System and method for wireless communication between an aircraft and a passenger boarding bridge

A method of initiating wireless communication between an aircraft and a controller of a passenger boarding bridge, a parking space being defined adjacent to the passenger boarding bridge within which parking space the aircraft is parked during a current alignment operation, the method comprising:

• providing a passenger boarding bridge including a bridge alignment control system;
• associating a unique identifier with the passenger boarding bridge;
• displaying a target at a location that is proximate the passenger boarding bridge, the target comprising machine-readable bar code information relating to the unique identifier;
• using a receiver that is in communication with the bridge alignment control system, receiving a wireless signal transmitted from the aircraft;
• processing the wireless signal to determine a presence of data relating to the unique identifier within the wireless signal;
• and,
• accepting the wireless signal as a control signal for a current bridge alignment operation when it is determined that the wireless signal includes the data relating to the unique identifier.

A system for initiating wireless communication between an aircraft and a controller of a passenger boarding bridge, a parking space being defined adjacent to the passenger boarding bridge within which parking space the aircraft is parked during a current alignment operation, the system comprising:

• a target disposed at a location that is proximate the passenger boarding bridge and comprising machine-readable bar code information that is indicative of a unique identifier associated with the passenger boarding bridge;
• an imager disposed aboard the aircraft for scanning the target during a period of time in which the aircraft is parked within the parking space;
• a first processor disposed aboard the aircraft for extracting data relating to the unique identifier from the scanned image;
• a transmitter disposed aboard the aircraft and in communication with the first processor, the transmitter for wirelessly transmitting a signal encoded with the extracted data;
• a receiver disposed at a location that is remote from the aircraft for receiving the signal encoded with the extracted data;
• and,
• a second processor in communication with the receiver for processing the received signal and for identifying the extracted data contained within the received signal.