Exchange which extends SIM based authentication and method therefor
First Claim
1. A method for operating an aircraft subscriber exchange that couples to a network providing communication and authentication services, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) receiving an original subscriber identity module (SIM) with an access port of the aircraft subscriber exchange;
(b) accessing subscriber-specific data from said original SIM received with said access port;
(c) performing an authentication process with the network using said original SIM;
(d) extracting said subscriber-specific data from said original SIM;
(e) establishing an association between said original SIM and a temporary SIM, said association extending said subscriber-specific data of said original SIM to said temporary SIM;
(f) relinquishing said original SIM from said access port;
(g) providing communication services for said original SIM using said temporary SIM; and
(h) deactivating said temporary SIM based upon detection of a predefined event related to control of an aircraft.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An on-board aircraft telecommunication exchange (32) provides communication and authentication services for M subscriber identity modules (SIMs) using N transceivers (36), where M can be greater than N. Associations between SIMs (56) and transceivers (36) are established when needed. Accordingly, a pool of transceivers 36 is provided to serve the collective needs of many subscribers. A SIM-based authentication process is performed (100) using a subscriber'"'"'s original SIM (56). That authentication can be extended to a temporary SIM (106) that is substituted for the original SIM throughout the remainder of a flight. Alternatively, the original SIMs (56) may be locked in place and relinquished when a subscriber provides an appropriate PIN.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for operating an aircraft subscriber exchange that couples to a network providing communication and authentication services, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving an original subscriber identity module (SIM) with an access port of the aircraft subscriber exchange; (b) accessing subscriber-specific data from said original SIM received with said access port; (c) performing an authentication process with the network using said original SIM; (d) extracting said subscriber-specific data from said original SIM; (e) establishing an association between said original SIM and a temporary SIM, said association extending said subscriber-specific data of said original SIM to said temporary SIM; (f) relinquishing said original SIM from said access port; (g) providing communication services for said original SIM using said temporary SIM; and (h) deactivating said temporary SIM based upon detection of a predefined event related to control of an aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 17)
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10. A method for operating an aircraft subscriber exchange that couples to a network providing communication and authentication services for subscribers over channels, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a quantity M of original subscriber identity modules (SIMs) with a plurality of access ports of the aircraft subscriber exchange, where M is an integer; (b) accessing subscriber-specific data from said quantity M of original subscriber identity modules SIMs; (c) performing an authentication process with the network for each of said quantity M of original SIMs; (d) extracting said subscriber-specific data from said quantity M of original SIMs; (e) establishing an association between each of said quantity M of original SIMs and a quantity M of temporary SIMs, said association extending said subscriber-specific data of each of said quantity M of original SIMS on to one of said quantity M of temporary SIMs; (f) relinquishing said quantity M of original SIMs from said plurality of access ports; (g) controlling no more than a quantity N of transceivers where N is an integer number less than M; (h) selecting, after step (f), one of said quantity M of temporary SIMs and one of said quantity N of transceivers; (i) coupling the selected temporary SIM and the selected transceiver together; (j) providing communication services for one of said quantity M of original SIMs using said one of said quantity M of temporary SIMs and one of said quantity N of transceivers selected in step (h); and (k) deactivating said quantity M of temporary SIMs based upon detection of a predefined event related to the control of an aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 18)
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13. A multi-channel subscriber exchange of an aircraft coupled to a network that provides communication and authentication services for subscribers over channels, the multi-channel subscriber exchange of the aircraft comprising:
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a plurality of transceivers; an access port; a temporary subscriber identity module (SIM); a controller connected to said plurality of transceivers, said access port, and said temporary SIM, said controller being configured to; access subscriber-specific data from an original SIM received by said access port and perform an authentication process with the network using said original SIM; extract said subscriber-specific data from said original SIM received by said access port; establish an association between said original SIM and said temporary SIM, said association extending said subscriber-specific data of said original SIM to said temporary SIM relinquish said original SIM from said access port; couple said temporary SIM to one of said plurality of transceivers to provide the communication services using said temporary SIM; and deactivate said temporary SIM based upon detection of a predefined event related to the control of the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 19)
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Specification