Thales Avionics, Inc.

Maneesha Sumien

Khosro Rabii

Jean-Yves Couleaud

Jay Eggenberger

Martin A Matura

Agnes Galzy

Ammeeta Sanker

Sam Martorella

Sylvia Arndt

Mitchell Miers

An aircraft cabin communication system includes a wireless access point (WAP) and a connectivity server. The WAP transmits a beacon indicating Hotspot capability and identifying an open SSID, establishes a connection with a first passenger electronic device (PED) carried onboard an aircraft responsive to communications received from the first PED using the open SSID, and provides a list of mobile network operators (MNOs) to the first PED. The connectivity server receive a request to setup a PDU session through the Internet for the first PED. The request identifies a mobile network operator (MNO) associated with the first PED. The connectivity server initiates authentication using extensible authentication protocol (EAP) communications with the first PED and an authorization, authentication, and accounting (AAA) server associated with a partner MNO connected with the MNO identified by the first PED. Responsive to the AAA server granting access to the first PED, the connectivity server triggers the WAP to redirect communications with the first WAP to a hidden SSID, sets up the PDU session for the first PED using the hidden SSID, and performs network resource usage measurements for traffic in the PDU session for the first PED.

Providing aircraft in flight roaming for passenger electronic devices to home mobile network operator

A communications system supports transactions through seat video display units (SVDUs) and/or passenger electronic devices (PEDs) onboard aircraft. A ground-based server uploads to an aircraft server a set of promotions and associated criteria, where each criteria defines a condition that must be satisfied before transactions can be completed to obtain an associated one of the promotions. The ground-based server receives reports containing promotion usage metrics from the aircraft server, determines whether any of the criteria conditions are satisfied based on the promotion usage metrics, and when one of the criteria conditions associated with a satisfied one of the promotions is determined to be satisfied, sends a notification to the aircraft server that authorizes completion of the transactions for the satisfied one of the promotion. The vehicle server promotes the set of promotions and sends reports containing promotion usage metrics to the ground-based server.

Communications systems supporting transactional promotions through in-flight entertainment systems onboard aircraft

An entertainment system includes video display units that can establish Bluetooth connections with user terminals. A central Bluetooth controller is connected to control establishment of Bluetooth connections between the user terminals and the video display units. The central Bluetooth controller receives connection authorization requests from the video display units, and generates connection authorization decisions based on application of a Bluetooth connection rule to characteristics of the user terminals which are identified from the connection authorization requests. The connection authorization decisions are then used to control whether Bluetooth connections are established between the user terminals and the video display units, and to control what security mode levels are used when establishing and using the Bluetooth connections for signaling therebetween.

In-flight entertainment systems with a central bluetooth controller controlling bluetooth connections between passenger terminals and video display units

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Mission Viejo, CA, United States of America

Maneesha Sumien