Geofencing in commercial transport vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11297461-B2
Application number	US-202016867389-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2020
Priority date	May 5, 2020
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods for geofencing in commercial transport vehicles are disclosed. An exemplary method includes establishing, based on a heat map of signal strength at frequencies used by a first wireless protocol in the commercial transport vehicle, a geofence for communication by a user, and controlling, based on the geofence, an availability or a level of one or more services to the user, wherein the geofence comprises one or more boundaries within the commercial transport vehicle, and wherein the one or more services are deactivated if a location of the user is outside the one or more boundaries of the geofence.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for geofencing in a commercial transport vehicle, comprising:
establishing, based on a heat map of signal strength at frequencies used by a first wireless protocol in the commercial transport vehicle, a geofence for communication by a user; and
controlling, based on the geofence, an availability or a level of one or more services to the user,
wherein the geofence comprises one or more boundaries within the commercial transport vehicle, and wherein the one or more services are deactivated if a location of the user is outside the one or more boundaries of the geofence.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is a passenger in the commercial transport vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
establishing, over a second wireless protocol, a pairing between a portable electronic device (PED) of the passenger and a seat location of the passenger,
wherein the providing the one or more services is further based on the pairing.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the seat location of the passenger is indicative of a passenger class zone, wherein the geofence is further based on the passenger class zone, and wherein the one or more services are offered to the passenger through the PED.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the commercial transport vehicle is an aircraft, wherein the passenger class zone comprises first class or business class, and wherein the one or more services comprise discounted or free access to in-flight entertainment or communications.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
blocking, upon a determination that the passenger is outside the geofence, a pairing request between a portable electronic device (PED) of the passenger and a seat location of the passenger.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is a flight crew member of the commercial transport vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless protocol and the second wireless protocol are selected from a group consisting of a BLUETOOTH protocol, a WI-FI protocol, a near-field communication (NFC) protocol, a cellular protocol, and a 60 GHz communication protocol.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first wireless protocol is identical to the second wireless protocol.

10. An apparatus for geofencing in a commercial transport vehicle, comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive, from an external database, a heat map of signal strength at frequencies used by a first wireless protocol in the commercial transport vehicle;
establish, based on the heat map, a geofence for communication by a passenger; and
control, based on the geofence, an availability or a level of one or more services to the passenger,
wherein the geofence comprises one or more boundaries within the commercial transport vehicle, and wherein the one or more services are deactivated if a location of the passenger is outside the one or more boundaries of the geofence.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
establish, over a second wireless protocol, a pairing between a portable electronic device (PED) of the passenger and a seat location of the passenger,
wherein the providing the one or more services is further based on the pairing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the seat location of the passenger is indicative of a passenger class zone, wherein the geofence is further based on the passenger class zone, and wherein the one or more services are offered to the passenger through the PED.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the commercial transport vehicle is an aircraft, wherein the passenger class zone comprises first class or business class, and wherein the one or more services comprise discounted or free access to in-flight entertainment or communications.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
block, upon a determination that the passenger is outside the geofence, a pairing request between a portable electronic device (PED) of the passenger and a seat location of the passenger.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first wireless protocol and the second wireless protocol are selected from a group consisting of a BLUETOOTH protocol, a WI-FI protocol, a near-field communication (NFC) protocol, a cellular protocol, and a 60 GHz communication protocol.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first wireless protocol is identical to the second wireless protocol.

Assignees

• Panasonic Avionics Corp

Inventors

• Watson Philip
• Bates Steven

Classifications

• H04W4/80 Primary

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W48/04

  based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed · CPC title

• H04W12/122

  Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices · CPC title

• H04W88/08

  Access point devices · CPC title

• H04W84/06

  Airborne or Satellite Networks (space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185) · CPC title