Aircraft satellite communications system for distributing internet service from direct broadcast satellites

• US 6,529,706 B1
• Filed: 09/13/1999
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Mitchell, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US09/394,820
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12.1, 370/316, 370/338, 704/270.1, 709/227, 725/39
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

An aircraft satellite communications system for distributing Internet service and television programming from direct broadcast satellites to aircraft. The aircraft include a direct broadcast satellite receiver system, an aircraft computer network, and back-channel communications system equipment. The direct broadcast satellites receive uplink direct broadcast satellite television programming and Internet service from a direct broadcast satellite ground station that includes a direct broadcast satellite television program source and an Internet interface. A back-channel communications system provides communications with the aircraft to provide interactive Internet service to the aircraft over the back-channel communications system. A telephone system is connected to a back-channel communications system ground station and to a switch center connected to the telephone system and the Internet.

Claims

1. An aircraft satellite system for distributing a direct broadcast satellite Internet service from an Internet to an aircraft comprising:

the aircraft further comprising a direct broadcast satellite receiver system, back-channel communications system equipment, and an aircraft computer network said aircraft computer network further comprising;

a serial data bus connected to the direct broadcast satellite receiver system for distributing the Internet service;

an aircraft network server connected to the serial data bus for receiving the Internet service;

a modem connected to the aircraft network server for sending and receiving data on the back-channel communications system equipment; and

a client computer connected to the aircraft network server for browsing the Internet, entering URL requests, and receiving Internet service;

a direct broadcast satellite said direct broadcast satellite transmitting the direct broadcast satellite Internet service to the direct broadcast satellite receiver system in the aircraft;

a direct broadcast satellite ground station for transmitting the direct broadcast satellite Internet service to the direct broadcast satellite; and

a wireless back-channel communications system for providing an interactive Internet service for the aircraft computer network using a unique ID for a client computer URL request said back-channel communications system further comprising a back-channel ground station for communicating with the aircraft wherein the back-channel communications system receives data from the modem comprising URL requests from the client computer and sends the URL request data to the back-channel ground station.

2. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 1 wherein the aircraft back-channel communications system equipment further comprises:

a radio connected to the aircraft computer network for receiving data from the aircraft computer network and generating a data signal; and

an antenna connected to the radio for transmitting the data signal to the back-channel ground station.

3. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 1 wherein the back-channel communications system is one of a satellite communications system, a high frequency radio communications system, and a very high frequency terrestrial radio communication system.

4. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 1 wherein the direct broadcast receiver system on the aircraft further comprises:

an antenna and antenna interface unit for receiving the direct broadcast satellite Internet service, for positioning the antenna beam, and for down converting the direct broadcast satellite Internet service;

an antenna control unit for controlling the antenna so that the antenna beam constantly points at the direct broadcast satellite; and

a direct broadcast satellite receiver connected to the antenna and antenna interface unit for processing the down converted Internet service.

5. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 4 wherein the direct broadcast satellite transmits television programming to the direct broadcast satellite receiver system in the aircraft and the direct broadcast satellite ground station provides television programming to the direct broadcast satellite.

6. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 5 wherein the antenna and antenna interface unit further receives direct broadcast satellite television programming from the direct broadcast satellites and down converts the direct broadcast satellite television programming.

7. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 6 wherein the direct broadcast satellite receiver further processes the direct broadcast satellite television programming and provides a high speed data output for the television programming and Internet service.

8. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 1 further comprising a telephone system connected to the back-channel ground station for receiving the URL request data and for interfacing the Internet.

9. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 8 wherein the telephone system is connected to a switch center for interfacing the Internet said switch center further comprising:

a telephone switch for selecting the URL request data from the back-channel ground station;

a ground proxy server connected to the telephone switch said ground proxy server acting as an intermediary between the client computer and the Internet, translating the client computer unique addresses into URL Internet addresses, and receiving the URL request data; and

a firewall and router connected to the ground proxy server to protect the switch center and route information within the switch center.

10. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 9 wherein the ground proxy server further recognizes graphical Internet files requested by the client computer and compresses the graphical Internet files using a real-time data compression technique before being forwarded to the client computer.

11. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 8 wherein the telephone system is connected to an Internet service provider for interfacing the Internet.

