an air-to-ground transceiver in the aircraft cooperating with the at least one access point for data communications with the ground-based communications network, and a satellite receiver in the aircraft cooperating with the at least one access point for data communications with the satellite-based communications network to the PEDs;
- the method comprising;
determining whether to send data communications to the PEDs through the air-to-ground transceiver or the satellite receiver based on a communications link metric. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
- the method comprising;
Specification