System and method for secure wireless communications between a vehicle and a source

• US 9,369,868 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Nguyen, Daniel, Shelton, Jason W., Mitchell, Timothy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Torres, Juan A
• Application Number:
  US14/519,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20160112873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

A method and system for securely wirelessly communicating between a vehicle and a source are provided. Information regarding a vehicle or a source is provided with at least one information device. Wireless communications of data between a first wireless communication device of the vehicle and a second wireless communication device of the source are only allowed when security parameters are met based on the information provided by the at least one information device.

Claims

1. A system for secure wireless communications comprising:

a first wireless communication device configured to be disposed on a vehicle and comprising a first signal amplifier configured to amplify a data signal transmitted by the first wireless communication device;

a second wireless communication device configured to be disposed on a source and to wirelessly communicate data with the first wireless communication device, the second wireless communication device comprising a second signal amplifier configured to amplify a second data signal transmitted by the second wireless communication device;

at least one information device configured to provide information regarding the vehicle or the source;

at least one processor in electronic communication with the at least one information device; and

at least one memory in electronic communication with the at least one processor, wherein the at least one memory comprises programming code for execution by the at least one processor, and the programming code is configured to only activate the first signal amplifier and the second signal amplifier when security parameters, stored in the at least one memory, are satisfied by both the vehicle and the source, based on the information provided by the at least one information device, in order to facilitate wireless communications of the data between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle comprises an aircraft.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the source comprises an aircraft terminal, a land or sea based antenna, an air-traffic control system, an aircraft, or a satellite.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one information device comprises a radio-frequency identification device, a proximity sensor, a sensor, or a security-code providing device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the security parameters comprise a distance requirement between the vehicle and the source.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the security parameters comprise an identification of the vehicle or the source.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the security parameters comprise a time when the vehicle or the source should be at a certain location.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the security parameters comprise a security code.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the security parameters which must be met vary in a number of conditions which must be met for different types of the data.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the data comprises passenger inflight entertainment data, aircraft information system data, or aircraft control data.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the data comprises passenger inflight entertainment data, aircraft information system data, and aircraft control data, the security parameters have the most conditions which must be met when the data comprises the aircraft control data, the security parameters have the least conditions which must be met when the data comprises the inflight entertainment data, and the conditions of the security parameters which must be met for the aircraft information system data are in-between the conditions which must be met for the aircraft control data and the conditions which must be met for the inflight entertainment data.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium including programming code to command a processor to:

only activate a first signal amplifier for a first wireless communication device of a vehicle and a second signal amplifier for a second wireless communication device of a source, upon determining that security parameters are satisfied by both the vehicle and the source, based on information provided by at least one information device, in order to facilitate wireless communications of the data between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the security parameters comprise a distance requirement between the vehicle and the source, an identification of the vehicle or the source, a time when the vehicle or the source should be at a certain location, or a security code.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the security parameters which must be met vary in a number of conditions which must be met for different types of the data.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the at least one information device comprises a radio-frequency device, a proximity sensor, a sensor, or a security-code providing device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the vehicle comprises an aircraft, the source comprises an aircraft terminal, a land or sea based antenna, an air-traffic control system, a second aircraft, or a satellite, the data comprises passenger inflight entertainment data, aircraft information system data, and aircraft control data, the security parameters have the most conditions which must be met when the data comprises the aircraft control data, the security parameters have the least conditions which must be met when the data comprises the inflight entertainment data, and the conditions of the security parameters which must be met for the aircraft information system data are in-between the conditions which must be met for the aircraft control data and the conditions which must be for the inflight entertainment data.

17. A method for securely wirelessly communicating comprising:

providing information regarding a vehicle and a source with at least one information device; and

only activate a first signal amplifier for a first wireless communication device of the vehicle and a second signal amplifier for a second wireless communication device of the source, upon determining that security parameters are satisfied by both the vehicle and the source, based on the information provided by the at least one information device, in order to facilitate wireless communications of the data between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the vehicle comprises an aircraft.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the source comprises an aircraft terminal, a land or sea based antenna, an air-traffic control system, an aircraft, or a satellite.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one information device comprises a radio-frequency identification device, a proximity sensor, a sensor, or a security-code providing device.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the security parameters comprise a distance requirement between the vehicle and the source.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the security parameters comprise an identification of the vehicle or the source.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the security parameters comprise a time when the vehicle or the source should be at a certain location.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein the security parameters comprise a security code.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the security parameters which must be met vary in a number of conditions which must be met for different types of the data.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein the data comprises passenger inflight entertainment data, aircraft information system data, or aircraft control data.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the security parameters have the most conditions which must be met when the data comprises the aircraft control data, the security parameters have the least conditions which must be met when the data comprises the inflight entertainment data, and the conditions of the security parameters which must be met for the aircraft information system data are in-between the conditions which must be met for the aircraft control data and the conditions which must be for the inflight entertainment data.