Aircraft cockpit telephony

• US 6,650,897 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2001
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nelson, Eric A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEAMER, TEMICA M
• Application Number:
  US09/990,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 455/431, 455/507, 455/508, 455/524
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A system and method for interface of the passenger telephone communication system that is installed in many commercial aircraft with the flight crew communication console to allow the flight crew to originate and receive telephone communication over the passenger telephone communication system through their existing flight communication interface. That flight communication interface may be a headset with integral speaker and microphone, or it may be a cockpit speaker and hand microphone. A keypad or other similar hardware is also interfaced with the flight crew communication so that the flight crew may enter and transmit telephone numbers from the flight deck without disconnecting from their existing flight communication interface.

Claims

1. A two-way communication system comprising:

at least one aircraft flight control transceiver with associated handset, wherein the aircraft flight control transceiver is adapted to allow communication on one or more flight control channels;

at least one aircraft passenger telephone system; and

a selective console connected to the flight control transceiver and the passenger telephone system to allow a flight crew member to selectively communicate two ways on the aircraft flight control transceiver and access the aircraft passenger telephone system using the headset, wherein the selective console may be configured so that the aircraft passenger telephone system is a primary communication channel and a flight control channel is a secondary communications channel, and wherein further the selective console is adapted to allow the second communications channel to be audibly monitored by the flight crew member while the primary communications channel is used for communication.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the aircraft passenger telephone system comprises:

a North American Telephone System.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the aircraft passenger telephone system further comprises:

a public switched telephone network; and

a communication interface between a communication device installed in an aircraft and the public switched telephone network.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a dialing device for the aircraft passenger telephone system allowing the flight crew member to place a telephone call over the aircraft passenger telephone system.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an individual identification device for the flight crew member, allowing the flight crew member to receive a telephone call over the aircraft passenger telephone system.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an individual identification device for the aircraft, allowing the flight crew member to receive a telephone call over the aircraft passenger telephone system.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a device for notifying the flight crew member of an incoming call over the aircraft passenger telephone system.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the device for notifying the flight crew member further comprises:

an audio notification device.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the device for notifying the flight crew member further comprises:

a visual notification device.

10. A two-way communication switching apparatus comprising:

means for connecting to at least one aircraft flight control transceiver with an associated headset;

means for connecting to at least one aircraft passenger telephone system; and

means for connecting the flight control transceiver and the passenger telephone system to at least one flight crew member, wherein the flight crew member may switch between the aircraft flight control transceiver and the at least one aircraft passenger telephone system for two-way communication external to an aircraft using the headset, wherein the aircraft passenger telephone system may be used as a primary communication channel and a channel on the aircraft flight control transceiver may be used as a secondary communications channel, and wherein further the second communications channel may be audibly monitored while the primary communications channel is used for communication.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the at least one aircraft passenger telephone system further comprises:

a North American Telephone System.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the aircraft passenger telephone system further comprises:

a public switched telephone network; and

a communication interface between a communication device installed in an aircraft and the public switched telephone network.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a dialing device for the aircraft passenger telephone system allowing the at least one flight crew member to place a telephone call over the aircraft passenger telephone system.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

an individual identification device for the flight crew member, allowing the flight crew member to receive a telephone call over the aircraft passenger telephone system.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

an individual identification device for the aircraft, allowing the flight crew member to receive a telephone call over the aircraft passenger telephone system.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a device for notifying the flight crew member of a call to the flight crew member over the aircraft passenger telephone system.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the device for notifying the flight crew member further comprises:

an audio notification device.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the device for notifying the flight crew member further comprises:

a visual notification device.

19. A flight crew member two-way communication system for accessing a North American Telephone system comprising:

an aircraft flight control transceiver with associated headset;

a communication selector connected to the flight control transceiver to allow a flight crew member to selectively communicate in two-ways on the aircraft flight control transceiver and the North American Telephone System using the headset, wherein the communications selector may be configured so that the North American Telephone System is a primary communication channel and a channel on the aircraft flight control transceiver is a secondary communications channel, and wherein further the communications selector is adapted to allow the second communications channel to be audibly monitored while the primary communications channel is used for communication;

a dialing device for the North American Telephone System, allowing the flight crew member to place a telephone call over the North American Telephone System;

a unique telephone number for the flight crew member, allowing the flight crew member to receive a telephone call directed to the flight crew member over the North American Telephone System; and

a visual notification device for notifying the flight crew member of an incoming call to the flight crew member over the North American Telephone System.

