System and method for wirelessly transferring content to and from an aircraft

• US 8,010,141 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2010
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales Avionics Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Proximetry, Inc. (relayr, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trent, Tracy Raymond, Buga, Wladyslaw Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson; Keith
• Application Number:
  US12/770,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20100291961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 455/431, 455/422.1, 455/403, 455/517, 455/3.01, 455/432.1, 455/445, 455/500, 455/508, 455/550.1, 455/466, 4554141-4144, 701/3, 701/24, 701/29, 701/47
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/42 for mass transport vehicles, e.g. buses, trains or aircraft

Abstract

A system and method for wirelessly transferring content to and from a vehicle, in particular, an aircraft. The content includes, for example, data, voice, video and multimedia, that can be wirelessly exchanged over a wireless communication link between an aircraft and a ground station while the aircraft is at or near a parking gate, or between aircraft. In an example, the system employs long distance metropolitan area technology, such as IEEE Standard 802.16 wireless technology, to increase transfer range. The parameter of the wireless communication link can be adjusted based on, for example, the location of the link. The content can further be provided between the vehicle and ground station based on priorities, such as the available link speed, importance of the information, and/or anticipated connection time between the vehicle and ground station. A media creation center can be networked to a plurality of base stations.

Claims

1. A system for wirelessly transferring content between a provided operations center and a plurality of provided aircraft, the system comprising:

a first communication device disposed at the operations center;

a second communication device disposed at a first aircraft of the plurality of aircraft; and

a third communication device disposed at a second aircraft of the plurality of aircraft;

wherein;

while the first aircraft and the second aircraft are on the ground and within a broadcast range of the first communication device, the first communication device wirelessly transfers a first content to at least one of the second communication device and the third communication device;

while the first aircraft and the second aircraft are on the ground and within a broadcast range of each other, the second communication device wirelessly transfers a second content to the third communication device without using the first communication device; and

prior to transfer, the second aircraft does not have the second content.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first communications device transfers the first content in accordance with an identity of the aircraft.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first content comprises at least one of in-flight-entertainment, passenger manifest, and airline operational data.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the second communication device and the third communication device transfers a third content to the first communication device.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the third content comprises at least one of maintenance data, system performance data, system usage data, and transaction information.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein a frequency for wireless transfer is selected in accordance with a physical location of the first communication device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein a frequency for wireless transfer is selected in accordance with a physical location of the plurality of aircraft.

8. A system for wirelessly transferring content between a provided operations center and a plurality of provided aircraft, the system comprising:

a first communication device disposed at the operations center;

a second communication device disposed at a first aircraft of the plurality of aircraft; and

a third communication device disposed at a second aircraft of the plurality of aircraft;

wherein;

while the first aircraft and the second aircraft are on the ground and the first aircraft is within broadcast range of the first communication device, the first communication device wirelessly transfers a first content to the second communication device;

while the first aircraft and the second aircraft are on the ground and within a broadcast range of each other, the second communication device wirelessly transfers the first content to the third communication device.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the first communications device transfers the first content in accordance with an identity of the aircraft.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the first content comprises at least one of in-flight-entertainment, passenger manifest, and airline operational data.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the second communication device transfers a second content to the first communication device.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the second content comprises at least one of maintenance data, system performance data, system usage data, and transaction information.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the third communication device transfers a second content to the second communication device.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the second content comprises at least one of maintenance data, system performance data, system usage data, and transaction information.

15. A system for wirelessly transferring content between a provided operations center and a plurality of provided aircraft, the system comprising:

a first communication device disposed at the operations center; and

a second communication device respectively disposed at each aircraft of the plurality of aircraft;

wherein;

the first communication device wirelessly transfers the content to each respective second communication device in accordance with anticipated connection time while the respective aircraft is on the ground and a time sensitivity of the content whereby up-to-date content is provided for use during a next flight.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the time sensitive content comprises news that is up-to-date.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the time sensitive content comprises weather information that is up-to-date.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the time sensitive content comprises sports news that is up-to-date.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the first communications device transfers the content in further accordance with an identity of each respective aircraft.