A method for wirelessly communicating data between a plurality of avionics units on an aircraft and a data communication apparatus. The method includes wirelessly communicating download data for one avionics unit from the data communication apparatus to an aircraft data services link in the aircraft; automatically switching a communication path from the aircraft data services link to the avionics unit responsive to the download data; and electronically communicating the download data from the data communication apparatus to the avionics unit via the automatically switched communication path.

Methods and apparatus for wireless upload and download of aircraft data

A method and devices are described for wirelessly uploading and downloading data to and from a mobile vehicular platform while within range of a coordinated network of base stations that monitor the location of the vehicle and optimize data throughput using any combination of diversity and beam forming adaptive antenna techniques while the vehicle is on the ground or additionally in the case of aircraft, not only on the ground, but also during take-off, climb, en-route, holding, on-approach, touchdown and rollout. Particularly, in describing this art, the intent is to address the aspects of a quantifiable vehicle environment, where the vehicle's behavior is predictable, such as in train routes, bus routes, ship dockings and aircraft flight plans.

Vehicle data services

Various aspects of an interactive multimedia system and associated methods. In general, the multimedia system employs central and peripheral hubs that function to provide services to a plurality of clients of a call manager server, or manager subsystem. The hubs and subsystem cooperate to serve requests originating in the plurality of clients. The client-server-client architecture allows for distributed processing and resource management. Redundant connections between the various network subsystems and hubs provide survivability. Each subsystem or hub is provided with the ability to initialize or recover from systemic errors, thereby distributing initialization and recovery. Certain of the distributed resources are capable of being managed from other subsystems, thereby allowing sharing of the resources. An open numbering plan allows efficient call treatment of dialed numbers. Call processing is sharable between multiple manager subsystems. Finally, an iterative process is employed to ensure that calls routed through the network travel the shortest possible path.

Distributed interactive multimedia system architecture

An integrated packet switching and circuit switching system comprising a number of switching modules (1000) each connected to a different plurality of user terminals (1001). Each switching module includes a time-slot interchange unit (1011) for providing circuit-switched communication channels and a control unit (1017) that controls the operation of the time-slot interchange unit. Each switching module also includes a packet switching unit (1400) used both to provide packet-switched communication channels among the user terminals connected to that switching module, and to switch control information between the user terminals (1001) and the control unit (1017) to establish circuit-switched calls and packet-switched calls.

Integrated packet switching and circuit switching system

A communications multiplexer module (CMM) assembles serial by bit data from a plurality of input ports into parallel-by-bit characters before transmitting them to a host computer. On output operations the host computer supplies characters parallel-by-bit to the communications multiplexer module and the module disassembles the characters into serial by bit data for distribution to output ports. The CMM includes a main memory for storing control words, there being one control word for each port. The main memory is scanned in a fixed sequence so that the control words are read out of the main memory in the same sequence that the input and output multiplexers for the ports are scanned. This permits most of the logic circuits of the CMM to be time shared between all ports the logic circuits being controlled in turn by each control word. Any port may be an input or an output port, the designation being determined by bits of the control word associated with the port. The control word also contains bits designating whether the port is to function in association with a synchronous or an asynchronous line adapter connected to the port, the number of bits in each character, and other information necessary for assembling input or disassembling output data and controlling the transfers between the ports and the computer. The control word has a character assembly/disassembly area where characters are assembled a bit at a time during input operations, and are disassembled a bit at a time during output operations. Characters are transferred between the assembly/disassembly area and the host computer through a storage area in the control word. Character detect tables are provided for sensing each input character after assembly, or each output character before disassembly and, if it is a control character, converting it into a standard control word code used within the CMM. The outputs from the character detect table control certain hard wired functions and, in addition, may address a second memory containing a plurality of control interpretation tables. In the character interpretation tables, each bit represents a specific function to be performed within the CMM. The control word associated with each port contains bits designating which character detect table and which control interpretation table is to be utilized with the port. This enables the CMM to recognize and respond to control functions in a uniform manner, even though the functions themselves may be represented by characters in different codes. Programmable procedure counters are provided for detecting various conditions such as a failure to detect an end character. Full error checking procedures are included in the CMM.

Communication multiplexer module

A communications system comprised of a multiplexer and a plurality of unit adapters for transferring data characters between a high speed digital computer and a plurality of relatively low speed data transmission devices operating online with the computer. A scanner circuit included in the multiplexer provides for sequential servicing, in turn, each of the unit adapters for transferring the data characters. The scanner circuit may be interrupted at any time such that the computer can transfer a function selector character to any of the unit adapters, the character determining whether the unit adapter will thereafter operate in an input or output mode. Monitor and control logic in each unit adapter has circuitry therein for detecting an overload condition resulting from online operation of the computer system during an input mode of operation, thereby detecting any loss of data in its real time operation and enabling the computer to monitor the circuits to correct the loss of data caused by the overload condition.

Melvyn S Berger

Papers

Communication multiplexer for online data transmission