Controlling vehicle cabin networks based on connectivity metrics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10009735-B2
Application number	US-201615234788-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2016
Priority date	Aug 11, 2016
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

A network analysis terminal is described that operates within a vehicle cabin to generate connectivity metrics. The terminal monitors packets communicated through at least one cabin network between a content server and passenger terminals. The terminal identifies passenger terminal identifiers that are addressed by content of the packets, and identifies names of vehicle passengers associated with the packets using the passenger terminal identifiers as indexes to retrieve the names of vehicle passengers from an information repository that maps names of vehicle passengers to passenger terminal identifiers. The terminal then generates connectivity metrics based on measurements performed on the packets over time and the identified names of the passengers, and controls communications through the at least one cabin network based on the connectivity metrics.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A network analysis terminal in communication with wireless access points within a vehicle cabin, the network analysis terminal comprising:
a network interface configured to monitor packets communicated through the wireless access points of at least one cabin network between a content server and passenger terminals;
a processor connected to receive packets monitored by the network interface; and
a memory connected to the processor and storing computer readable program code executed by the processor to perform operations comprising:
identifying passenger terminal identifiers from content of the packets comprising a network address of the passenger terminals;
identifying names of vehicle passengers associated with the packets using the passenger terminal identifiers as indexes to retrieve the names of vehicle passengers from an information repository that maps names of vehicle passengers to passenger terminal identifiers;
generating connectivity metrics based on measurements performed on the packets over time and the identified names of the passengers; and
controlling communications between the wireless access points of the at least one cabin network and the passenger terminals based on the connectivity metrics.

2. The network analysis terminal of claim 1 , wherein:
the wireless access points are attached to structure of the vehicle at spaced apart locations along a cabin of the vehicle and are communicatively connected to the content server;
the operations for generating connectivity metrics, further comprise:
identifying occurrences of at least a threshold level of interference by an interfering passenger terminal to communications between the cabin wireless access points and the passenger terminals;
controlling each of the cabin wireless access points to measure and report to the network analysis terminal a direction which the interfering passenger terminal is located relative to the cabin wireless access point;
receiving the directions reported by the cabin wireless access points; and
estimating a location of the interfering passenger terminal within the cabin responsive to the directions reported by the cabin wireless access points; and

the operations for controlling communications between the wireless access points of the at least one cabin network and the passenger terminals based on the connectivity metrics, comprise
sending to a crew terminal a notification message that contains the estimated location of the interfering passenger terminal within the cabin and an indication that excessive interference by the interfering passenger terminal to the cabin wireless access points is occurring.

3. The network analysis terminal of claim 2 , wherein the operations for controlling communications between the wireless access points of the at least one cabin network and the passenger terminals based on the connectivity metrics, further comprise:
sending a message to the cabin wireless access points to block establishment of a communication link to the interfering passenger terminal.

4. The network analysis terminal of claim 1 , wherein:
the wireless access points are attached to structure of the vehicle at spaced apart locations along a cabin of the vehicle and are communicatively connected to the content server;
the operations for generating connectivity metrics, further comprise:
controlling each of the cabin wireless access points to measure and report to the network analysis terminal an interference signal strength of a signal received from an interfering passenger terminal that interferes with communications between the cabin wireless access point and passenger terminals; and

the operations for controlling communications through the at least one cabin network based on the connectivity metrics, comprise
responsive to the interference signal strengths received from the cabin wireless access points satisfying a defined remedial action rule, sending a message to the cabin wireless access points to block establishment of a communication link to the interfering passenger terminal.

5. The network analysis terminal of claim 1 , wherein:
the wireless access points are attached to structure of the vehicle at spaced apart locations along a cabin of the vehicle and are communicatively connected to the content server;
the operations for generating connectivity metrics, further comprise:
controlling each of the cabin wireless access points to measure and report to the network analysis terminal an interference signal strength of a signal received from an interfering passenger terminal that interferes with communications between the cabin wireless access point and passenger terminals; and

the operations for controlling communications between the wireless access points of the at least one cabin network and the passenger terminals based on the connectivity metrics, comprise
responsive to the interference signal strengths received from the cabin wireless access points satisfying a defined remedial action rule,
identifying the name of a vehicle passenger associated with the interfering passenger terminal using the passenger terminal identifier for the interfering passenger terminal as an index to within the information repository, and
sending to a crew terminal a notification message that contains the name of a vehicle passenger that is identified and an indication that excessive interference by the interfering passenger terminal to the cabin wireless access points is occurring.

6. The network analysis terminal of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
following occurrence of a defined event which is indicative of when all passengers should have departed the vehicle, identifying presence of an abandoned passenger terminal having a passenger terminal identifier that is addressed by content of a packet transmitted by the abandoned passenger terminal after the occurrence of the defined event,
wherein the operations for controlling communications between the wireless access points of the at least one cabin network and the passenger terminals based on the connectivity metrics, comprise
responsive to identifying presence of the abandoned passenger terminal,
identifying the name of a vehicle passenger associated with the abandoned passenger terminal using the passenger terminal identifier for the abandoned passenger terminal as an index to within the information repository, and
sending to a crew terminal a notification message that contains the name of the vehicle passenger that is identified and an indication that the abandoned passenger terminal may be abandoned within the vehicle.

7. The network analysis terminal of claim 6 , wherein the identifying presence of an abandoned passenger terminal having a passenger terminal identifier that is addressed by content of a packet transmitted by the abandoned passenger terminal after the occurrence of the defined event, comprises:
generating a listing of the passenger terminal identifiers which are addressed by content of the packets received by the network interface during travel by the vehicle; and
following occurrence of the defined event, identifying a passenger terminal identifier of the abandoned passenger terminal that is addressed by content of a packet transmitted by the abandoned passenger terminal after the occurrence of the defined event and that is contained in the listing of the passenger terminal identifiers generated during the travel by the vehicle.

8. The network analysis terminal of claim 1 , wherein:
the operations for generating connectivity metrics, comprise identifying from at least some received packets that a particular one of passenger terminals is operating as a wireless access point advertising to other passenger terminals a network c

Assignees

• Thales Avionics Inc

Inventors

• Still Brian A

Classifications

• H04W24/08

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic · CPC title

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• H04W8/18

  Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data · CPC title

• H04W4/021

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• H04W4/48

  for in-vehicle communication · CPC title