Patent ID: 8344912

Claim:
A sensor network in an aircraft for collecting data about the aircraft, the sensor network comprising: a set of wireless sensors attached to a first set of locations of the aircraft; 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 data in wireless signals transmitted by the set of wireless sensors; a set of gateways connected to an aircraft data processing system, wherein the set of gateways is configured to receive the data in the wireless signals from the set of wireless routers to form received data and configured to transmit the received data into the aircraft data processing system; a window plug incapable of passing a wireless signal containing detected data originating from a selected wireless sensor in the set of wireless sensors through the window plug, wherein the selected wireless sensor is attached to a location in the first set of locations located outside of the aircraft, wherein the window plug further comprises: a first pane of material that passes wireless signals; and a second pane of material that blocks the wireless signals; a wireless router coupled to the window plug, wherein the wireless router is configured to receive the wireless signal containing the detected data to form a received wireless signal and configured to transmit the received wireless signal to another wireless router in the set of wireless routers, wherein the first pane is attached to a fuselage of the aircraft and the second pane is connected to a sidewall within the aircraft, a gap is present between the first pane and the second pane, a seal is present between edges of the first pane and the second pane, and the wireless router is coupled to the seal.