SECURE AIRCRAFT-BASED MOBILE DEVICE CONNECTIVITY SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20150005989A1
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,694,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• 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;

an avionic systems interface integrated into the housing, the avionic system interface configured 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; and

a data security module located within the housing, the data security module configured to receive commands from the one or more mobile devices, securely process the commands, receive avionics data from the avionics system via the avionic systems interface and the at least one avionics module, and securely transmit the avionics data to the one or more mobile devices.

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

3. The system of claim 1, further including a WACS interface integrated into the housing, the WACS interface configured to be communicatively coupled to a WACS communication module external to the housing.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data security module is located within an ARINC 8111 AISD domain, and the avionics system is located within an ARINC 811 ACD-IS domain.

5. 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.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface includes an 802.11 access point module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one avionics module comprises a basic avionics module and an advanced avionics module.

8. An aircraft-based mobile device connectivity method comprising:

receiving, at a data security module, commands from one or more mobile devices within an aircraft;

securely processing the commands;

responsive to the commands, requesting and receiving avionics data from an avionics system external to the data security module; and

securely transmitting the avionics data to the one or more mobile devices.

9. The method of claim 8, further including communicating via a wired interface with at least one at least one storage device external to the data security module.

10. The method of claim 8, further including communicating via a WACS interface with a WACS communication module external to the data security module.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the data security module operates within an ARINC 8111 AISD domain, and the avionics system operates within an ARINC 811 ACD-IS domain.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one avionics module provides at least one of WACS health monitoring, customization functions, and administration functions.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one avionics module provides basic avionics functions and advanced avionics functions.

14. A aircraft-based communication system comprising:

a housing;

an avionics system external to the housing;

a mobile device external to the housing;

a WACS communication module external to the housing;

an avionic systems interface integrated into the housing, the avionic system interface configured to be communicatively coupled to the avionics system;

at least one avionics module integrated into the housing;

a wireless interface integrated into the housing, the wireless interface configured to provide wireless communication with the mobile device;

a data security module integrated into the housing, the data security module configured to receive commands from the mobile device, securely process the commands, receive avionics data from the avionics system via the avionic systems interface and the at least one avionics module, and securely transmit the avionics data to the mobile device; and

a WACS interface integrated into the housing, the WACS interface configured to be communicatively coupled to the WACS communication module.

15. The aircraft-based communication system of claim 14, further including a wired interface integrated into the housing, the wired interface configured to be communicatively coupled to at least one storage device external to the housing.

16. The aircraft-based communication system of claim 14, wherein the data security module is located within an ARINC 8111 AISD domain, and the avionics system is located within an ARINC 811 ACD-IS domain.

17. The aircraft-based communication system of claim 14, wherein the at least one avionics module is configured to provide at least one of WACS health monitoring, customization functions, and administration functions.

18. The aircraft-based communication system of claim 14, wherein the wireless interface includes an 802.11 access point module.

19. The aircraft-based communication system of claim 14, wherein the at least one avionics module comprises a basic avionics module and an advanced avionics module.

20. The aircraft-based communication system of claim 14, further including one or more firewall modules integrated into the housing.