Abstract:
The Aircraft Emergency Services Call Management System enables the unique identification of each passenger wireless device in use in an aircraft and the corresponding identification of the passenger associated with the passenger wireless device. This passenger wireless device registration data is stored as database entries in a ground-based Automatic Location Identification (ALI) database which associates each aircraft with its registered passenger wireless devices. The origination of an emergency services call by any registered passenger wireless device results in the call being routed to a serving Public Safety Access Point (PSAP) where the passenger is connected to an emergency services operator. Since the aircraft flight crew and cabin crew are the only personnel on site that can be relied upon to provide some sort of emergency services response, they are included in the emergency services call.
Abstract:
The Customized Electronic Services Delivery System provides customized electronic services to passengers who are located onboard an aircraft by storing data indicative of a plurality of electronic services that are available to passengers who are located onboard an aircraft, as well as data indicative of preferences of passengers for the plurality of electronic services. Once a correspondence is made between the electronic services and an identified passenger, the Customized Electronic Services Delivery System advises the passenger of the availability of the customized services and establishes wireless communications between the passenger's electronic device and the selected electronic service. The electronic services include in-flight entertainment services as well as destination-based services which link the passenger's existing travel plans with offers for additional services that are available to the passenger at their nominal destination and their planned travel schedule.
Abstract:
The Aircraft Air-To-Ground IP Tunnel System provides wireless communication services to passengers located onboard an aircraft by storing data indicative of the individually identified passenger wireless devices located onboard the aircraft. The Aircraft Air-To-Ground IP Tunnel System assigns a single IP address to each Point-to-Point Protocol link connecting the aircraft network to the ground-based communication network and creates an IP subnet onboard the aircraft. The IP subnet utilizes a plurality of IP addresses for each Point-to-Point link, enabling each passenger wireless device to be uniquely identified with their own IP address. This is enabled since both Point-to-Point Protocol IPCP endpoints have pre-defined IP address pools and/or topology configured, so each Point-to-Point Protocol endpoint can utilize a greater number of IP addresses than one per link. Such an approach does not change IPCP or other EVDO protocols/messaging but allows this address to be directly visible to the ground-based communication network.
Abstract:
The Aircraft IP Subnet System provides wireless communication services to passengers located onboard an aircraft by storing data indicative of individually identified wireless devices that are located onboard the aircraft. The Aircraft IP Subnet System assigns a single IP address to each Point-to-Point Protocol link connecting the aircraft network to the ground-based communication network and creates an IP subnet onboard the aircraft. The IP subnet utilizes a plurality of IP addresses for each Point-to-Point link, thereby to enable each passenger wireless device to be uniquely identified with their own IP address. This is enabled since both Point-to-Point Protocol IPCP endpoints have pre-defined IP address pools and/or topology configured, so each Point-to-Point Protocol endpoint can utilize a greater number of IP addresses than one per link. Such an approach does not change IPCP or other EVDO protocols/messaging but allows this address to be directly visible to the ground-based communication network.
Abstract:
The VoIP Management System is capable of identifying voice-based wireless devices and denying wireless communication services to these devices. The VoIP Management System also identifies VoIP packet data traffic, and this communication connection can be denied. The VoIP Management System can also identify encrypted VoIP packet data traffic (for a unique Source-Destination IP pair) based upon VoIP packet data traffic characteristics: packet timing, packet rate, and packet size, since VoIP services have a distinct packet data traffic pattern. When a VoIP call is detected, the VoIP Management System disrupts the identified VoIP packet data traffic, without modifying the packet data content, such as by adding sufficient latency to the Packet Data Unit of the packet data traffic to make the VoIP services unusable.
Abstract:
The Multi-Link Aircraft Cellular System makes use of multiple physically separated antennas mounted on the aircraft, as well as the use of additional optional signal isolation and optimization techniques to improve the call handling capacity of the Air-To-Ground cellular communications network. These additional techniques can include polarization domain and ground antenna pattern shaping (in azimuth, in elevation, or in both planes). Further, if code domain separation is added, dramatic increases in capacity are realized. Thus, the Air-To-Ground cellular communications network can increase its capacity on a per aircraft basis by sharing its traffic load among more than one cell or sector and by making use of multiple physically separated antennas mounted on the aircraft, as well as the use of additional optional signal isolation and optimization techniques.
Abstract:
The present non-terrestrial feature transparency system spoofs the Air-to-Ground Network and the ground-based cellular communication network into thinking that the wireless subscriber devices have no special considerations associated with their operation, even though the wireless subscriber devices are located on an aircraft in flight. This architecture requires that the non-terrestrial feature transparency system on board the aircraft replicate the full functionality of a given wireless subscriber device, that has a certain predetermined feature set from a ground-based wireless service provider, at another wireless subscriber device located within the aircraft. This mirroring of wireless subscriber device attributes enables a localized cell for in-cabin communication yet retains the same wireless subscriber device attributes for the air-to-ground link. The Air-to-Ground Network transmits both the subscriber data (comprising voice and/or other data) as well as feature set data between the Aircraft in-Cabin Network and the ground-based cellular communication network to thereby enable the wireless subscriber devices that are located in the aircraft to receive consistent wireless communication services in both the terrestrial (ground-based) and non-terrestrial regions.
Abstract:
The Content Delivery Handoff System enables a passenger's wireless device, operating in an airborne wireless cellular network, to receive selected content and to ensure continuity and/or completion of the content delivery when the aircraft reaches its destination before the entirety of the selected content is delivered to the passenger. This completion of content delivery can occur in a spatially and temporally disjunct manner where the delivery of the remainder of the selected content occurs at a terrestrial location or on a subsequent flight and at a later time.
Abstract:
The Customized Electronic Services Delivery System provides customized electronic services to passengers who are located onboard an aircraft by storing data indicative of a plurality of electronic services that are available to passengers who are located onboard an aircraft, as well as data indicative of preferences of passengers for the plurality of electronic services. Once a correspondence is made between the electronic services and an identified passenger, the Customized Electronic Services Delivery System advises the passenger of the availability of the customized services and establishes wireless communications between the passenger's electronic device and the selected electronic service. The electronic services include in-flight entertainment services as well as destination-based services which link the passenger's existing travel plans with offers for additional services that are available to the passenger at their nominal destination and their planned travel schedule.
Abstract:
The Traffic Scheduling System executes a multi-step process first to identify the bandwidth intensive traffic. The identification of the bandwidth intensive traffic is effected at the stream level by measuring the byte volume of the stream over a predetermined period of time and using this data to classify the stream into one of a plurality of usage categories. The classification of bandwidth intensive traffic is network neutral in that all data is classified at the stream level (source IP, destination IP, source port, destination port). Otherwise, the data is not inspected. Once streams have been classified by the Traffic Scheduling System, the Bandwidth Intensive and Near Real Time traffic can be controlled by a simple Traffic Shaping process executed by the Traffic Scheduling System, using a traffic management parameter such as via the Round-Trip Time of the next higher priority queue, in the set of queues.