Open wireless architecture (OWA) unified airborne and terrestrial communications architecture

• US 9,979,789 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2016
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dexi Lu, Michael Lu, Wei Lu
• Original Assignee: Dexi Lu, Michael Lu, Wei Lu
• Inventors: Lu, Michael, Lu, Dexi, Lu, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwar, Mohammad S
• Application Number:
  US14/990,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20160119845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• 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 36/083 wherein at least one of the access points is a moving node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

This invention relates to an Open Wireless Architecture (OWA) unified airborne and terrestrial communications architecture providing optimal high-speed connections with open radio transmission technologies (RTTs) between aircrafts and ground cells, and between different aircrafts in Ad-Hoc or Mesh network group, to construct the multi-dimensional unified information delivery platform across the airborne networks and the terrestrial networks wherein the same OWA mobile device or OWA mobile computer can be used seamlessly and continuously both in the aircrafts and on the ground.

Claims

1. A method to optimize in-flight wireless networks and services based on open wireless architecture (OWA) mobile cloud infrastructure, said method comprising:

a) connecting OWA Mobile Device or OWA-enabled Mobile Device to OWA.onBoard Wireless Router which is an in-flight wireless router or access point, through OWA.onBoard RTTs (radio transmission technology) which is In-Flight RTTs,

b) connecting said OWA.onBoard Wireless Router to Virtual Mobile Server onboard Server (VMS.onBoard Server) which is an in-flight mobile cloud server),

c) synchronizing said VMS.onBoard Server with OWA.VMS on Ground (main Mobile Cloud Server) whenever wireless connection is available, via OWA.Air Transceiver(s) in aircraft,

d) offering best-of-effort in-flight applications and services to users of in-flight community through said in-flight wireless networks, and

wherein, said OWA.onBoard Wireless Router is turned ON or OFF by In-Flight Pilot Signal, and said OWA.onBoard Wireless Router is optimized by OWA RTT Optimization,

wherein, said VMS.onBoard Server is different from said OWA.VMS on Ground,

wherein, said OWA-enabled Mobile Device is an existing mobile device with external OWA module attached to said existing mobile device, and

wherein, said external OWA module facilitates completely switching from terrestrial mode to in-flight mode by said In-Flight Pilot Signal, and completely turning off terrestrial radio transceiver in said in-flight mode, and said external OWA module further enables said existing mobile device to fully support said In-Flight RTTs.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said OWA.onBoard RTTs or said In-Flight RTTs comprise:

a) standard wireless local area network (WLAN) with reduced and lowest possible transmitting power for airborne in-flight connection, fully monitored and controlled at all times by said OWA.onBoard Wireless Router to avoid frequency interference with any aviation communication and navigation systems,

b) modified wireless local area network for airborne in-flight connection (WLAN.Air) which is completely in compliance with the airborne communication regulations and guidelines,

c) standard wireless personal access network or personal area network (WPAN) with reduced and lowest possible transmitting power for airborne in-flight connection, fully monitored and controlled at all times by said OWA.onBoard Wireless Router to avoid frequency interference with any aviation communication and navigation systems, and

d) modified wireless personal access network or personal area network for airborne in-flight connection (WPAN.Air) which is completely in compliance with the airborne communication regulations and guidelines.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said OWA Mobile Device (or OWA-enabled Mobile Device) connecting to said OWA.onBoard Wireless Router for In-Flight mode, said method comprising:

a) said OWA Mobile Device immediately turning off all of its terrestrial radio transceivers and switching to said In-Flight mode automatically when receiving an In-Flight Pilot Signal of the aircraft through a separate in-flight broadcasting channel in the aircraft cabins,

b) said OWA Mobile Device being connected to said OWA.onBoard Wireless Router through said In-Flight RTTs, and

c) said OWA Mobile Device being synchronized to said VMS.onBoard Server, and being able to push any information, contents or applications to said VMS.onBoard Server or retrieve any information, contents or applications from said VMS.onBoard Server.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said OWA RTT Optimization comprises:

a) said OWA Mobile Device (or OWA-enabled Mobile Device) remaining in Terrestrial mode with Ground networks if said OWA Mobile Device not receiving said In-Flight Pilot Signal in aircraft cabins,

b) said OWA Mobile Device immediately turning off its terrestrial radio transceivers, switching to said In-Flight Mode accordingly after receiving said In-Flight Pilot Signal in aircraft cabins, and said OWA Mobile Device becoming an OWA.inFlight Mobile Device for in-flight wireless connection,

