Secure aircraft-based mobile device connectivity systems and methods

• US 9,694,903 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Beltrand, Franois
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Linglan
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECHTEL, KEVIN M
• Application Number:
  US13/928,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20150005989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 726 4, 726 11- 15, 726 17, 709225
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• 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

Abstract

An aircraft-based mobile device connectivity system generally includes a housing, an avionic systems interface integrated into the housing, a wireless interface integrated into the housing, and a data security module. The avionic system interface is configured to be communicatively coupled to an avionics system external to the housing. The wireless interface is configured to provide wireless communication with one or more mobile devices. The data security module is configured to receive commands from the mobile devices, securely process the commands, receive avionics data from the avionics system via the avionic systems interface and the avionics module, and securely transmit the avionics data to the mobile devices.

Claims

1. An aircraft-based mobile device connectivity system comprising:

a housing structurally separate from and removeably enclosed within the aircraft and coupled via a network receptacle of an aircraft cockpit;

an avionic systems interface integrated into the housing, the avionic systems interface configured to operate within an ARINC 811 ACD-IS domain and to be communicatively coupled to an avionics system external to the housing;

a wireless interface integrated into the housing, the wireless interface configured to provide wireless communication with one or more mobile devices;

at least one avionics module integrated into the housing;

a data security module located within the housing and configured to operate within an ARINC 811 AISD domain that is segregated from the ACD-IS domain in which the avionic systems interface operates, wherein the avionic systems interface and the data security module execute on separate physical processors of the aircraft-based mobile device connectivity system to thereby physically isolate the ARINC 811 AISD domain from the ARINC 811 ACD-IS domain, the data security module configured to authenticate the one or more mobile devices, to securely process commands received from the one or more mobile devices to request avionics data from the avionics system via the avionic systems interface and the at least one avionics module, to transform the received avionics data into a format that is readable by the one or more mobile devices, and to securely transmit the transformed avionics data to the one or more mobile devices via the wireless interface; and

a Wireless Airport Communication System (WACS) interface integrated into the housing, the WACS interface configured to be communicatively coupled to a WACS communication module external to the housing, wherein the WACS interface operates outside of the ARINC 811 ASID domain, and wherein the data security module is further configured to request data via the WACS interface in response to the commands received from the one or more mobile devices, to transform the data received via the WACS interface to the format that is readable by the one or more mobile devices, and to forward the transformed data to the one or more mobile devices via the wireless interface.

2. The system of claim 1, further including a wired interface integrated into the housing and operating within the ARINC 811 ASID domain, the wired interface configured to be communicatively coupled to at least one storage device external to the housing.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one avionics module is configured to provide at least one of WACS health monitoring, customization functions, and administration functions to the data security module as the avionics data requested by the data security module in response to the commands received from the one or more mobile devices.

4. A method executable by a device structurally separate from and removeably enclosed within an aircraft and coupled via a network receptacle of an aircraft cockpit to provide mobile device connectivity to one or more mobile devices operating within the aircraft, the device comprising a wireless interface, an avionic systems interface, a data security module, and a Wireless Airport Communication System (WACS) interface, the method comprising:

operating the avionic systems interface, wherein the avionic systems interface is communicatively coupled to an avionics system external to the device and is within an ARINC 811 ACD-IS domain of the aircraft;

authenticating, by the data security module, the one or more mobile devices operating within the aircraft, wherein the data security module is operating within an ARINC 811 AISD domain that is segregated from the ACD-IS domain that the avionic systems interface operates, wherein the avionic systems interface and the data security module execute on separate physical processors of the device to thereby physically isolate the ARINC 811 AISD domain from the ARINC 811 ACD-IS domain;

securely receiving and processing, via the wireless interface, commands received from the one or more mobile devices one or more mobile devices;

requesting and receiving, by the data security module, avionics data via the avionic systems interface and via the WACS interface, responsive to the commands received via the wireless interface from the one or more mobile devices, wherein the WACS interface is communicatively coupled to a WACS communication module external to the device, wherein the WACS interface operates outside of the ARINC 811 ASID domain;

transforming, via the WACS interface, the avionics data received via the avionic systems interface into a format that is readable by the one or more mobile devices; and

securely transmitting the transformed avionics data to the one or more mobile devices via the wireless interface.

5. The method of claim 4, further including the data security module communicating via a wired interface with at least one at least one storage device operating within the ARINC 811 ASID domain external to the data security module.

6. An aircraft-based mobile device connectivity system comprising:

an aircraft;

a housing structurally separate from and removeably enclosed within the aircraft and coupled via a network receptacle of an aircraft cockpit;

an avionic systems interface integrated into the housing, the avionic systems interface configured to operate within an ARINC 811 ACD-IS domain and to be communicatively coupled to an avionics system external to the housing;

a wireless interface integrated into the housing, the wireless interface configured to provide wireless communication with one or more mobile devices;

at least one avionics module integrated into the housing;

a data security module located within the housing and configured to operate within an ARINC 811 AISD domain that is segregated from the ACD-IS domain in which the avionic systems interface operates, wherein the avionic systems interface and the data security module execute on separate physical processors of the aircraft-based mobile device connectivity system to thereby physically isolate the ARINC 811 AISD domain from the ARINC 811 ACD-IS domain, the data security module configured to authenticate the one or more mobile devices, to securely process commands received from the one or more mobile devices to request avionics data from the avionics system via the avionic systems interface and the at least one avionics module, to transform the received avionics data into a format that is readable by the one or more mobile devices, and to securely transmit the transformed avionics data to the one or more mobile devices via the wireless interface; and

a Wireless Airport Communication System (WACS) interface integrated into the housing, the WACS interface configured to be communicatively coupled to a WACS communication module external to the housing, wherein the WACS interface operates outside of the ARINC 811 ASID domain, and wherein the data security module is further configured to request data via the WACS interface in response to the commands received from the one or more mobile devices, to transform the data received via the WACS interface to the format that is readable by the one or more mobile devices, and to forward the transformed data to the one or more mobile devices via the wireless interface.