Aircraft data services
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of providing wireless data communication services, comprising:
- establishing a radio communication path, via a voice network, between a moving object and a first ground station using a data communication server co-located with the moving object, the data communication server including a plurality of interface units for accessing different data networks including an Ethernet interface unit, an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interface unit, and a pre-determined wireless data network interface unit;
said step of establishing including the steps of;
sending a channel request signal to the first ground station; and
receiving an acknowledgement signal, including a channel assignment, back from the first ground station indicating a channel is being made available and being assigned for the radio communication path;
initiating call setup procedures including sending in-band signaling to the first ground station in response to a tone from the first ground station, the first ground station, in response to the in-band signaling, establishing a connection with a second ground station and bridging the radio communication path with the connection to the second ground station;
training at least one modem of the moving object to be in communication with a first ground station modem, the first ground station modem substantially simultaneously training itself to be in communication with a second ground station modem;
transmitting data to said second station, via the first ground station, using a pre-determined protocol for the radio communication path and second pre-determined protocol for the connection between the first ground station and the second ground station; and
establishing a link layer connection between the moving object and the first ground station using a point-to-point protocol over the voice network.
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Abstract
A method and system provide efficient, flexible, and convenient data communication services over public wireless systems. The system includes a data communication server, having a plurality of interface units, for facilitating data communication between a moving object and one or more ground terminals via a radio communication path. The data communication server establishes the radio communication path over one of a plurality of wireless data networks including packet data networks and satellite data networks and preferably includes a pre-determined software architecture.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of providing wireless data communication services, comprising:
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establishing a radio communication path, via a voice network, between a moving object and a first ground station using a data communication server co-located with the moving object, the data communication server including a plurality of interface units for accessing different data networks including an Ethernet interface unit, an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interface unit, and a pre-determined wireless data network interface unit; said step of establishing including the steps of; sending a channel request signal to the first ground station; and receiving an acknowledgement signal, including a channel assignment, back from the first ground station indicating a channel is being made available and being assigned for the radio communication path; initiating call setup procedures including sending in-band signaling to the first ground station in response to a tone from the first ground station, the first ground station, in response to the in-band signaling, establishing a connection with a second ground station and bridging the radio communication path with the connection to the second ground station; training at least one modem of the moving object to be in communication with a first ground station modem, the first ground station modem substantially simultaneously training itself to be in communication with a second ground station modem; transmitting data to said second station, via the first ground station, using a pre-determined protocol for the radio communication path and second pre-determined protocol for the connection between the first ground station and the second ground station; and establishing a link layer connection between the moving object and the first ground station using a point-to-point protocol over the voice network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of providing wireless data communication services, comprising:
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establishing a radio communication path, via a packet data network, between a moving object and a ground station using a data communication server co-located with the moving object, the data communication server including a plurality of interface units for accessing different data networks including an Ethernet interface unit, an ISDN interface unit, and a pre-determined wireless data network interface unit; said step of establishing including; sending a channel request signal, via the ISDN interface unit and a communication unit, to the ground station; and receiving an acknowledgement signal via the ISDN interface unit and the communication unit, including a channel assignment, back from the ground station indicating a channel is being made available and being assigned for the radio communication path; and transmitting data to said ground station over said packet data network using a B-channel ISDN link, said data packets being P packets encapsulated in a point-to-point protocol frame. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of providing wireless data communication services, comprising:
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establishing a radio communication path, via a packet data network, between a moving object and a ground station using a data communication server co-located with the moving object, the data communication server including a plurality of interface units for accessing different data networks including an Ethernet interface unit, an ISDN interface unit, and a pre-determined wireless data network interface unit; said step of establishing including; sending a channel request signal, via the ISDN interface unit and a communication unit, to the ground station; and receiving an acknowledgement signal via the ISDN interface unit and the communication unit, including a channel assignment, back from the ground station indicating a channel is being made available and being assigned for the radio communication path; and transmitting data to said ground station over said packet data network using a B-channel ISDN link, said data packets being IP packets encapsulated in a point-to-point protocol frame; assigning a channel thread to the radio communication path, and assigning an IP address to an air station, interconnected to the data communication server, for the moving object; recording the air station IP address assignment and channel thread assignment in a location table; establishing an alternative radio communication path, initiating a hand-off, via the air station, with an alternative ground station, and subsequently terminating the radio communication path with the ground station, a new channel thread being assigned and the air station being assigned a new IP address that establishes the alternative radio communication path, the location table being updated with the new air station IP address and new channel thread assignment, and said alternative radio communication path being established in response to a pre-determined hand-off algorithm being satisfied; and data packets to be routed from the ground station to the moving object being routed by looking up the current air station IP address from the location table and inserting this IP address into the packets. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A method of providing data communication services, comprising:
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establishing a radio communication path, via an INMARSAT satellite system and using a packet data protocol, between a moving object and a first ground station using a data communication server and a satellite communication unit co-located with the moving object, the data communications server including a plurality of interface units for accessing different data networks including an Ethernet interface unit, an ISDN interface unit, and a pre-determined wireless data network interface unit; said step of establishing including the steps of; sending a channel request signal, via the ISDN interface unit and a communication unit, to the ground station; and receiving an acknowledgement signal via the ISDN interface unit and the communication unit, including a channel assignment, back from the ground station indicating a channel is being made available and being assigned for the radio communication path; and transmitting data to said ground station over said INMARSAT satellite packet data network using either of D-channel ISDN link or ARINC link between the data communication server and the satellite communication unit, said data packets being IP packets.
