Secure aircraft data transmission using multiple communication channels

• US 9,295,032 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kumar, Anil, Ayyagari, Arun, Mitchell, Timothy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US14/166,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20150215899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/452.1, 455/451, 455/431, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/464
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• 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: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal

Abstract

Provided are methods and systems for terrestrial data transmission between aircraft and external networks, such as airline networks and/or airport networks. While an aircraft is landed, various data domains may need to be transmitted between the aircraft and such networks using two or more communication channels available to the aircraft. These channels may include wired and/or wireless channels, such as broadband over power line channels, Ethernet channels, Wi-Fi channels, and cellular channels. The available communication channels are allocated to transmit particular data domains based on the security levels of these channels. For example, aircraft control domains may be transmitted using a more secure communication channel than passenger information domains and/or entertainment systems domains. In some embodiments, multiple communication channels may be used to transmit the same domain parsed into multiple transmission packets. The packets are recombined back into the data domain after the transmission.

Claims

1. A method for terrestrial data transmission between an aircraft and an external network, the method comprising:

identifying two or more communication channels available for terrestrial data transmission between the aircraft and the external network; and

allocating data domains to be transmitted between the aircraft and the external network to each of the two or more communication channels based on a channel security level of each of the two or more communication channels,

wherein at least two of the two or more communication channels are allocated to transmit the same data domain of the data domains; and

generating instructions for reconstructing the same data domain after the same data domain is transmitted using the at least two of the two or more communication channels.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the channel security level of each of the two or more communication channels available for terrestrial data transmission between the aircraft and the external network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the two or more communication channels are different types of communication channels.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein one of the at least two of the two or more communication channels is a broadband over power line communication channel and another one of the at least two of the two or more communication channels is a wireless communication channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more communication channels comprises at least one of a broadband over power line communication channel, a Wi-Fi communication channel, a Wi-Gig communication channel, a WiMAX communication channel, a White Space communication channel, a free space laser communication, a cellular communication channel, a satellite communication channel, or an Ethernet communication channel.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the data domains between the aircraft and the external network using the allocated communication channels of the two or more communication channels.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more communication channels is allocated to transmit an entire data domain of the data domains.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating each of the two or more communication channels to the data domains to be transmitted between the aircraft and the external network is further performed based on one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of (a) transmission cost of each of the two or more communication channels, (b) transmission speed of each of the two or more communication channels, and (c) available duration of each of the two or more communication channels.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating each of the two or more communication channels to the data domains to be transmitted between the aircraft and the external network is performed automatically.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the two or more communication channels available for terrestrial data transmission between the aircraft and the external network and allocating each of the two or more communication channels to the data domains to be transmitted between the aircraft and the external network are performed by a communication channel manager disposed on the aircraft.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the data domains comprises an aircraft control domain, an aircraft information system domain, and a passenger information and entertainment systems domain.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more communication channels has a different channel security level than at least another one of the two or more communication channels.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining transmission characteristics of each of the data domains to be transmitted between the aircraft and the external network, the transmission characteristics comprise at least one of a data security level or a data type.

14. A system for terrestrial data transmission between an aircraft and an external network, the system comprising:

a broadband over power line module configured to transmit data to and from the external network through an electrical power cable connected to the aircraft and a gate;

at least one wireless communication module configured to wirelessly transmit data to and from the external network; and

a communication channel manager configured to initiate and control data transmission between the broadband over power line module and the external network and between the at least one wireless communication module and the external network,

the communication channel manager further configured to identify two or more communication channels established by the broadband over power line module and the at least one wireless communication module,

wherein at least two of the two or more communication channels are allocated to transmit the same data domain of the data domains,

the communication channel manager further configured to generate instructions for reconstructing the same data domain after the same data domain is transmitted using the at least two of the two or more communication channels,

the two or more communication channels being available for terrestrial data transmission between the aircraft and the external network, the communication channel manager further configured to allocate each of the two or more communication channels to data domains to be transmitted between the aircraft and the external network based on a channel security level of each of the two or more communication channels,

wherein the broadband over power line module, the at least one wireless communication module, and the communication channel manager are configured for fixed attaching to the aircraft.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the broadband over power line module, the at least one wireless communication module, and the communication channel manager are integrated into a terrestrial off-board communication unit.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising the aircraft and wherein the broadband over power line module, the at least one wireless communication module, and the communication channel manager are fixedly attached to the aircraft.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the aircraft comprises an electrical power receptacle for connecting to the electrical power cable and wherein the electrical power receptacle is inductively coupled to the broadband over power line.