Integrated wireless network and associated method

• US 8,565,758 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2010
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Owyang, Ethan, Kirkland, David T., Whetten, Frank L., Marston, Scott Edward, Mitchell, Bradley J., Kirchoff, Kenneth P., Shetty, Sudhakar S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Georgewill, Opiribo
• Application Number:
  US12/701,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20110195656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/12.1, 455/456.4, 455/13.2, 455/15, 455/17, 455/431, 370/338, 370/315, 370/316, 370/319, 370/320, 370/321, 340/971
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/203 Leaky coaxial lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

An integrated wireless network and associated method are provided for facilitating wireless communication onboard an aircraft. The integrated wireless network includes a wireless distribution system including a wired interface and a plurality of wireless radios. The wireless distribution system may also include a combiner and one or more antennas, such as leaky feeder antenna(s), extending through the cabin compartment of the aircraft. The combiner may provide the combined wireless signals to the antenna for transmission. And, the combiner may deconstruct wireless signals received by the antenna and provide the deconstructed wireless signals to a respective wireless radio. The integrated wireless network of this embodiment also includes one or more wireless data concentrators having a plurality of wireless radios in communication with the antenna. The plurality of wireless radios of the wireless distribution system and the wireless data concentrator may support wireless communications in accordance with a plurality of different protocols.

Claims

1. A network for facilitating wireless communication onboard an aircraft, the network comprising:

an avionics network comprising a wired system onboard the aircraft for providing network connectivity for one or more network applications; and

an integrated wireless network comprising;

a wireless distribution system comprising a wired interface configured to support wireline communications with the avionics network, a plurality of wireless radios configured to support wireless communications in accordance with a plurality of different protocols, a combiner configured to combine wireless signals received by the plurality of wireless radios, and an antenna extending through a cabin compartment of the aircraft, wherein the combiner provides the combined wireless signals to the antenna for transmission throughout the cabin compartment, and wherein the combiner deconstructs wireless signals received by the antenna and provides the deconstructed wireless signals to a respective wireless radio; and

one or more wireless data concentrators in communication with the antenna, wherein at least one wireless data concentrator comprises a plurality of wireless radios configured to support wireless communications in accordance with a plurality of different protocols,

wherein the wireless distribution system is configured to support communications between the avionics network and one or more of the wireless radios,

wherein each of the integrated wireless network, the wireless distribution system and the one or more wireless data concentrators are organized into a plurality of abstraction layers comprising an applications layer, an application services layer, a network services layer and a network platform layer with one or more of the abstraction layers of the integrated wireless network, the wireless distribution system and the one or more wireless data concentrators including different components.

2. A network according to claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises a leaky feeder antenna.

3. A network according to claim 1 wherein the at least one wireless data concentrator further comprises a radio controller configured to manage the plurality of wireless radios.

4. A network according to claim 1 wherein the one or more wireless data concentrators comprises a first wireless data concentrator disposed within the cabin compartment and a second wireless data concentrator disposed outside of the cabin compartment, wherein the first wireless data concentrator is configured to relay communications between the second wireless data concentrator and the antenna of the wireless distribution system.

5. A network according to claim 4 wherein the first and second wireless data concentrators comprise at least one of a relay network or a mesh network.

6. A network according to claim 1 wherein the wireless distribution system further comprises a base transceiver station configured to support mobile telephony communications onboard the aircraft.

7. A network according to claim 1 wherein the wireless distribution system further comprises a network control unit configured to prevent mobile telephones onboard the aircraft from establishing communications with a terrestrial mobile network.

8. A network according to claim 1 wherein a wireless data concentrator is positioned within a return air gap between a floor and a fuselage of the aircraft.

9. A network according to claim 1 wherein a wireless data concentrator is positioned relative to a window or window plug that is transparent to radio frequency signals so as to establish wireless communication outside of the cabin compartment.

21. A network according to claim 1 wherein the application layer of the integrated wireless network comprises onboard services and applications that interface with the integrated wireless network, wherein the application services layer of the integrated wireless network describes a set of available functions provided by the integrated wireless network to member applications, wherein the network services layer of the integrated wireless network is independent of all other abstraction layers of the integrated wireless network and all software and operating system required to provide network functionality including network services, and wherein the network platform layer of the integrated wireless network comprises physical hardware required for a particular implementation of the aircraft.