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16. A method of providing data communication services, comprising:
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establishing a radio communication path, via a Direct Broadcast satellite system and internet service provider, between a moving object and a ground station of the internet service provider using a data communication server and a satellite communication server co-located with the moving object, the data communication server including a plurality of interface units for accessing different data networks including an Ethernet interface unit, an ISDN interface unit, and a pre-determined wireless data network interface unit; said step of establishing including the steps of; sending a channel request signal and pre-determined access management information including a client IP map, via the ISDN interface unit and a communication unit, to the ground station of the internet service provider; and receiving an acknowledgement signal via the ISDN interface unit and the communication unit, including a channel assignment, indicating a channel is being made available and being assigned for the radio communication path; and transmitting data to said ground station of the Internet service provider over said direct broadcast satellite system enabling usage of Internet services by a user in the moving object, said data being transmitted as an IP packet encapsulated in a point-to-point frame.
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17. A method of providing data communication services, comprising:
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establishing a radio communication path, via a packet data network using circuit mode data, between a moving object and a ground station of the internet service provider using a data communication server and a satellite communication server co-located with the moving object, the data communications server including a plurality of interface units for accessing different data networks including an Ethernet interface unit, an ISDN interface unit, and a pre-determined wireless data network interface unit; said step of establishing including; sending a channel request signal, via the ISDN interface unit and a communication unit, to the ground station; and receiving an acknowledgement signal via the ISDN interface unit and the communication unit, including a channel assignment, back from the ground station indicating a channel is being made available and being assigned for the radio communication path; training at least one modem of the moving object to be in communication with a ground station modem, the first ground station modem substantially simultaneously training itself to be in communication with a second ground station modem; and transmitting data to said ground station over said packet data network using an end-to-end transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) circuit.
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18. A method of providing data communication services, comprising:
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establishing a radio communication path, via a packet data network using circuit mode data, between a moving object and a ground station of the internet service provider using a data communication server and a satellite communication server co-located with the moving object, the data communications server including a plurality of interface units for accessing different data networks including an Ethernet interface unit, an ISDN interface unit, and a pre-determined wireless data network interface unit; said step of establishing including; sending a channel request signal, via the ISDN interface unit and a communication unit, to the ground station; and receiving an acknowledgement signal via the ISDN interface unit and the communication unit, including a channel assignment, back from the ground station indicating a channel is being made available and being assigned for the radio communication path; training at least one modem of the moving object to be in communication with a ground station modem, the first ground station modem substantially simultaneously training itself to be in communication with a second ground station modem; and transmitting data to said ground station over said packet data network using an end-to-end transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) circuit; assigning a channel thread to the radio communication path, and assigning an IP address to an air station, interconnected to the data communication server, for the moving object; recording the air station IP address assignment and channel thread assignment in a location table; establishing an alternative radio communication path, initiating a hand-off, via the air station, with an alternative ground station, and subsequently terminating the radio communication path with the ground station, a new channel thread being assigned and the air station being assigned a new IP address that establishes the alternative radio communication path, the location table being updated with the new air station IP address and new channel thread assignment, and said alternative radio communication path being established in response to a pre-determined hand-off algorithm being satisfied; and said data packets to be routed from the ground station to the moving object being routed by looking up the current air station IP address from the location table and inserting this IP address into the packets. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method of providing wireless data communication services, comprising:
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establishing a radio communication path, via a packet data network, between a moving object and a ground station using a data communication server and a radio communication unit co-located with the moving object, the data communication server including a plurality of interface units including an Ethernet interface unit, an ISDN interface unit, and a pre-determined wireless data network interface unit for accessing different data networks, the radio communication unit including a plurality of communication services for controlling a data link connection across the radio communication path including packet data seizure override and established packet data link override, and the ground station including radio channel services, including a radio data link layer having end-to-end error correction and packet sequencing, allowing multiple simultaneous packet data sessions and providing error rate measurements to the moving object for initiating a hand-off, for communicating with a terrestrial ground data gateway; said step of establishing includes the steps of; sending a channel request signal, via the ISDN interface unit and a communication unit, to the ground station; and receiving an acknowledgement signal via the ISDN interface unit and the communication unit, including a channel assignment, back from the ground station indicating a channel is being made available and being assigned for the radio communication path; and transmitting data to said ground station over said packet data network using a B-channel ISDN link, said data packets being IP packets encapsulated in a point-to-point protocol frame.
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21. A system for providing communication services, comprising:
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a data communication server, co-located with the moving object, for establishing a radio communication path between a moving object and a ground station including a plurality of interface units for accessing different data networks including an Ethernet interface unit, an ISDN interface unit, and a pre-determined wireless data network interface unit, the data communication server including software architecture including software functional layers, the layers including a system resources layer, a system services layer, an application programming interface layer, and an application layer, and the application programming interface layer including components representable by objects for providing communication services with each object including a communicator, a receptor, and service logic; a radio communication unit, co-located with the moving object, including a plurality of communication services for controlling a data link connection across the radio communication path including packet data seizure override and established packet data link override; the ground station including radio channel services, including a radio data link layer having end-to-end error correction and packet sequencing, allowing multiple simultaneous packet data sessions and providing error rate measurements to the moving object for initiating a hand-off, for communicating with a terrestrial ground data gateway.
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Specification