Cabin telecommunication unit
View Patent ↗A cabin telecommunications unit that provides combined telephone and entertainment/information services onboard an aircraft. The includes a central data bus for exchanging data between components of the cabin telecommunication unit; a first processor connected to said central data bus for processing a communication received by the cabin telecommunication unit and directing the communication to a destination point within the cabin; and a second processor connected to said central data bus for processing and responding to requests for data stored within said cabin telecommunications unit.
1. A system comprising:
a cabin telecommunication unit, the cabin telecommunication unit including a wireless access interface to allow communication between the cabin telecommunication unit and at least one wireless device within an aircraft; and
an aircraft interface module in communication with the cabin telecommunication unit and configured to monitor a plurality of conditions of the aircraft;
wherein the aircraft interface module is configured to determine whether the aircraft is airborne or on the ground based on the plurality of conditions;
wherein the cabin telecommunication unit is configured to clear passenger details in response to the determined state of the aircraft;
the determined state being that the aircraft has landed.
2. A system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the aircraft interface module is configured to monitor whether the aircraft is airborne or on the ground by performing a weight on wheels assessment.
3. A system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the cabin telecommunication unit includes the aircraft interface module.
4. A system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the cabin telecommunication unit includes a switch processor and a file server processor in communication with one another.
5. A system as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the cabin telecommunication unit includes a communication bus and wherein the aircraft interface module, the switch processor, and the file server processor are in communication with the communication bus.
6. A system as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the switch processor is configured to direct data to components of the cabin telecommunication unit via the communication bus.
7. A system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the wireless access interface uses an 802.11 wireless communication standard.
8. A method comprising:
monitoring, via an aircraft interface module, a plurality of conditions of an aircraft;
determining, via a cabin telecommunication unit, a state of the aircraft; and
clearing passenger details based on the determined state of the aircraft; the determined state being that the aircraft has landed.
9. A method as set forth in claim 8 , further comprising monitoring, via the aircraft interface module, whether the aircraft is airborne or on the ground.
10. A method as set forth in claim 9 , wherein monitoring whether the aircraft is airborne or on the ground includes performing a weight on wheels assessment.
11. A method as set forth in claim 9 , further comprising directing data to components of the cabin telecommunication unit via a communication bus.
12. A method as set forth in claim 9 , further comprising allowing, via a wireless access interface, wireless communication between the cabin telecommunication unit and at least one wireless device within the aircraft.
13. A system comprising:
a cabin telecommunication unit having a plurality of components in communication with one another via a communication bus, the components including:
an aircraft interface module configured to monitor a plurality of conditions of an aircraft, including monitoring whether the aircraft is airborne or on the ground;
a wireless access interface configured to allow wireless communication between the cabin telecommunication unit and at least one wireless device within the aircraft; and
a file server processor in communication with the aircraft interface module and the wireless access interface, to provide information to the at least one wireless device;
wherein the cabin telecommunication unit is configured to determine a state of the aircraft and clear passenger details after determining that the aircraft has landed.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the wireless access interface uses an 802.11 wireless communication standard.