# US 8,787,904 B1 · Aircraft based wireless communication system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,787,904 B1 - Document ID: US8787904B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 13/796,763 - Filed: 2013-03-12 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-12 - Assignees: Smartsky Networks LLC - Applicants: Smartsky Networks LLC - Inventors: Gerard James Hayes; Elbert Stanford Eskridge, Jr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787904B1 ## CPC - H04W 4/42: for mass transport vehicles, e.g. buses, trains or aircraft - H04B 7/18506: {Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract An aircraft may include an onboard wireless communication network. The network may include an access point disposed on the aircraft and at least one repeater station disposed spaced apart from the access point and capable of wireless communication with the access point or at least one remote sensor configured to wirelessly transmit information for delivery to the access point via a first wireless communication link. The at least one remote sensor may monitor at least one remote component of the aircraft and generating the information based on data indicative of an operational parameter or a status of the at least one remote component. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An aircraft comprising an onboard wireless communication network, the network comprising: an access point disposed on the aircraft; at least one repeater station disposed spaced apart from the access point and communication configured to wirelessly communicate with the access point; and at least one remote sensor configured to wirelessly transmit information for delivery to the access point via the at least one repeater station over a first wireless communication link in a given order or at a predetermined intervals, the at least one remote sensor monitoring at least one remote component of the aircraft and generating the information based on data indicative of an operational parameter or a status of the at least one remote component, wherein the first wireless communication link comprises a short range communication link from the at least one remote sensor to the access point or the at least one repeater station, and wherein the at least one repeater station is configured to (i) pass the information from the at least one remote sensor to the access point via a second wireless communication link that is different than the first wireless communication link and (ii) translate the information from a communication protocol associated with the first communication link to a different communication protocol prior to transmitting the information from the aircraft to a ground based station or a satellite communication station via the different communication protocol, and wherein the network further comprises a plurality of remote sensors that are grouped based on location in the aircraft to communicate with a closest one of a plurality of repeater stations to report the information associated with each respective one of the remote sensors to the access point via a corresponding one of the plurality of repeater stations. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the at least one repeater station is configured to translate the information prior to transmission to the access point via the second wireless communication link. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the at least one repeater station is configured to communicate with a ground based communication station via the second wireless communication link. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The aircraft of claim 3, wherein the second wireless communication link is employed to transmit the information from the at least one remote sensor to the ground based communication station substantially in real time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The aircraft of claim 4, wherein the access point is configured to communicate with a different aircraft via a third wireless communication link. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the at least one repeater station is configured to communicate with a satellite communication station via the second wireless communication link. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the second wireless communication link is employed to transmit the information from the at least one remote sensor to the satellite communication station substantially in real time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The aircraft of claim 7, wherein the access point is configured to communicate with a different aircraft via a third wireless communication link. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication link is employed to transmit the information from the at least one remote sensor to a satellite communication station or ground based communication station, and wherein the access point is configured to communicate with a different aircraft via a third wireless communication link. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the at least one remote sensor or the at least one repeater station is powered via a local power source disposed proximate to a respective one of the at least one remote sensor or the at least one repeater station. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The aircraft of claim 10, wherein the local power source is a rechargeable battery or a replaceable battery. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The aircraft of claim 11, wherein the rechargeable battery is rechargeable via at least one solar cell disposed at a portion of a fuselage of the aircraft. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the aircraft is a commercial airliner or an unmanned aerial vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein customer premises equipment is enabled to communicate with the access point to access information associated with the at least one remote sensor from within or outside of the aircraft. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the network further comprises a plurality of remote sensors, wherein each of the remote sensors is configured to wirelessly communicate with the access point. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The aircraft of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of remote sensors is associated with a respective unique identifier. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the access point is configured to translate the information from a communication protocol associated with the first communication link to a different communication protocol prior to transmitting the information from the aircraft via the different communication protocol. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication link is a one way communication link.