Aircraft cabin personal telephone microcell

Abstract

A telecommunication system includes an interface device on board an aircraft that interfaces with a wireless phone of a user inside the aircraft and with a wireless bearer system, and a controller that controls the interface device to maintain RF emissions of the wireless phone below a predetermined level above which RF emissions will interfere with aircraft systems. The system may also include one or more of a wireless bearer system gateway on board the aircraft that converts signals received from the wireless phone to protocols of the wireless bearer system and that converts signals received from the wireless bearer system to protocols of the wireless phone, an antenna in a cabin of the aircraft that receives output signals from the wireless phone and conveys the output signals to the interface device, a media converter that conveys the signals between the antenna and the interface device, an RF detector that detects unwanted RF emissions above the predetermined level and unsupported cellphone types, and an external antenna that respectively transmits and receives direct cellular signals to and from the wireless phone when the aircraft is on the ground.

1 - 41 . (canceled)  
   
   
       42 . An on-board base station, comprising: 
 an interface device on board an aircraft that interfaces with a separate wireless device of a user inside the aircraft and with a wireless bearer system;    an RF detector that detects RF emissions of the separate wireless device;    a controller coupled to the RF detector, that controls RF emissions of the separate wireless device, as a function of detected RF emissions, to maintain the RF emissions below a predetermined level.    
   
   
       43 . An on-board base station according to  claim 42 , wherein the predetermined level is a level above which RF emissions will interfere with aircraft systems.  
   
   
       44 . An on-board base station according to  claim 42 , further comprising: 
 an antenna in a cabin of the aircraft that receives output signals from the separate wireless device and conveys the output signals to said interface device.    
   
   
       45 . An on-board base station according to  claim 44 , further comprising: 
 a media converter that conveys the signals between said antenna and said interface device.    
   
   
       46 . The on-board base station according to  claim 42  wherein the wireless device comprises a cellular telephone.  
   
   
       47 . A telecommunication system comprising: 
 an interface device on board an aircraft that interfaces with a wireless device of a user inside the aircraft and with a wireless bearer system;    a controller that controls RF emissions of the wireless device to maintain the RF emissions below a predetermined level;    an RF detector that detects unwanted RF emissions above the predetermined level and unsupported wireless device types,    wherein said controller alerts crew members of the aircraft to the unwanted RF emissions and unsupported cellphone types detected by said RF detector.    
   
   
       48 . A telecommunication system according to  claim 47 , further comprising: 
 an external antenna that respectively transmits and receives direct cellular signals to and from the separate wireless device when the aircraft is on the ground.    
   
   
       49 . A telecommunication system according to  claim 47 , wherein said interface device is a microcell.  
   
   
       50 . A telecommunication system according to  claim 47 , wherein said interface device is a picocell.  
   
   
       51 . A telecommunication system according to  claim 47 , wherein the wireless device is a cell phone.  
   
   
       52 . A telecommunication system, comprising: 
 an interface device on board an aircraft that interfaces with a wireless device of a user inside the aircraft and with a SATCOM system, said interface device receiving signals from and transmitting signals to the wireless device, receiving signals from and transmitting signals to the SATCOM system, and interfacing through the SATCOM system to a cellular network and then with a public switched telephone network to register the wireless device as a roaming subscriber on the contacted cellular network;    a controller that controls said interface device to maintain RF emissions of the wireless device below a predetermined level, the predetermined level being a level above which RF emissions may interfere with aircraft systems;    a SATCOM gateway on board the aircraft that converts signals received from the wireless device to protocols of the SATCOM system and that converts signals received from the SATCOM system to protocols of the wireless device;    an antenna in a cabin of the aircraft that receives output signals from the wireless device and conveys the output signals to said interface device;    a media converter that conveys the signals between said antenna and said interface device;    an RF detector that detects unwanted RF emissions above the predetermined level and unsupported wireless device types, wherein said controller alerts crew members of the aircraft to the unwanted RF emissions and unsupported wireless device types detected by said RF detector; and    an external antenna that respectively transmits and receives direct cellular signals to and from the wireless device when the aircraft is on the ground.    
   
   
       53 . An on-board base station, comprising; 
 means on board an aircraft for interfacing with a separate wireless device of a user inside the aircraft and with a wireless bearer system;    means for controlling RF emissions of the separate wireless device to maintain the RF emissions below a predetermined level, the predetermined level being a level above which RF emissions will interfere with aircraft systems,    wherein said means for interfacing receives signals from and transmits signals to the separate wireless device and receives signals from and transmits signals to the wireless bearer system;    means for detecting unwanted RF emissions above the predetermined level and unsupported cellphone types; and    wherein said means for controlling alerts crew members of the aircraft to the unwanted RF emissions and unsupported cellphone types detected by said means for detecting.    
   
   
       54 . An on-board base station according to  claim 53 , wherein the wireless bearer system is a SATCOM system, and 
 wherein said means for interfacing also interfaces through the SATCOM system to a cellular network and then with a public switched telephone network to register the wireless phone as a roaming subscriber on the contacted cellular network.    
   
   
       55 . An on-board base station implemented method of two-way communications using a separate wireless devices on board an aircraft, said method comprising the steps of: 
 interfacing on board the aircraft with the separate wireless devices of users inside the aircraft and with a wireless bearer system;    detecting RF emissions from the separate wireless devices above a predetermined level;    controlling RF emissions of the separate wireless devices as a function of the detected RF emissions to maintain the RF emissions below a predetermined level.    
   
   
       56 . The method according to  claim 55 , wherein the predetermined level is a level above which RF emissions may interfere with aircraft systems.  
   
   
       57 . Computer executable code stored on a computer readable medium for implementing a method in an on-board base station of two-way communications using separate wireless devices on board an aircraft, the method: 
 interfacing on board the aircraft with multiple separate wireless devices of one or more users inside the aircraft and with a wireless bearer system;    detecting unwanted RF emissions from the separate wireless devices above the predetermined level; and    controlling RF emissions of the separate wireless devices to maintain the RF emissions below a predetermined level.    
   
   
       58 . Computer executable code according to  claim 57 , wherein the predetermined level is a level above which RF emissions will interfere with aircraft systems.  
   
   
       59 . Computer executable code according to  claim 57 , said code for further executing the step of: 
 transmitting and receiving direct cellular signals to and from the separate wireless phone when the aircraft is on the ground.    
   
   
       60 . An on-board base station, comprising: 
 an interface device on board an aircraft that interfaces with a separate wireless phone of a user inside the aircraft and with a wireless bearer system;    an RF detector that detects RF emissions of the separate wireless phone;    a controller coupled to the RF detector, that controls RF emissions of the separate wireless phone, as a function of detected RF emissions, to maintain the RF emissions below a predetermined level.    
   
   
       61 . An on-board base station according to  claim 60 , further comprising: 
 an external antenna that respectively transmits and receives direct signals to and from the separate wireless phone when the aircraft is on the ground.