High bandwidth delivery and internet access for airborne passengers

Abstract

A method and a communications system in which a request for data transmitted by an airborne transmitter over a low-bandwidth air-to-ground communication system uplink and received by a ground-based receiver. The requested data is then transmitted over a high-bandwidth communication system downlink, such as a DBS satellite system downlink, preferably using an MPEG-2 compression technique, and received by an airborne receiver located on the same aircraft as the airborne transmitter. The received request for data is transmitted to a data network that contains the requested data, such as the Internet or a private data network, using circuit-switched techniques. According to the invention, the requested data includes one of video information, audio information and textual information.

1. A method for air to ground  air- to - ground  communication, comprising the steps of:
 (a) transmitting a request for a data session from an air borne  airborne terminal via an airborne transceiver and first antenna using a low bandwidth downlink to a ground based  ground- based  gateway linked to a server connected to a data network;  
 (b) transmitting a service initiation acknowledgement from the server to the airborne terminal via the ground based  ground- based  gateway, the low bandwidth downlink, the airborne transceiver and first antenna;  
 (c) transmitting a data request from the airborne terminal to the data network via the airborne transceiver and first antenna, low bandwidth down link, the ground based  ground- based  gateway and the server; and  
 (d) transmitting the requested data from the data network to the airborne terminal via a high bandwidth satellite uplink, an airborne receiver and second antenna.  
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the uplink is part of a DBS (digital broadcast satellite) satellite system. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the data network is the Internet. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the data network is a private network. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of transmitting the requested data over the high-bandwidth communication system uplink includes the step of using an MPEG-2 compression technique for transmitting the requested data over the high-bandwidth communication system uplink using the second antenna. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the requested data includes one of video information, audio information and textual information. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 (e) using an access management server to obtain the requested data from the data network and transmit the requested data to the airborne terminal via the high bandwidth satellite uplink and the airborne receiver and second antenna.  
 
     
     
       8. An air to ground  air- to - ground  communication system, comprising  comprising:
 (a) an airborne terminal coupled to an airborne transceiver and first antenna;  
 (b) a low bandwidth downlink provided by the airborne transceiver and first antenna;  
 (c) a ground based  ground- based  gateway for receiving the low bandwidth down link  downlink;  
 (d) a data network coupled to the ground based  ground- based  gateway via a server;  
 (e) a high bandwidth satellite uplink coupled to the data network; and  
 (f) an airborne receiver and second antenna coupled to the uplink whereby a data request from the airborne terminal is transmitted to the data network via the airborne transceiver and first antenna, the low bandwidth down link  downlink, the ground based  ground- based  gateway and the server and the requested data is transmitted by the data network to the airborne terminal via the high bandwidth satellite uplink and the airborne receiver and second antenna.  
 
     
     
       9. The system according to  claim 8 , wherein the uplink is part of a DBS satellite system. 
     
     
       10. The system according to  claim 8 , wherein the data network is the Internet. 
     
     
       11. The system according to  claim 8 , wherein the data network is a private network. 
     
     
       12. The system according to  claim 8 , wherein the DBS satellite system uses an MPEG-2 compression technique for transmitting the requested data over the high-bandwidth communication system uplink using the second antenna. 
     
     
       13. The system according to  claim 8 , wherein the requested data includes one of video information, audio information and textual information. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 8  further comprising:
 (g) an access management server coupled to the data network for obtaining and transmitting the requested data via the high bandwidth satellite uplink and the airborne receiver and second antenna.  
 
     
     
       15. A method for air- to - ground communication for use by an airborne passenger computer, the method comprising:      transmitting a request for data from the airborne passenger computer via an airborne transceiver and at least a first antenna using a low bandwidth communication link, wherein the low bandwidth communication link is a communication link from the air to the ground;        wherein the request for data is transmitted to a ground - based gateway linked to a server, wherein the server is coupled with the Internet, and wherein the requested data is available from the Internet; and        transmitting the requested data via the Internet to the airborne passenger computer via a high bandwidth satellite communication link, wherein the high bandwidth satellite communication link is a communication link from the ground to the air,        wherein the requested data is transmitted to the airborne passenger computer, via an airborne receiver coupled with a second antenna, in response to the request for data from the airborne passenger computer.     
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the high bandwidth satellite communication link is part of a DBS satellite system, and the low bandwidth communication link is part of either a North American Terrestrial System ( NATS )  or a European Terrestrial Flight Telephone System  ( TFTS ). 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the requested data includes gate information, video programs or Internet browsing information. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
   using an access management server to obtain the requested data from the Internet and transmit the requested data to the airborne terminal via the high bandwidth satellite communication link and the airborne receiver and second antenna.     
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the low bandwidth communication link is a satellite downlink having a bandwidth less than the bandwidth of the high bandwidth satellite communication link. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising an application programming interface ( API )  function, including at least one JAVA applet for execution by an Internet browser running on the passenger computer, wherein the API provides for configuration of data routes or messaging and presentation of data to the passenger.