22. A network according to claim 1 wherein the application services layer of the wireless distribution system hosts one or more application services, wherein the network services layer of the wireless distribution system hosts an operating system, and wherein the network platform layer of the wireless distribution system comprises one or more wired interfaces configured to support wireline communications, one or more wireless interfaces, one or more network functions and one or more hardware functions.

23. A network according to claim 1 wherein the network services layer of the one or more wireless data concentrators hosts an operating system, and wherein the network platform layer of the one or more wireless data concentrators comprises network and other communication interfaces.

10. An aircraft comprising:

a cabin compartment; and

an avionics network comprising a wired system onboard the aircraft for providing network connectivity for one or more network applications;

an integrated wireless network for facilitating wireless communication onboard the aircraft, the integrated wireless network comprising;

a wireless distribution system comprising a wired interface configured to support wireline communications with the avionics network, a plurality of wireless radios configured to support wireless communications in accordance with a plurality of different protocols, a combiner configured to combine the wireless signals received by the plurality of wireless radios, and an antenna extending through the cabin compartment and configured to transmit the combined wireless signals, wherein the wireless distribution system is configured to support communications between the avionics network and one or more of the wireless radios; and

a plurality of wireless data concentrators in communication with the antenna, wherein at least one wireless data concentrator comprises a plurality of wireless radios configured to support wireless communications in accordance with a plurality of different protocols, and wherein the plurality of wireless data concentrators comprise a first wireless data concentrator disposed within the cabin compartment and a second wireless data concentrator disposed outside of the cabin compartment,

wherein each of the integrated wireless network, the wireless distribution system and the plurality of wireless data concentrators are organized into a plurality of abstraction layers comprising an applications layer, an application services layer, a network services layer and a network platform layer with one or more of the abstraction layers of the integrated wireless network, the wireless distribution system and the plurality of wireless data concentrators including different components.

11. An aircraft according to claim 10 wherein the antenna comprises a leaky feeder antenna.

12. An aircraft according to claim 10 wherein the at least one wireless data concentrator further comprises a radio controller configured to manage the plurality of wireless radios.

13. An aircraft according to claim 10 wherein the first wireless data concentrator is configured to relay communications between the second wireless data concentrator and the antenna of the wireless distribution system, and wherein the first and second wireless data concentrators comprise at least one of a relay network or a mesh network.

14. An aircraft according to claim 10 wherein the wireless distribution system further comprises a base transceiver station configured to support mobile telephony communications onboard the aircraft.

15. An aircraft according to claim 10 wherein the wireless distribution system further comprises a network control unit configured to prevent mobile telephones onboard the aircraft from establishing communications with a terrestrial mobile network.

16. An aircraft according to claim 10 wherein the first wireless data concentrator is positioned within a return air gap between a floor and a fuselage of the aircraft.

17. An aircraft according to claim 10 wherein the first wireless data concentrator is positioned relative to a window or window plug that is transparent to radio frequency signals so as to establish wireless communication outside of the cabin compartment.

18. A method comprising:

communicating with an avionics network via a wired interface, wherein the avionics network comprising a wired system onboard an aircraft for providing network connectivity for one or more network applications;

receiving wireless signals onboard an aircraft with a plurality of wireless radios;

combining the wireless signals with an integrated wireless network comprising a wireless distribution system;

transmitting the wireless signals, following combination, via an antenna of the wireless distribution system that extends through a cabin compartment of the aircraft;

receiving the wireless signals, following transmission, with a wireless radio of a first wireless data concentrator;

relaying the wireless signals from the first wireless data concentrator to a wireless radio of a second wireless data concentrator positioned outside of the cabin compartment of the aircraft; and

supporting communications between the avionics network and one of more of the wireless radios,

wherein each of the integrated wireless network, the wireless distribution system and one or more of the first and second wireless data concentrators are organized into a plurality of abstraction layers comprising an applications layer, an application services layer, a network services layer and a network platform layer with one or more of the abstraction layers of the integrated wireless network, the wireless distribution system and the one or more of the first and second wireless data concentrators including different components.

19. A method according to claim 18 further comprising relaying wireless signals from the second wireless data concentrator via the first wireless data concentrator to the antenna that extends through the cabin compartment of the aircraft, deconstructing the wireless signals that are received by the antenna and providing the wireless signals, following deconstruction, to a respective wireless radio.

20. A method according to claim 18 wherein transmitting the wireless signals via an antenna comprises transmitting the wireless signals via a leaky feeder antenna that extends through the cabin compartment of the aircraft.