Two-way in-flight radio telecommunication system and method
First Claim
1. In a radio telecommunication system having a gateway mobile switching center (G-MSC), a ground in-flight system controller (GISC) with a visitor location register (VLR), an aircraft in-flight system controller (AISC) on board an aircraft, and a home location register (HLR), a method of delivering a call from a party to an airborne subscriber located on board said aircraft, said method comprising the steps of:
- updating location and subscriber information of said airborne subscriber in said HLR and in said VLR;
receiving in said G-MSC, an incoming call for said airborne subscriber from said party;
transmitting a location request message from said G-MSC to said HLR, said location request message requesting routing information for said airborne subscriber;
transmitting from said HLR to said GISC a routing request message;
transmitting an availability query from said GISC to said AISC;
querying, by said AISC, the availability of a seat telephone terminal where said airborne subscriber is located on board said aircraft;
transmitting an availability response from said AISC to said GISC, said availability response indicating the availability of said seat telephone terminal;
allocating a routing number in said GISC, said routing number providing routing information for said telephone terminal and said information of said airborne subscriber;
transmitting said routing number from said GISC to said HLR;
transmitting said routing number from said HLR to said G-MSC; and
delivering said call.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for providing two-way in-flight radio telecommunications on board an aircraft is disclosed. The radio telecommunication system includes a Gateway Mobile Switching Center (G-MSC), an Aircraft In-flight System Controller (AISC) located on board a subscriber'"'"'s aircraft, a Ground In-flight System Controller (GISC), a satellite to relay messages and calls from the GISC and AISC, and a Home Location Register (HLR) which provides routing and location information for use by the GISC and the G-MSC. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, a system and method for using a mobile phone on an aircraft is disclosed. A mobile phone is connected to a seat terminal located on an aircraft by a co-ax cable. The radio frequency (RF) signals produced by a mobile phone pass through a coax cable to an Airborne Radio Base Station (A-RBS). The A-RBS converts the RF signals into signals which do not interfere with the aircraft'"'"'s navigational and communication equipment and are compatible with the GISC and multiple cellular networks. These converted signals are then transmitted via satellite to a cellular network.
-
Citations
12 Claims
-
1. In a radio telecommunication system having a gateway mobile switching center (G-MSC), a ground in-flight system controller (GISC) with a visitor location register (VLR), an aircraft in-flight system controller (AISC) on board an aircraft, and a home location register (HLR), a method of delivering a call from a party to an airborne subscriber located on board said aircraft, said method comprising the steps of:
-
updating location and subscriber information of said airborne subscriber in said HLR and in said VLR; receiving in said G-MSC, an incoming call for said airborne subscriber from said party; transmitting a location request message from said G-MSC to said HLR, said location request message requesting routing information for said airborne subscriber; transmitting from said HLR to said GISC a routing request message; transmitting an availability query from said GISC to said AISC; querying, by said AISC, the availability of a seat telephone terminal where said airborne subscriber is located on board said aircraft; transmitting an availability response from said AISC to said GISC, said availability response indicating the availability of said seat telephone terminal; allocating a routing number in said GISC, said routing number providing routing information for said telephone terminal and said information of said airborne subscriber; transmitting said routing number from said GISC to said HLR; transmitting said routing number from said HLR to said G-MSC; and delivering said call. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A radio telecommunication system providing two-way telephone services between an airborne subscriber located on board a first aircraft and another party, comprising:
-
a gateway mobile switching center (G-MSC); a ground in-flight system controller (GISC) located on the ground for receiving and routing calls from said G-MSC to said first aircraft, and from said first aircraft to said G-MSC; a home location register (HLR) that stores subscriber information, routing information, and location information, said HLR receiving said routing information and said location information from said GISC, and said HLR sending said subscriber information to said GISC and said routing information to said G-MSC; a mobile phone for transmitting and receiving calls from said airborne subscriber to said radio telecommunication system through said GISC; an airborne radio base station (A-RBS) located on board said first aircraft for converting RF signals produced by said mobile telephone to a compatible protocol for said GISC, said A-RBS connecting said airborne subscriber to said radio telecommunication system and providing location and activity information of said subscriber to said GISC; and a co-ax cable connecting said mobile telephone to said A-RBS. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. In a radio telecommunication system having a ground in-flight system controller (GISC) with a visitor location register (VLR), an airborne radio base station (A-RBS), a co-ax cable connecting a mobile phone of an airborne subscriber with said A-RBS, and a signaling network having a home location register (HLR) and a gateway mobile switching center (G-MSC), a method of using said mobile telephone on said aircraft, said method comprising the steps of:
-
connecting said co-ax cable from said mobile telephone to said A-RBS; converting, in said A-RBS, radio frequency (RF) signals generated from said mobile telephone into a protocol compatible with said GISC and said signaling network, and which does not interfere with operations of said aircraft; transmitting in said A-RBS, signals in said compatible protocol, from said A-RBS to said GISC; routing said signals from said GISC to said G-MSC via said HLR; and delivering said signals from said G-MSC to another party. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
-
Specification