Method and aircraft server system for communication with a personal electronic device in an aircraft

• US 9,986,037 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2014
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Bauer, Hans-Achim, Zybala, Andr
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TIMOTHY X
• Application Number:
  US14/521,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20150126177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 455420
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An aircraft server system includes a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly emit and receive radio frequency signals in the passenger cabin of an aircraft, and a plurality of virtual network server units, each configured to remotely control one or more virtual network clients on one of a plurality of personal electronic devices, PEDs, wirelessly connected to the aircraft server system.

Claims

1. An aircraft server system, comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly emit and receive radio frequency signals in the passenger cabin of an aircraft; and

a plurality of virtual network server units, each configured to remotely control one or more virtual network clients on one of a plurality of personal electronic devices, PEDs, wirelessly connected to the aircraft server system,

wherein the virtual network server units are configured to send remote control signals via the wireless transceiver to the respective PEDs, the remote control signals being configured to control the graphical display of a desktop on a display of the PEDs.

2. The aircraft server system according to claim 1, wherein the virtual network server units are configured to receive remote input signals via the wireless transceiver from the respective PEDs, the remote input signals being configured to interact with items of the graphical display of the desktop.

3. The aircraft server system according to claim 1, wherein the virtual network server units are configured to send remote control signals via the wireless transceiver to a seat display installed in the aircraft, the remote control signals being configured to control the graphical display of a desktop on the seat display.

4. The aircraft server system according to claim 3, wherein the virtual network server units are configured to receive remote input signals via the wireless transceiver from the respective seat displays, the remote input signals being configured to interact with items of the graphical display of the desktop on the seat display.

5. The aircraft server system according to claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of communication modules for engaging in near field communication, NFC, with one of a plurality of PEDs, each communication module comprising;

an inductive energy transfer unit,

a transfer driver coupled to the inductive energy transfer unit and configured to generate driver signals for operating the inductive energy transfer unit, and

a communication processor coupled to the transfer driver and configured to control the inductive energy transfer unit to operate in an NFC operation mode.

6. The aircraft server system according to claim 5, wherein the communication processor is further configured to access a wireless communication unit of the PED via NFC.

7. The aircraft server system according to claim 6, further comprising:

one or more seat displays arranged in the vicinity of a respective one of the plurality of communication modules, wherein the virtual network server units of the aircraft server system are configured to send remote control signals via the wireless transceiver to a seat display installed in the aircraft, the remote control signals being configured to control the graphical display of a desktop on the seat display.

8. A method for providing communication between a personal electronic device, PED, and an aircraft server system of an aircraft, the method comprising:

initiating wireless communication between the PED and a network access point of the aircraft;

instantiating a virtual network client on the PED by a virtual network server unit of the aircraft server system;

remotely controlling the virtual network client on the PED by the virtual network server unit; and

wirelessly sending, by the virtual network server unit, remote control signals to the respective PEDs, the remote control signals being configured to control the graphical display of a desktop on a display of the PEDs.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving, by the virtual network server unit, remote input signals from the respective PEDs, the remote input signals being configured to interact with items of the graphical display of the desktop.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

wirelessly sending, by the virtual network server unit, remote control signals to a seat display installed in the aircraft, the remote control signals being configured to control the graphical display of a desktop on the seat display.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving, by the virtual network server unit, remote input signals from the respective seat displays, the remote input signals being configured to interact with items of the graphical display of the desktop on the seat display.