System for creating an air-to-ground IP tunnel in an airborne wireless cellular network to differentiate individual passengers
US8254914B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 8, 2011 |
| Grant date | Aug 28, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 8, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W84/06
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
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.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.