Patent ID: 8169946
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: H04B,H04L,H04N,H04W

Abstract:
1. A communications system for an aircraft carrying at least some personnel having personal electronic devices (PEDs) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft, the communications system comprising: a ground-based communications network comprising a plurality of spaced apart base stations; at least one access point in the aircraft for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for data communications with the PEDs; an air-to-ground transceiver in the aircraft cooperating with said at least one access point for data communications with said ground-based communications network; first and second base stations defining respective first and second adjacent coverage areas and comprising respective first and second hard handoff controllers for implementing a hard handoff of a data communications channel with said air-to-ground transceiver as the aircraft moves from the first coverage area to the second adjacent coverage area; and an aircraft hard handoff controller in the aircraft cooperating with said first and second hard handoff controllers, and comprising a buffer for temporarily storm data during the hard handoff.