c) said OWA Mobile Device searching whether said WLAN.Air RTT is available for said in-flight wireless networks, and said OWA Mobile Device being connected in said WLAN.Air connection mode if said WLAN.Air RTT is available, otherwise, said OWA Mobile Device further searching whether said WPAN.Air RTT is available for said in-flight wireless networks, and said OWA Mobile Device being connected in said WPAN.Air connection mode if said WPAN.Air RTT is available,

d) said OWA Mobile Device further searching said WLAN RTT or said WPAN RTT if both said WLAN.Air RTT and said WPAN.Air RTT are not available for said in-flight wireless networks, and said OWA Mobile Device first reducing its radio transmitting power to the minimal level, then connecting to said in-flight wireless networks in said WLAN or said WPAN connection mode if either said WLAN RTT or said WPAN RTT is available, and

e) said OWA Mobile Device also supporting wireline connection mode by plugging into said OWA.onBoard Wireless Router through a networking cable or other forms of wiring in the aircraft.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein search order of connection modes between said OWA Mobile Device and said OWA.onBoard Wireless Router is re-configured or re-set by mobile users or aircrafts wherein by default, said search order is by said WLAN.Air, said WPAN.Air, said WLAN, said WPAN and said wireline connection.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said WLAN.Air and said WPAN.Air are the safest modes for In-Flight connection, networking and services, completely in compliance with airborne communication regulations and guidelines.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said OWA.Air Transceiver connects to Ground Cell(s) of Ground Networks, other said OWA.Air Transceiver in Ad-Hoc or mesh network group, Broadband Satellite Networks, and/or Ground Airport Networks for Internet Access.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said in-flight community includes passengers of same flight and neighborhood flights of same said Ad-Hoc or mesh network group.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said users can push interesting applications, services and contents to said VMS.onBoard Server for sharing with other said users, and said users can pop interesting applications, services and contents shared by other said users from said VMS.onBoard Server.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said VMS.onBoard Server is an in-flight mobile cloud server, extended from said OWA.VMS on Ground which is a main mobile cloud server on ground.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said in-flight applications and services hosted in said VMS.onBoard SerVer comprise:

a) in-flight social networking,

b) in-flight video sharing,

c) in-flight business conferencing,

d) in-flight interactive gaming,

e) in-flight shopping mall,

f) in-flight audio and video library,

g) in-flight safety and security,

h) in-flight VIP (very important person) services, and

wherein, said in-flight social networking service and application includes displaying and updating of elements of passenger'"'"'s photo, seat number, nickname and content windows comprising messaging, posting, pictures and videos, as well as linking to or synchronizing with passenger'"'"'s terrestrial social networking platforms including Facebook, LinkedIN and Google plus.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said In-Flight Pilot Signal remains ON and continues broadcasting to all said OWA Mobile Devices in said aircraft cabins to maintain said In-Flight mode as long as said aircraft leaves airport Gate) (in flight, taxing, taking-off, landing), and said In-Flight Pilot Signal can be turned off only after said aircraft returns to and stops completely at airport Gate to enable said OWA Mobile Device switch back to said Terrestrial Mode with said ground network, wherein the time to release or turn-off said In-Flight Pilot Signal may vary based on different airborne regulations and rulings in different regions, and in most situations, said In-Flight Pilot Signal is turned off only after said aircrafts return to Airport Gates.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said In-Flight Pilot Signal will automatically switch said OWA Mobile Device from said Terrestrial mode to said In-Flight mode completely, so that said OWA Mobile Device does not have to power off or manually switch to said in-flight mode when on board said aircrafts.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said VMS.onBoard Server is also utilized to be a virtual secretary for mobile user with said OWA Mobile Device in said In-Flight mode, and multiple said OWA Mobile Devices can share same said VMS.onBoard Server.

15. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said OWA Mobile Device allows allocating multiple air interfaces into an external air interface card and mobile users change wireless standards by updating said air interface card without having to change said OWA mobile device.

16. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein each said OWA.Air Transceiver is capable to support one or multiple connections to either said OWA.Ground Transceiver, said ground network, said ground airport network, said broadband Satellite network, or to other said OWA.Air Transceiver in other aircraft of said ad-hoc or mesh network group.

17. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein each aircraft is equipped with one or multiple said OWA.Air Transceivers for constructing broadband unified airborne and terrestrial networks for high-quality in-flight applications and services.

18. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said external OWA module is in the form of memory card, USB (Universal Serial Bus) card, any portable interface card, or being embedded in or integrated into a protection case of said existing mobile device.

19. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said external OWA module has functions of turning off terrestrial cellular radio transceiver of said existing mobile device and controlling transceivers of WLAN and WPAN in said existing mobile device to meet system requirements of said In-Flight RTTs including said WLAN.Air, said WPAN.Air, said WLAN and said WPAN.