20. A flight crew member two-way communication system for accessing a North American Telephone System installed in an aircraft comprising:

an aircraft flight control transceiver with associated headset;

a communication selector connected to the flight control transceiver to allow a flight crew member to selectively communicate in two-ways on the aircraft flight control transceiver and the North American Telephone System, wherein the communications selector may be configured so that the North American Telephone System is a primary communication channel and a channel on the aircraft flight control transceiver is a secondary communications channel, and wherein further the communications selector is adapted to allow the second communications channel to be audibly monitored while the primary communications channel is used for communication;

a dialing device for the North American Telephone System, allowing the flight crew member to place a telephone call over the North American Telephone System using the headset;

a unique telephone number for the aircraft, allowing the flight crew member to receive a telephone call directed to the aircraft over the North American Telephone System; and

a visual notification device for notifying the flight crew member of an incoming call to the aircraft over the North American Telephone System.

21. A method for two-way communication comprising:

communicating in two-ways on a flight crew aircraft flight control transceiver with an associated headset;

selecting an aircraft passenger telephone system so that the passenger telephone system is a primary communication channel and a flight control channel on the flight crew aircraft control transceiver is a secondary communications channel;

communicating in two-ways on the aircraft passenger telephone system using the headset while audibly monitoring the secondary communication channel so as to readily respond to any commands received over the flight control channel.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein communicating on the aircraft passenger telephone system includes communication on a North American Telephone System.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein communicating on the aircraft passenger telephone system includes communicating on a public switched telephone network using a communication interface between a communication device installed in an aircraft and the public switched telephone network.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising dialing a telephone call on the aircraft passenger telephone system with a dialing device.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the dialing device is a numeric keypad.

26. The method of claim 21 further comprising receiving a telephone call on the aircraft passenger telephone system.

27. The method of claim 21 further comprising identifying the flight crew member with an individual telephone number.

28. The method of claim 21 further comprising identifying the aircraft with an individual telephone number.

29. The method of claim 21 further comprising notifying the flight crew member of an incoming call over the aircraft passenger telephone system, with a notification device.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein notifying the flight crew member further comprises notifying the flight crew member with an audio notification device.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein notifying the flight crew member further comprises notifying the flight crew member with a visual notification device.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein notifying the flight crew member further comprises notifying the flight crew member through the headphone of the headset.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein the audio notification device is a part of the headset.

34. The method of claim 21 wherein more than one headset can participate in the same telephone conversation.

35. An aircraft communication system comprising:

a transceiver communicating with a passenger telephone system and a flight crew communication system;

a flight crew communication interface associated with the flight crew communication system; and

a selective console associated with the headset to enable a flight crew member to selectively communicate using either the passenger telephone system or the flight crew communication system, wherein the selective console may be configured so that the passenger telephone system is a primary communication channel and a flight control channel on the flight crew communication system is a secondary communications channel, and wherein further the selective console is adapted to allow the second communications channel to be audibly monitored while the primary communications channel is used for communication.

36. The aircraft communication system of claim 35, wherein the flight crew communication interface is a headset.

37. The aircraft communication system of claim 35 wherein the flight crew member is enabled to selectively communicate with a ground unit using either the passenger telephone system or the flight crew communication system.

38. The system of claim 35 wherein the system is configured so that more than one flight crew communication interface can participate in the same telephone conversation.

39. The system of claim 35 wherein the system is configured to provide visual notification of an incoming call.

40. An apparatus adapted for an aircraft for enabling a flight crew member to communicate through a passenger communication system using a flight crew console, the apparatus comprising:

a selection unit on the flight crew console associated with a switch; and

an interface unit for interfacing with the passenger communication system, wherein upon adjustment of the selection unit, the flight crew member can switch communication from a flight crew communication system to the passenger communication system, wherein further the interface unit may be configured so that the flight crew communication system may be audibly monitored while two-way communication is occurring on the passenger communication system.

41. An apparatus adapted for an aircraft for enabling a flight crew member to switch communication from a flight crew console between a flight crew communication system and a passenger communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a selection unit associated with the flight crew console;

a switch operably connected to the selection unit; and

an interface unit operably connected to the switch, wherein upon adjustment of the selection unit, the flight crew member may switch communication from the flight crew console between the flight crew communication system and the passenger communication system, wherein further the interface unit may be configured so that the flight crew communication system may be audibly monitored while two-way communication is occurring on the passenger communication system.