Airborne pico cell security system
First Claim
1. A method of operating a pico cell system in a vehicle capable of providing wireless communications for a mobile station of a user riding in the vehicle, comprising:
- assigning a security access code to correspond to a scheduled travel segment of the vehicle,wherein;
said security access code is a code required to be input by the user of the mobile station for validation before communication will be permitted, and the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle is valid only for the scheduled travel segment;
only after travel of the vehicle over the segment commences, providing the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle, to one or more people riding in the vehicle, including the user of the mobile station;
receiving an input code from the mobile station in the pico cell system during the travel of the vehicle over the segment;
comparing the received input code to the security access code;
denying the mobile station wireless communication service through the pico cell system in the vehicle, if the comparison fails to produce a match of the received input code to the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle;
assigning a personal identification number (PIN) code for the user of the mobile station;
correlating the PIN code to the user and to a seat assignment within the vehicle for the user of the mobile station;
issuing the PIN code to the user of the mobile station;
receiving another input code from the mobile station in the pico cell system during the travel of the vehicle over the segment; and
checking validity of the other received input code as a PIN code;
wherein;
the vehicle is an aircraft;
the one segment is a flight of the aircraft; and
the providing of the security access code to the user occurs after the aircraft reaches a predetermined altitude during the flight.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Security is provided in a wireless communication system in a moving vehicle, e.g. an aircraft, by requiring user input of one or more security codes for validation before the system permits communication. One code, a security access code (SAC), corresponds to the vehicle travel segment (e.g. flight) and is given to the passenger(s) in transit, e.g. after the aircraft reaches a particular altitude. The second type of possible code, a personal identification number (PIN), is given to the passenger after baggage check-in. The PIN code would be correlated to the passenger and/or seat assignment. The use of either or both codes helps prohibit connectivity for mobile phone handsets or other wireless devices stored in the cargo bay or in other baggage. PIN use enables associated data systems to report the seat number or location of all parties engaging in wireless communications within the vehicle.
22 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of operating a pico cell system in a vehicle capable of providing wireless communications for a mobile station of a user riding in the vehicle, comprising:
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assigning a security access code to correspond to a scheduled travel segment of the vehicle, wherein;
said security access code is a code required to be input by the user of the mobile station for validation before communication will be permitted, and the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle is valid only for the scheduled travel segment;only after travel of the vehicle over the segment commences, providing the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle, to one or more people riding in the vehicle, including the user of the mobile station; receiving an input code from the mobile station in the pico cell system during the travel of the vehicle over the segment; comparing the received input code to the security access code; denying the mobile station wireless communication service through the pico cell system in the vehicle, if the comparison fails to produce a match of the received input code to the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle; assigning a personal identification number (PIN) code for the user of the mobile station;
correlating the PIN code to the user and to a seat assignment within the vehicle for the user of the mobile station;issuing the PIN code to the user of the mobile station; receiving another input code from the mobile station in the pico cell system during the travel of the vehicle over the segment; and checking validity of the other received input code as a PIN code; wherein; the vehicle is an aircraft; the one segment is a flight of the aircraft; and the providing of the security access code to the user occurs after the aircraft reaches a predetermined altitude during the flight. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 23, 27)
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8. A method of operating a pico cell system in an aircraft to provide wireless communications to and from the aircraft, comprising:
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assigning a security access code to correspond to a scheduled flight of the aircraft, wherein;
said security access code is a code required to be input by a user of a mobile station for validation before communication will be permitted, and the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled flight of the aircraft is valid only for the scheduled flight;assigning a personal identification number (PIN) code for a user of one mobile station for travel on the scheduled flight; correlating the PIN code to the user and to a seat assignment within the aircraft for the user of the one mobile station; issuing the PIN code to the user of the one mobile station at or after the user checks-in for the scheduled flight; only after the scheduled flight of the aircraft commences, providing the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled flight of the aircraft to one or more people in the aircraft, including the user of the one mobile station; receiving first and second input codes from one or more mobile stations in the pico cell system during the scheduled flight of the aircraft; comparing each received first input code to the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled flight of the aircraft; checking validity of each received second input code with respect to a criteria relating to the PIN code; denying a mobile station wireless communication service through the pico cell system in the aircraft from which the received first input code does not match the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled flight of the aircraft; denying a mobile station wireless communication service through the pico cell system in the aircraft from which the received second input code fails the validity check; and providing a mobile station wireless communication service through the pico cell system in the aircraft from which the received first input code matches the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled flight of the aircraft and the received second input code passes the validity check; wherein the security access code is provided to the one or more people in the aircraft only after the aircraft reaches a predetermined altitude during the scheduled flight. - View Dependent Claims (9, 24, 28)
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10. A pico cell system for use in a vehicle to provide wireless communications for mobile stations of users riding in the vehicle, comprising:
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a base station for wireless communication with the mobile stations within the vehicle; a base station controller for controlling wireless operations of the base station; a communication interface coupled to the base station for providing two-way communications to and from a public communication network; and a security server for controlling mobile station access to communications through the interface to and from the public communication network, wherein; (a) a security access code is assigned to correspond to a scheduled travel segment of the vehicle, as a code required to be input by a user of a mobile station for validation before communication; (b) the security server is configured to receive first input codes from the mobile stations within the vehicle via the base station during the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle and to deny each respective mobile station access to communications through the interface to and from the public communication network if the respective mobile station has not provided a first input code that matches the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle; (c) the security access code is valid only for the scheduled travel segment, and is given to users of the mobile stations within the vehicle only after the vehicle begins travel of the scheduled segment; (d) a personal identification number (PIN) code is assigned for the user of the mobile station, the PIN code is correlated to the user and to a seat assignment within the vehicle for the user of the mobile station, and the PIN code is issued to the user of the mobile station; and (e) the security server is configured to receive second input codes from the mobile stations within the vehicle via the base station during the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle and to check validity of the received second input code as a PIN code; wherein; the pico cell system is for use in an aircraft; and
the security server is configured to output the security access code after the aircraft reaches a predetermined altitude in flight on the scheduled travel segment. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 25, 29)
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17. A program product comprising:
- a tangible machine readable medium;
and executable code embodied on the medium, wherein execution of the code by a programmable security controller of a pico cell system operating in an aircraft will cause the security controller to control operations of the pico cell system to provide wireless communications for mobile stations within the aircraft, the controlled operations including steps comprising; (a) issuing to mobile station users in the aircraft a security access code assigned to correspond to a scheduled flight of the aircraft, only after the aircraft begins the scheduled flight, wherein said security access code is a code required to be input by a user of a mobile station for validation before communication will be permitted, and the security access code remains valid only during the scheduled flight; (b) denying each respective mobile station access to communications between the pico cell system and a public communication network, if the respective mobile station has not provided an input code that matches the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled flight of the aircraft; (c) assigning a personal identification number (PIN) code for the user of the mobile station, wherein the PIN code is correlated to the user and to a seat assignment within the aircraft for the user of the mobile station and the PIN code is issued to the user of the mobile station; and (d) receiving another input code from the respective mobile station in the pico cell system during the scheduled flight of the aircraft; and (e) checking validity of the other received input code as a PIN code; wherein the security access code is provided to the one or more mobile station users in the aircraft only after the aircraft reaches a predetermined altitude during the scheduled flight. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 30)
- a tangible machine readable medium;
Specification