Cabin telecommunication unit

• US 8,140,732 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2010
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gogo Business Aviation LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: GTE Wireless Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Redford, Stephen, Murakami, Steven, Zahalka, David, Dubois, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Zaman, Faisal M
• Application Number:
  US12/707,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20100146184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 710/305, 710/100, 340/945
• US Class Current: 710/305
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00152 Seat back fixtures for removable monitors, e.g. tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4028 the transportation system being an aircraft
• 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

A cabin telecommunications unit that provides combined telephone and entertainment/information services onboard an aircraft. The includes a central data bus for exchanging data between components of the cabin telecommunication unit; a first processor connected to said central data bus for processing a communication received by the cabin telecommunication unit and directing the communication to a destination point within the cabin; and a second processor connected to said central data bus for processing and responding to requests for data stored within said cabin telecommunications unit.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a cabin telecommunication unit, the cabin telecommunication unit including a wireless access interface to allow communication between the cabin telecommunication unit and at least one wireless device within an aircraft; and

an aircraft interface module in communication with the cabin telecommunication unit and configured to monitor a plurality of conditions of the aircraft;

wherein the aircraft interface module is configured to determine whether the aircraft is airborne or on the ground based on the plurality of conditions;

wherein the cabin telecommunication unit is configured to clear passenger details in response to the determined state of the aircraft;

the determined state being that the aircraft has landed.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the aircraft interface module is configured to monitor whether the aircraft is airborne or on the ground by performing a weight on wheels assessment.

3. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cabin telecommunication unit includes the aircraft interface module.

4. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cabin telecommunication unit includes a switch processor and a file server processor in communication with one another.

5. A system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the cabin telecommunication unit includes a communication bus and wherein the aircraft interface module, the switch processor, and the file server processor are in communication with the communication bus.

6. A system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the switch processor is configured to direct data to components of the cabin telecommunication unit via the communication bus.

7. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the wireless access interface uses an 802.11 wireless communication standard.

8. A method comprising:

monitoring, via an aircraft interface module, a plurality of conditions of an aircraft;

determining, via a cabin telecommunication unit, a state of the aircraft; and

clearing passenger details based on the determined state of the aircraft;

the determined state being that the aircraft has landed.

9. A method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising monitoring, via the aircraft interface module, whether the aircraft is airborne or on the ground.

10. A method as set forth in claim 9, wherein monitoring whether the aircraft is airborne or on the ground includes performing a weight on wheels assessment.

11. A method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising directing data to components of the cabin telecommunication unit via a communication bus.

12. A method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising allowing, via a wireless access interface, wireless communication between the cabin telecommunication unit and at least one wireless device within the aircraft.

13. A system comprising:

a cabin telecommunication unit having a plurality of components in communication with one another via a communication bus, the components including;

an aircraft interface module configured to monitor a plurality of conditions of an aircraft, including monitoring whether the aircraft is airborne or on the ground;

a wireless access interface configured to allow wireless communication between the cabin telecommunication unit and at least one wireless device within the aircraft; and

a file server processor in communication with the aircraft interface module and the wireless access interface, to provide information to the at least one wireless device;

wherein the cabin telecommunication unit is configured to determine a state of the aircraft and clear passenger details after determining that the aircraft has landed.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the wireless access interface uses an 802.11 wireless communication standard.