12. An aircraft satellite communications system for distributing a direct broadcast satellite Internet service from an Internet to an aircraft comprising:

the aircraft further comprising a direct broadcast satellite receiver system, an aircraft computer network, and back-channel communications system equipment;

a direct broadcast satellite said direct broadcast satellite transmitting the direct broadcast satellite Internet service to the direct broadcast satellite receiver system in the aircraft;

a back-channel communications system for communicating with the aircraft back-channel communications equipment to provide an interactive Internet service for the aircraft computer network using a unique ID for a client computer URL request; and

a direct broadcast satellite ground station for providing the direct broadcast satellite Internet service to the direct broadcast satellite wherein the direct broadcast satellite ground station further comprises a communications data content aggregator to interface the Internet said communications data content aggregator further comprising;

communications software for sending the client computer URL request for a Web page from the client computer received over the back-channel communications system according to the unique ID placed on the URL request by an aircraft network server; and

a data queue manager for receiving the URL request for a Web page from the communications software and forwarding the URL requested Web page to the client computer in accordance with priorities.

13. An aircraft satellite communications system for distributing a direct broadcast satellite Internet service from an Internet to an aircraft comprising:

the aircraft further comprising a direct broadcast satellite receiver system, an aircraft computer network, and wireless back-channel communications system equipment wherein the aircraft computer network further comprises;

a data bus connected to the direct broadcast satellite receiver system for distributing the Internet service;

an aircraft network server connected to the data bus for receiving the Internet service;

a modem connected to the aircraft network server for sending and receiving data on the wireless back-channel communication system equipment; and

a client computer connected to the aircraft network server for browsing the Internet, entering a URL request, and receiving Internet service wherein the aircraft network server attaches a unique ID to the client computer URL request;

a direct broadcast satellite said direct broadcast satellite receiving uplink direct broadcast satellite television programming and the Internet service and transmitting satellite television programming and the Internet service to the direct broadcast satellite receiver system in the aircraft;

a direct broadcast satellite ground station for transmitting uplink direct broadcast satellite television programming and the Internet service to the direct broadcast satellite said direct broadcast satellite ground station further comprising a direct broadcast satellite television program source and an Internet interface;

a wireless back-channel communications system for providing interactive Internet service to the aircraft said back-channel communications system further comprising a back-channel ground station for communicating with the aircraft back-channel communications system equipment and for receiving data from the modem comprising the URL request;

a telephone system connected to the back-channel communications system ground station for communicating with the back-channel ground station; and

a switch center connected to the telephone system said switch center receiving the URL request with the unique ID over the back-channel communications system and the telephone system from the aircraft and sending the URL request to the Internet.

14. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 13 wherein the direct broadcast satellite ground station further comprises a communications data content aggregator to interface the Internet.

15. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 14 wherein the communications data content aggregator further comprises:

communications software for sending the URL request for a Web page from the client computer according to the unique ID placed on the URL request by the aircraft network server; and

a data queue manager for forwarding the requested Web page received from the communications software to the client computer.

16. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 15 wherein the data queue manager maintains a constant bandwidth over a direct broadcast satellite channel by trading core programming for client computer Internet use and returning bandwidth back to the core programming when the client computer relinquishes the direct broadcast satellite channel.

17. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 13 wherein the aircraft further comprises an in-flight entertainment system said in-flight entertainment systems further comprises:

an antenna for receiving direct broadcast satellite television programming and Internet service;

an antenna interface unit for mounting and positioning the antenna beam and down converting the direct broadcast satellite television programming and Internet service;

an antenna control unit for controlling the antenna and antenna interface unit so that the antenna beam constantly points at the direct broadcast satellite;

a splitter connected to the antenna interface unit for splitting the down converted direct broadcast satellite television programming and Internet service into two signals each containing the down converted direct broadcast television programming and the Internet service;

a receiver unit connected to the splitter for receiving and processing the split down converted direct broadcast television programming and Internet service to provide encoded video and audio output signals corresponding to the direct broadcast television programming and Internet service, for feeding back status signals to the antenna control unit to steer the antenna to lock it onto the direct broadcast television programming and Internet service received from the satellite; and

a distribution system connected to the receiver decoder unit for distributing the encoded video and audio output signals corresponding to direct broadcast satellite television programming and Internet service to aircraft seats.

18. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 17 wherein the direct broadcast receiver system is operably connected to the in-flight entertainment system said direct broadcast receiver system further comprising a direct broadcast satellite receiver connected to the splitter for processing the split down converted Internet service.

19. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 13, wherein the back-channel communications system further comprises:

a radio connected to the modem for receiving data from the modem and generating a data signal; and

an antenna connected to the radio for radiating the data signal.

20. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 13 wherein the back-channel communications system further comprises a communications satellite for communicating with the back-channel ground station and the aircraft back-channel communications system radio equipment.

21. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 13 wherein the switch center further comprises a ground proxy server for acting as an intermediary between the client computer and the Internet, translating client computer unique addresses into URL Internet addresses, and hosting an Internet session requested by the client computer.

22. The aircraft satellite communications system of claim 21 wherein the ground proxy server further recognizes graphical Internet files requested by the client computer and compresses the graphical Internet files using a real-time data compression technique before being sent to the client computer.