Short messaging method and system for airborne passengers
AssigneeCingular Wireless II, LLC
InventorsIoan Leuca, Wen-Ping Ying
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air-to-ground telecommunications system allows callers to store messages on an aircraft data server when sufficient air-to-ground communication bandwidth is unavailable for transmitting a call. The system allows aircraft callers to leave voice, fax, e-mail or other data messages. The messages are stored on the aircraft until sufficient bandwidth becomes available for transmission to the ground. Transmitting messages requires shorter air time and more efficient bandwidth usage because messages do not require a high degree of interaction between parties. The messages can also be compressed before transmission for further efficiently using aircraft-to-ground bandwidth.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a ground station configured to receive a combined message via a ground station antenna;
- and
- a server configured to receive the combined message from the ground station and parse the combined message into at least one individual message and send a delivery receipt to a sender associated with the at least one individual message, wherein the receipt is transmitted from the ground station antenna to an aircraft antenna.
A method for receiving a call, comprising:
- receiving a combined message directed to a ground station;
- parsing the combined message into at least one individual message;
- and
- sending a delivery receipt to a sender of the at least one individual message.
A method for receiving an individual message, comprising:
- determining an available communication bandwidth;
- receiving a combined message directed to a ground station if the available communication bandwidth is sufficient;
- and
- parsing the combined message to obtain the individual message.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.