High bandwidth delivery and internet access for airborne passengers
First Claim
1. A method for air to ground communication, comprising the steps of:
- (a) transmitting a request for a data session from an air borne terminal via an airborne transceiver and first antenna using a low bandwidth downlink to a ground based gateway linked to a server connected to a data network;
(b) transmitting a service initiation acknowledgement from the server to the airborne terminal via the ground based gateway, the low bandwidth downlink, the airborne transceiver and first antenna;
(c) transmitting a data request from the airborne terminal to the data network via the airborne transceiver and first antenna, low bandwidth down link, the ground based gateway and the server; and
(d) transmitting the requested data from the data network to the airborne terminal via a high bandwidth satellite uplink, an airborne receiver and second antenna.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and a communications system in which a request for data transmitted by an airborne transmitter over a low-bandwidth air-to-ground communication system uplink and received by a ground-based receiver. The requested data is then transmitted over a high-bandwidth communication system downlink, such as a DBS satellite system downlink, preferably using an MPEG-2 compression technique, and received by an airborne receiver located on the same aircraft as the airborne transmitter. The received request for data is transmitted to a data network that contains the requested data, such as the Internet or a private data network, using circuit-switched techniques. According to the invention, the requested data includes one of video information, audio information and textual information.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for air to ground communication, comprising the steps of:
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(a) transmitting a request for a data session from an air borne terminal via an airborne transceiver and first antenna using a low bandwidth downlink to a ground based gateway linked to a server connected to a data network; (b) transmitting a service initiation acknowledgement from the server to the airborne terminal via the ground based gateway, the low bandwidth downlink, the airborne transceiver and first antenna; (c) transmitting a data request from the airborne terminal to the data network via the airborne transceiver and first antenna, low bandwidth down link, the ground based gateway and the server; and (d) transmitting the requested data from the data network to the airborne terminal via a high bandwidth satellite uplink, an airborne receiver and second antenna. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An air to ground communication system, comprising
(a) an airborne terminal coupled to an airborne transceiver and first antenna; -
(b) a low bandwidth downlink provided by the airborne transceiver and first antenna; (c) a ground based gateway for receiving the low bandwidth down link; (d) a data network coupled to the ground based gateway via a server; (e) a high bandwidth satellite uplink coupled to the data network; and (f) an airborne receiver and second antenna coupled to the uplink whereby a data request from the airborne terminal is transmitted to the data network via the airborne transceiver and first antenna, the low bandwidth down link, the ground based gateway and the server and the requested data is transmitted by the data network to the airborne terminal via the high bandwidth satellite uplink and the airborne receiver and second antenna. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An air-to-ground communication system for use with an airborne computer, the air-to-ground communication system comprising:
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an airborne transmitter coupled with the airborne computer, wherein the airborne transmitter is further coupled with a low-bandwidth communication link, and wherein the airborne transmitter is configured to provide a request for ground-based data by the airborne computer over the low-bandwidth communication link; an airborne receiver coupled with a high-bandwidth communication link, wherein the airborne receiver is further configured to receive the requested ground-based data over the high-bandwidth communication link; an airborne data server mechanism configured to provide the requested ground-based data to the airborne computer, the airborne data server mechanism controls at least one of the airborne transmitter or the airborne receiver; an airborne application programming interface (API) configured to communicate with the airborne computer and the airborne data server mechanism; and an airborne data transport mechanism at least logically coupling the low-bandwidth communication link, the airborne data server mechanism, and the high-bandwidth communication link to facilitate delivery of the requested ground-based data to the airborne computer based on the request for the ground-based data by the airborne computer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. An air-to-ground communication system for use with a portable airborne computer, the air-to-ground communication system comprising:
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data server means for providing data to, and being coupled with, the portable airborne computer, wherein the data server means is configured to be located within an aircraft; wherein the data server means is configured to receive a request for ground-based data from the portable airborne computer; data transport means for communicating with a wireless ground-to-air communication channel, a wireless air-to-ground communication channel, the data server means, and the airborne computer; wherein the data transport means is configured to receive the request for the ground-based data, and provide the request for the ground-based data to the wireless air-to-ground communication channel; and wherein the data server means is configured to receive the requested ground-based data from the wireless ground-to-air communication channel, to facilitate delivery of the requested ground-based data to the portable airborne computer, and to control the data transport means. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. An air-to-ground communication system for use with an airborne computer, the air-to-ground communication system comprising:
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an air borne transmitter means coupled with the airborne computer, the airborne transmitter means for providing a request for ground based data by the airborne computer over a low-band width communication link; an airborne receiver means coupled with a high-bandwidth communication link, the airborne receiver means for receiving requested ground based data over high bandwidth communication link; an airborne data server means for providing the requested ground based data to the airborne computer; an airborne application programming interface means for interfacing communication with the airborne transmitter means and the airborne receiver means; and an airborne data transport means for logically coupling together the low-bandwidth communication link, the airborne transmitter means and the high-bandwidth communication link, to facilitate delivery of the requested ground based data to the airborne computer. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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Specification