Patent ID: 8190147
Filing Date: 2012-05-29
Classification: H04B,H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of operating an aircraft communication system, the method comprising: establishing a connection between at least one aircraft that is a member of an air-to-air communication network of aircraft and a ground station that is a part of a wireless network; using the connection to communicate messages between an aircraft in the air-to-air communication network and a terrestrial end system; in response to establishing the connection between the aircraft and the ground station, sending a register message and topology information from the aircraft to a route computing system, wherein the register message and topology information are sent via the wireless network and a terrestrial network that is in communication with the wireless network; in response to establishing the connection between the aircraft and the ground station, advertising by the aircraft to other aircraft in the air-to-air communication network that the aircraft is available as a gateway node between the air-to-air communication network and the wireless network; and dynamically updating topology information maintained by the route computing system based on the topology information received from the aircraft.