Authentication method for a passenger and corresponding software

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10149155-B2
Application number	US-201314381947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2013
Priority date	Feb 28, 2012
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

Authentication method and corresponding software for a passenger of an aircraft of an airline, wherein a data processing apparatus of the airline generates flight-specific authentication data for the use of an on-board communication device, and the authentication data are transmitted to a portable passenger device of the passenger by means of a communication network. The authentication data allow the authentication of the passenger device by wirelessly transmitting the authentication data to the onboard communication device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An authentication method for a passenger of an aircraft, comprising:
generating flight-specific authentication data via a processor;
generating flight-specific access data via the processor;
generating a single message via the processor,
wherein the single message comprises the flight-specific authentication data and the flight-specific access data;
transmitting the single message to a portable passenger device;
receiving a confirmation that the flight-specific access data is on the passenger device,
wherein upon receiving the confirmation that the flight-specific access data is on the passenger device permitting the passenger access to the aircraft at an airport;
providing an on-board communication device on board an aircraft;
receiving the flight-specific authentication data wirelessly transmitted from the portable passenger device to the on-board communication device via the on-board communication device,
wherein the on-board communication device receiving the flight-specific authentication data from the portable passenger device authenticates the portable passenger device to the on-board communication device, and
wherein the flight-specific authentication data permits authentication of the portable passenger device by the on-board communication device;
presenting the flight-specific authentication data to the on-board communication device from the portable passenger device; and
receiving media content from the on-board communication device.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein receiving the confirmation that the flight-specific access data is on the passenger device comprises receiving the confirmation that the flight-specific access data is on the portable passenger device at a turnstile to a boarding area of the airport for the aircraft, and
wherein upon receiving the confirmation that the flight-specific access data is on the passenger device at the turnstile to the boarding area of the airport for the aircraft, permitting the passenger access at the turnstile to the boarding area of the airport for the aircraft.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
wirelessly transmitting the flight-specific authentication data from the portable passenger device to the on-board communication device.

4. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
providing a receiver,
wherein receiving the confirmation that the flight-specific access data is on the portable passenger device comprises receiving a visual representation of the flight-specific access data presented on the portable passenger device via the receiver.

5. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
providing a receiver,
wherein receiving the confirmation that the flight-specific access data is on the portable passenger device comprises receiving a wireless communication from the portable passenger device via the receiver.

6. The method according to claim 2 ,
wherein the single message is transmitted to the portable passenger device in the form of a link.

7. The method according to claim 2 ,
wherein the portable passenger device comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium containing a set of instructions that when executed cause the portable passenger device to process the flight-specific access data.

8. The method according to claim 7 ,
wherein executing the set of instructions causes the portable passenger device to use the flight-specific access data to provide the confirmation that the flight-specific access data is on the portable passenger device to permit access to the aircraft at the airport.

9. The method according to claim 2 ,
wherein the portable passenger device comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium containing a set of instructions that when executed cause the portable passenger device to process the flight-specific authentication data.

10. The method according to claim 2 ,
wherein after the on-board communication device authenticates the portable passenger device, the on-board communication device permits access to an in-flight entertainment system using the portable passenger device.

11. The method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the access to the in-flight entertainment system using the portable passenger device is personalized based on the flight-specific authentication data.

12. The method according to claim 2 ,
wherein when the flight-specific authentication data transmitted from the portable passenger device to the on-board communication device is received by the on-board communication device, a hardware address of the portable passenger device is received by, and stored in, the on-board communication device and is used for further authentication of the portable passenger device.

13. The method according to claim 2 ,
wherein after the on-board communication device authenticates the portable passenger device, the on-board communication device permits access to at least one external data connection using the portable passenger device.

14. The method according to claim 13 ,
wherein after the on-board communication device authenticates the portable passenger device, the on-board communication device permits control of at least one playback device of the in-flight entertainment system that is connected to the on-board communication device using the passenger device.

15. The method according to claim 2 ,
wherein transmitting the single message to the portable passenger device comprises transmitting the single message to the portable passenger device via a communication network.

16. The method according to claim 2 ,
wherein the flight-specific authentication data contains encryption information for communication between the portable passenger device and the on-board communication device.

17. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the flight-specific access data and the flight-specific authentication data are specific to a certain flight of the aircraft,
wherein transmitting the single message to the portable passenger device comprises transmitting the single message to the portable passenger device before the passenger is on board the aircraft for the certain flight,
wherein transmitting the single message to the portable passenger device comprises transmitting the single message to the portable passenger device before the passenger is on board the aircraft for the certain flight,
wherein receiving the flight-specific authentication data wirelessly transmitted from the portable passenger device to the on-board communication device via the on-board communication device comprises the on-board communication device receiving the flight-specific authentication data wirelessly transmitted from the portable passenger device to the on-board communication device after the passenger is on board the aircraft for the certain flight, and
wherein receiving the confirmation that the flight-specific access data is on the passenger device comprises receiving the confirmation that the flight-specific access data is on the passenger device before the passenger is on board the aircraft for the certain flight.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing a set of instructions that when executed by a portable passenger device cause the portable passenger device to perform a method for authentication of a passenger of an aircraft, the method comprising:
receiving via a portable passenger device a single message in the form of an electronic boarding pass comprising flight-specific access data and flight-specific authentication data via a communicati

Assignees

• Lufthansa Technik Ag

Inventors

• Niss Frank

Classifications

• H04B7/18506

  Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service · CPC title

• G06F21/62

  Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules · CPC title

• H04L63/08

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title

• H04W12/06 Primary

  Authentication · CPC title