Patent ID: 8022843

Claim:
An aircraft for collecting data about the aircraft, the aircraft comprising: a set of wireless sensors attached to a first set of locations of the aircraft, wherein the set of wireless sensors are configured to collect data about the aircraft and wirelessly transmit the data as wireless signals; a set of wireless routers attached to a second set of locations of the aircraft, wherein the set of wireless routers is configured to receive the data in wireless signals transmitted by the set of wireless sensors, wherein the set of wireless routers comprises a first wireless router, a second wireless router, and a third wireless router; a window plug attached to the aircraft, the window plug comprising a first pane of material configured to pass the wireless signals and a second pane of material configured to substantially block the wireless signals; wherein the first wireless router is located on the aircraft in a first location such that the first wireless router is configured to receive the wireless signals directly from at least some of the set of wireless sensors through the first pane of material; wherein the second wireless router is located on the aircraft in a second location from which the second wireless router is configured to receive the wireless signals from the first wireless router; wherein the third wireless router is located on the aircraft in a third location that is on an opposite side of the second pane of material from the first wireless router from which the third wireless router is configured to receive the wireless signals from the second wireless router, and wherein the third wireless router is further located on the aircraft such that the second pane substantially blocks the wireless signals from being transmitted directly from the set of sensors to the third wireless router; and wherein the third wireless router is configured to route the wireless signals to a data processing system of the aircraft, wherein the data processing system is located on the aircraft in a location from which the second pane substantially blocks the wireless signals from being transmitted directly from the set of sensors to the data processing system.