AIRCRAFT COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM WITH SATELLITE NETWORK SELECTION CONTROLLER AND ASSOCIATED METHOD
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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 satellite-based communications network that includes a plurality of satellites, at least one access point in the aircraft for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for data communications with the PEDs, and a satellite transceiver in the aircraft cooperating with the at least one access point for data communications with the satellite-based communications network to the PEDs. At least one network selection controller is for selecting a satellite among the plurality of satellites so that data communications is sent to the PEDs through the satellite transceiver based on a needed channel capacity of the data communications to be sent.
14 Citations
56 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 satellite-based communications network comprising a plurality of satellites; at least one access point in the aircraft for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for data communications with the PEDs; a satellite transceiver 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 selecting a satellite among said plurality of satellites so that data communications is sent to the PEDs through said satellite transceiver based on a needed channel capacity of the data communications to be sent. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. 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 a satellite-based communications network comprising a plurality of satellites, 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; a satellite transceiver 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 selecting a satellite among the plurality of satellites so that data communications is sent to the PEDs through said satellite transceiver based on a needed channel capacity of the data communications to be sent. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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44-1. The aircraft communications system according to claim 43 wherein said at least one network selection controller selects a satellite based on at least one of a received signal strength of the data communications, and a position of the aircraft.
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45-2. The aircraft communications system according to claim 43 wherein said at least one network selection controller sends at least one of static and dynamic web pages through said satellite-based communications network to the PEDs through said at least one access point.
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50. 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 satellite-based communications network comprising a plurality of satellites, at least one access point in the aircraft, a satellite transceiver in the aircraft, and at least one network selection controller in the aircraft, the method comprising:
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operating the satellite transceiver to cooperate with the at least one access point for data communications with the satellite-based communications network to the PEDs; and operating the at least one network selection controller for selecting a satellite among the plurality of satellites so that data communications is sent to the PEDs through the satellite transceiver based on a needed channel capacity of the data communications to be sent. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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51-3. The method according to claim 50 wherein the at least one network selection controller selects a satellite based on at least one of a received signal strength of the data communications, and a position of the aircraft.
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52-4. The method according to claim 50 wherein the at least one network selection controller sends at least one of static and dynamic web pages through the satellite-based communications network to the PEDs through the at least one access point.
Specification