Wireless communication system
First Claim
1. A wireless data communication system for communicating between an airplane and a ground loading terminal, comprising:
- a. a ground communication unit coupled to a ground terminal and mounted on a loading gateway adapted to approach and engage a parked airplane to enable loading and unloading of the airplane, said ground communication unit including a ground communication infrared transmitter transmitting a fan shaped infrared beam with a pattern which is narrower in the horizontal direction and wider in the vertical direction and comprising a plurality of infrared devices oriented to transmit said fan shaped infrared beam, an elevation scanning means comprising switching means for selectively energizing said plurality of infrared devices, azimuth scanning means driven by a stepping motor for scanning in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the ground, a ground communication receiver comprising an infrared detector for detecting an infrared beam and having a field of view which is narrower in the horizontal direction and wider in the vertical direction, and a controller for controlling the operation of said ground communication unit elevation and azimuth scanning means;
b. an airplane communication unit including an airplane communication infrared transmitter transmitting a fan shaped infrared beam with a pattern which is a narrower in the horizontal direction and wider in the vertical direction and comprising a plurality of infrared devices oriented to transmit said fan shaped infrared beam, an elevation scanning means comprising switching means for a selectively energizing said plurality of infrared devices, azimuth scanning means driven by a stepping motor for scanning in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the ground, an airplane communication receiver comprising an infrared detector for detecting an infrared beam and having a field of view which is narrower in the horizontal direction and wider in the vertical direction, and a control means for controlling the operation of the airplane communication unit elevation and azimuth scanning means;
c. wherein the infrared transmitter of the airplane communication unit and the infrared transmitter of the ground communication unit are fixed a predetermined distance from the receiver of that same unit, which distance is substantially the same for both the airplane communication unit and the ground communication unit, such that when the receiver of the airplane communication unit is aligned with the transmitter of the ground communication unit, the transmitter of the airplane communication unit is also aligned with the receiver of the ground communication unit;
d. said controller of the ground communication unit terminates scanning of said ground communication unit elevation and azimuth scanning means when the receiver of said ground communication unit receives the infrared beam transmitted from the transmitter of said airplane communication unit;
e. said control means of the airplane communication unit terminates operation of its elevation and azimuth scanning means when its receiver becomes aligned with the transmitter of the ground communication unit, and maintains the operation terminated even when its receiver becomes misaligned with the transmitter of the ground communication unit by the operation of the scanning means of the ground communication unit, but restarts operation of its elevation and azimuth scanning means when its receiver fails to become realigned with the transmitter of the ground communication unit after a predetermined time interval.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless communication system, having first and second communication units located, in operation, in spaced-apart relationship to each other, each unit including a transmitter and a receiver, the first unit including a transmitter for transmitting information to the receiver of the second unit, and a receiver for receiving information from the transmitter of the second unit, the first unit including a scanner for scanning the unit along at least one axis with respect to the second unit. The first unit further includes a control for terminating the scanning of the first unit when the receiver of the first unit is precisely aligned with the transmitter of the second unit.
35 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A wireless data communication system for communicating between an airplane and a ground loading terminal, comprising:
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a. a ground communication unit coupled to a ground terminal and mounted on a loading gateway adapted to approach and engage a parked airplane to enable loading and unloading of the airplane, said ground communication unit including a ground communication infrared transmitter transmitting a fan shaped infrared beam with a pattern which is narrower in the horizontal direction and wider in the vertical direction and comprising a plurality of infrared devices oriented to transmit said fan shaped infrared beam, an elevation scanning means comprising switching means for selectively energizing said plurality of infrared devices, azimuth scanning means driven by a stepping motor for scanning in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the ground, a ground communication receiver comprising an infrared detector for detecting an infrared beam and having a field of view which is narrower in the horizontal direction and wider in the vertical direction, and a controller for controlling the operation of said ground communication unit elevation and azimuth scanning means; b. an airplane communication unit including an airplane communication infrared transmitter transmitting a fan shaped infrared beam with a pattern which is a narrower in the horizontal direction and wider in the vertical direction and comprising a plurality of infrared devices oriented to transmit said fan shaped infrared beam, an elevation scanning means comprising switching means for a selectively energizing said plurality of infrared devices, azimuth scanning means driven by a stepping motor for scanning in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the ground, an airplane communication receiver comprising an infrared detector for detecting an infrared beam and having a field of view which is narrower in the horizontal direction and wider in the vertical direction, and a control means for controlling the operation of the airplane communication unit elevation and azimuth scanning means; c. wherein the infrared transmitter of the airplane communication unit and the infrared transmitter of the ground communication unit are fixed a predetermined distance from the receiver of that same unit, which distance is substantially the same for both the airplane communication unit and the ground communication unit, such that when the receiver of the airplane communication unit is aligned with the transmitter of the ground communication unit, the transmitter of the airplane communication unit is also aligned with the receiver of the ground communication unit; d. said controller of the ground communication unit terminates scanning of said ground communication unit elevation and azimuth scanning means when the receiver of said ground communication unit receives the infrared beam transmitted from the transmitter of said airplane communication unit; e. said control means of the airplane communication unit terminates operation of its elevation and azimuth scanning means when its receiver becomes aligned with the transmitter of the ground communication unit, and maintains the operation terminated even when its receiver becomes misaligned with the transmitter of the ground communication unit by the operation of the scanning means of the ground communication unit, but restarts operation of its elevation and azimuth scanning means when its receiver fails to become realigned with the transmitter of the ground communication unit after a predetermined time interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification