Method for establishing a communication link between a ground-base caller and a passenger on board an aircraft

• US 5,438,610 A
• Filed: 05/19/1994
• Issued: 08/01/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Skytel Corporation (Bell Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mobile Telecommunications Technologies, LLC (Mobitex Technology AB)
• Inventors: Hays, William D., Bhagat, Jai P., Oswalt, Ernest A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/246,089
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 370/120, 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

A ground-to-air telephone calling system is provided including a computer for receiving an airborne telephone number and a call-back number from a calling party and forming the telephone numbers into a data signal comporting with existing protocol filed in the FCC, an uplink unit for uplinking the data signal to a satellite and a plurality of downlink stations for receiving the data signal from the satellite; a plurality of ground stations corresponding to each of the downlink units for receiving the data signals and passing a call signal identifying the airborne telephone and particular ground station to a corresponding transmit/receive unit for subsequent transmission to the aircraft; a call being initiated from the ground station to the calling party over the public switched telephone network if the aircraft responds to the call signal. An alternative embodiment provides for a plurality of telephones on board the aircraft, and is capable of directing a call from a ground based caller to a particular telephone assigned to a passenger on the aircraft.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a communication link between a ground-based caller and a passenger on board an aircraft having a plurality of telephones, the method comprising the steps of:

correlating the passenger to a predetermined aircraft seat having a predetermined telephone;

receiving a call for the passenger;

receiving the caller'"'"'s telephone number;

transmitting a signal over a predetermined geographic region, said signal including information to alert said passenger to a call;

receiving said signal at the aircraft;

alerting said passenger via said predetermined telephone that said signal has been received;

transmitting a response signal from the aircraft to a ground station in response to said signal; and

calling the caller'"'"'s telephone number from the ground station in response to receipt of the response signal.

2. A method of establishing a communication link between a ground-based caller and a passenger on board an aircraft having at least one telephone, the method comprising the steps of:

correlating the passenger to a predetermined aircraft seat having the at least one telephone;

receiving a call from said caller for the passenger at a ground station;

receiving said caller'"'"'s telephone number at said ground station;

generating at said ground station a signal to alert said passenger to said call;

transmitting said signal over a predetermined geographic region;

receiving said signal at said aircraft;

alerting said passenger via said at least one telephone that said call has been made to said passenger;

transmitting a response signal from said aircraft to said ground station; and

calling said caller'"'"'s telephone number from said ground station.

3. A method of establishing a communication link between a ground-based caller and a passenger on board an aircraft having a plurality of telephones, the method comprising the steps of:

correlating the passenger to a predetermined aircraft seat associated with a predetermined telephone;

receiving a call for said passenger;

receiving said caller'"'"'s telephone number;

generating a signal to alert said passenger to said call;

transmitting said signal over a predetermined geographic region;

receiving said signal at said aircraft;

alerting said passenger that said signal has been received;

transmitting a response signal from said aircraft to a ground station; and

calling said caller'"'"'s telephone number to link said passenger to said caller.

4. A method of establishing a communication link between a ground-based caller and a passenger on board an aircraft having a plurality of telephones, the method comprising the steps of:

correlating the passenger to a predetermined aircraft seat associated with a predetermined telephone;

receiving a call for said passenger at a central computer;

receiving said caller'"'"'s telephone number;

generating a signal to alert said passenger to said call;

transmitting said signal over a predetermined geographic region;

receiving said signal at said aircraft;

alerting said passenger that said call was made; and

calling said caller'"'"'s telephone number if said passenger accepts said call.