System for managing mobile internet protocol addresses in an airborne wireless cellular network
View Patent ↗The Aircraft Mobile IP Address System provides wireless communication services to passengers who are located onboard an aircraft by storing data indicative of the individually identified wireless devices located onboard the aircraft. The System assigns a single IP address to each Point-to-Point Protocol link which connects the aircraft network to the ground-based communication network but also creates an IP subnet onboard the aircraft. The IP subnet utilizes a plurality of IP addresses for each Point-to-Point link thereby to enable each passenger wireless device to be uniquely identified with their own IP address. This is enabled since both Point-to-Point Protocol IPCP endpoints have pre-defined IP address pools and/or topology configured; each Point-to-Point Protocol endpoint can utilize a greater number of IP addresses than one per link. Such an approach does not change IPCP or other EVDO protocols/messaging but does allow this address to be directly visible to the ground-based communication network.
1. An Aircraft Mobile IP Address System for providing individual ground-based IP addresses to a plurality of passenger wireless devices which are located onboard an aircraft in-flight, comprising:
an aircraft network, located in said aircraft, for generating radio frequency communication signals to communicate with said plurality of passenger wireless devices located in said aircraft, each of said plurality of passenger wireless devices being assigned an IP address that is unique to each passenger wireless device on said aircraft network;
a ground-based Access Network for exchanging communication signals with at least one ground-based communication network; and
an Air-To-Ground network connected to said aircraft network and said ground-based Access Network, comprising:
an IP Address manager, located on the ground that assigns each passenger wireless device the IP address that is unique to and used exclusively for that passenger wireless device on the in-flight aircraft,
a plurality of Air-to-Ground Modems for implementing said radio frequency communications between said aircraft network and said ground-based Access Network wherein said plurality of Air-to-Ground Modems are each assigned an IP address by said ground-based communication network,
a Mobile IP Client, located in said aircraft and connected to said aircraft network and said plurality of Air-to-Ground Modems, for hosting a Home Address on said aircraft and managing assignment of the unique IP address on said aircraft network for each of said plurality of passenger wireless devices, and
a plurality of IP Tunnels, implemented in said plurality of Air-to-Ground Modems and connected to said Mobile IP Client, for transparently transmitting data packets between said aircraft network and said ground-based Access Network.
2. The Aircraft Mobile IP Address System of claim 1 wherein said Air-To-Ground network comprises:
a data concentrator, located on said aircraft, for converting the subscriber traffic and signaling channels received from said plurality of passenger wireless devices located in said aircraft to at least one aggregate data stream.
3. The Aircraft Mobile IP Address System of claim 1 wherein said Air-To-Ground network comprises:
a data disaggregator, located in said ground-based Access Network, for disaggregating said at least one aggregate data stream into a plurality of data streams and delivering each of said plurality of data streams to a corresponding ground-based communications network.
4. An Aircraft Mobile IP Address System for providing individual ground-based IP addresses to a plurality of passenger wireless devices which are located onboard an aircraft in-flight, comprising:
an aircraft network, located in said aircraft, for generating radio frequency communication signals to communicate with said plurality of passenger wireless devices located in said aircraft, each of said plurality of passenger wireless devices being assigned an IP address that is unique to each passenger wireless device on said aircraft network;
a ground-based Access Network for exchanging communication signals with at least one ground-based communication network; and
an Air-To-Ground network connected to said aircraft network and said ground-based Access Network, comprising:
a plurality of Air-to-Ground Modems for implementing said radio frequency communications between said aircraft network and said ground-based Access Network wherein said Air-to-Ground Modems are not assigned an IP address;
a Mobile IP Client, located in said aircraft and connected to said Air-to-Ground Modems, for hosting a Home Address, which is assigned by said ground-based communication network, on said aircraft to communicate between said aircraft network and said ground-based Access Network; and
wherein said Mobile IP Client assigns the unique IP address to each of said plurality of passenger wireless devices.
5. The Aircraft Mobile IP Address System of claim 4 wherein said Mobile IP Client associates its assigned IP address with said plurality of Air-to-Ground Modems.
6. An Aircraft Mobile IP Address System for providing individual ground-based IP addresses to a plurality of passenger wireless devices which are located onboard an aircraft in-flight, comprising:
an aircraft network, located in said aircraft, for generating radio frequency communication signals to communicate with said plurality of passenger wireless devices located in said aircraft, each of said plurality of passenger wireless devices being assigned an IP address that is unique to each passenger wireless device on said aircraft network;
a ground-based Access Network for exchanging communication signals with at least one ground-based communication network; and
an Air-To-Ground network connected to said aircraft network and said ground-based Access Network, comprising:
a plurality of Air-to-Ground Modems for implementing said radio frequency communications between said aircraft network and said ground-based Access Network wherein said plurality of Air-to-Ground Modems are each assigned an IP address by said ground-based communication network;
a Control Processing Unit, located in said aircraft and connected to said aircraft network and said plurality of Air-to-Ground Modems, for assigning the unique IP address to each of said plurality of passenger wireless devices; and
a plurality of IP Tunnels, implemented in said plurality of Air-to-Ground Modems and connected to said Control Processing Unit, for transmitting data packets between said aircraft network and said ground-based Access Network.
7. The Aircraft Mobile IP Address System of claim 6 wherein said Control Processing Unit hosts a tunnel endpoint function for said plurality of IP Tunnels.
8. The Aircraft Mobile IP Address System of claim 6 wherein said ground-based Access Network comprises:
an edge router, located on said ground-based Access Network, for hosting a tunnel endpoint function for said plurality of IP Tunnels.
9. The Aircraft Mobile IP Address System of claim 1 wherein said IP Address manager comprises:
a one of a Packet Data Serving Node and a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server.