Boundary system designer for wireless aircraft networks

• US 9,015,018 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Bommer, Jason Philip, Glover, Keith J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saxena, Akash
• Application Number:
  US13/424,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20130253887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 703/8
• US Class Current: 703/8
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2211/00 Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment

Abstract

An aircraft design system comprising a components database having designs for components configured for use in an aircraft, a materials database having materials selected for desired types of wireless signal propagation, and a boundary designer. The boundary designer is configured to identify a configuration for wireless networks in the aircraft. The boundary designer is further configured to select a number of boundaries for the wireless networks that provide a desired propagation of wireless signals for the wireless networks. The boundary designer is further configured to select a configuration for a number of the components from the designs in the components database and select a number of materials for the number of the components to form the number of boundaries for the wireless networks.

Claims

1. An aircraft design system comprising:

a memory storing software comprising;

a components database, a materials database, and a boundary designer;

a processor unit configured to execute the software stored in the memory;

the components database having designs for components configured for use in an aircraft;

the materials database having materials selected for desired types of wireless signal propagation;

the boundary designer configured to

identify a configuration for wireless networks in the aircraft;

select a number of boundaries for the wireless networks that provide a desired propagation of wireless signals for the wireless networks; and

select a configuration for a number of the components from the designs in the components database and select a number of materials for the number of the components to form the number of boundaries for the wireless networks improving wireless performance and integration; and

wherein the desired propagation is provided by the number of materials and the number of components.

2. The aircraft design system of claim 1, wherein the boundary designer is further configured to select the number of boundaries to configure at least one of a desired separation of the wireless signals and a desired optimization of the wireless signals between the wireless networks, and a desired optimization of the wireless signals within a wireless network.

3. The aircraft design system of claim 1, wherein the number of boundaries forms areas for the wireless networks in which the desired propagation of the wireless signals is within the areas.

4. The aircraft design system of claim 1, wherein the boundary designer is configured to receive an aircraft design for the aircraft in which the aircraft design includes the wireless networks and selects the number of boundaries for the wireless networks that provide the desired propagation of the wireless signals for the wireless networks using the aircraft design.

5. The aircraft design system of claim 1, wherein a component in the components database is selected from one of a panel, an insulation blanket, a gasket, a shroud, a carpet, a grate, a cage, a radio frequency aperture, an appliqué

, a curtain, a volume absorber, a grid, a fabric, a coating, and a plate.

6. The aircraft design system of claim 1, wherein the components are configured for use in structures selected from at least one of a cabin wall, a bulkhead, a closet, a lavatory, a ceiling, a floor, a partition, a stowage bin, a passenger seat, and a galley.

7. The aircraft design system of claim 1, wherein a material in the materials database has a type of propagation selected from reflective, transmissive, absorptive, selectively reflective, selectively transmissive, and selectively absorptive.

8. The aircraft design system of claim 1, wherein a material in the materials database is selected from one of a conductive material, a resistive material, and a neutral material.

9. The aircraft design system of claim 1, wherein a wireless network in the wireless networks is selected from one of a passenger cabin network, an avionics network, a flight deck network, and a cargo bay network.

10. A method for designing an aircraft, the method comprising:

identifying a configuration for wireless networks in the aircraft;

selecting a number of boundaries for the wireless networks that provide a propagation of wireless signals for the wireless networks; and

selecting a configuration for a number of components from designs in a components database and a number of materials for the number of the components from a materials database to form the number of boundaries for the wireless networks;

wherein the desired propagation is provided by the number of materials and the number of components.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

selecting the number of boundaries for the wireless networks to configure at least one of a desired separation of the wireless signals and a desired optimization of the wireless signals between the wireless networks, and a desired optimization of the wireless signals within a wireless network.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the number of boundaries forms areas for the wireless networks in which the desired propagation of the wireless signals is within an area.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving an aircraft design for the aircraft in which the aircraft design includes the wireless networks, wherein selecting the number of boundaries for the wireless networks that provide the desired propagation of the wireless signals for the wireless networks comprises;

selecting the number of boundaries for the wireless networks that provide the desired propagation of the wireless signals for the wireless networks using the aircraft design.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein a component in the components database is selected from one of a panel, an insulation blanket, a gasket, a shroud, a carpet, a grate, a cage, a radio frequency aperture, an appliqué

, a curtain, a volume absorber, a grid, a fabric, a coating, and a plate.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein a number of components are configured for use in structures selected from at least one of a cabin wall, a bulkhead, a closet, a lavatory, a ceiling, a floor, a partition, a stowage bin, a passenger seat, and a galley.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein a material in the materials database has a type of propagation selected from reflective, absorptive, transmissive, selectively reflective, selectively absorptive, and selectively transmissive.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein a material in the materials database is selected from one of a conductive material, a resistive material, and a neutral material.

18. An aircraft wireless network system comprising:

a number of components within an aircraft in which the number of components has a configuration and is comprised of a number of materials selected to form a number of boundaries within the aircraft that provide a desired propagation of wireless signals between devices in wireless networks in the aircraft;

wherein the configuration for the number of components is selected from designs and the number of materials to form the number of boundaries for the wireless networks, the designs from a components database and the number of materials for the number of the components from a materials database; and

wherein the desired propagation is provided by the number of materials and the number of components.

19. The aircraft wireless network system of claim 18, wherein a component in the number of components is selected from one of a panel, an insulation blanket, a gasket, a shroud, a carpet, a grate, a cage, a radio frequency aperture, an appliqué

, a curtain, a volume absorber, a grid, a fabric, a coating, and a plate.

20. The aircraft wireless network system claim 18, wherein the number of components are configured for use in structures in the aircraft selected from at least one of a cabin wall, a bulkhead, a closet, a lavatory, a ceiling, a floor, a partition, a stowage bin, a passenger seat, and a galley.