Methods and systems for exchanging information between aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9515700-B2
Application number	US-201213587647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2012
Priority date	Aug 16, 2012
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

Methods and systems for use in exchanging information between aircraft at an airport are provided. The system includes a power system capable of providing power to each of the plurality of vehicles via an electric cable, at least one off-board broadband over power lines (BPL) module coupled to the power system. The at least one off-board BPL module is capable of communicating via the electric cable with an onboard BPL module on each of the plurality of vehicles. The system also includes a network coupled to each of the at least one off-board BPL modules for communicatively coupling each of the at least one off-board BPL modules such that the plurality of vehicles can exchange information via the network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for exchanging information between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, said system comprising:
a power system configured to provide power to the first vehicle and the second vehicle via respective electric cables; and
at least one off-board broadband over power lines (BPL) module coupled to said power system, said at least one off-board BPL module configured to:
communicate via the respective electric cables with an onboard BPL module on each of the first vehicle and the second vehicle,
establish a BPL communication link between the first vehicle and the second vehicle;
receive information from the first vehicle; and
transmit the received information to the second vehicle.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a network coupled to each of said at least one off-board BPL modules for communicatively coupling each of said at least one off-board BPL modules to facilitate exchange of information between the first vehicle and the second vehicle via said network.

3. A system in accordance with claim 2 , further comprising a server coupled to said network.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one off-board BPL module is configured to communicate in a point-to-point configuration.

5. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one off-board BPL module is configured to communicate in a point-to-multipoint configuration.

6. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one off-board BPL module is configured in a multicast configuration.

7. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one off-board BPL module is configured in a store-and-forward configuration.

8. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein each of said at least one off-board BPL modules is coupled to a display and a user interface device.

9. A system in accordance with claim 8 , wherein each of said at least one off-board BPL modules is configured to require user authentication.

10. A first aircraft comprising an onboard BPL module configured to:
communicatively couple with an off-board BPL module via an electric cable configured to provide electric power to said first aircraft;
initiate communication with the off-board BPL module; and
exchange information with a second aircraft via a BPL communication link established between said first aircraft and said second aircraft by the off-board BPL module.

11. A first aircraft in accordance with claim 10 , wherein said onboard BPL module is further configured to initiate communication with the off-board BPL module after receiving a user input.

12. A first aircraft in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the off-board BPL module is configured to communicate in a point-to-point configuration.

13. A first aircraft in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the off-board BPL module is configured to communicate in a point-to-multipoint configuration.

14. A first aircraft in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the off-board BPL module is configured in a multicast configuration.

15. A first aircraft in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the off-board BPL module is configured in a store-and-forward configuration.

16. A method comprising:
providing a power network configured to provide power to one or more aircraft;
providing a communications network;
coupling at least one off-board BPL module to the power network and the communications network;
coupling a first aircraft to the power network using a first electric cable, the first aircraft having a first onboard BPL module;
initiating, using the first onboard BPL module, communication with the at least one off-board BPL module via the first electric cable;
establishing a BPL communication link between the first onboard BPL module and a second onboard BPL module on a second aircraft using the at least one off-board BPL module; and
receiving information from the first aircraft; and
transmitting the received information to the second aircraft via the BPL communication link.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16 , further comprising coupling the second aircraft to the power network using a second electric cable, the second aircraft having a second onboard BPL module.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17 , further comprising exchanging information between the first aircraft and the second aircraft using the communications network.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18 , wherein exchanging information comprises exchanging at least one of software and data of at least one of in-flight entertainment systems, avionics systems, flight control systems, flight bag, and cabin systems.

Assignees

• Sampigethaya Radhakrishna G
• Mitchell Timothy M
• Kumar Anil L
• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Sampigethaya Radhakrishna G
• Mitchell Timothy M
• Kumar Anil L

Classifications

• H04B3/548

  the power on the line being DC (arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02) · CPC title

• H04B3/54 Primary

  Systems for transmission via power distribution lines · CPC title