HK1242078B - System for customizing electronic services for delivery to a passenger in an airborne wireless cellular network - Google Patents

Description

System for delivering customized electronic services to passengers via an in-flight wireless cellular network

The present application is a divisional application of the Chinese patent application with application number 200880125768.4 and titled “System for delivering customized electronic services to passengers in an airborne wireless cellular network”.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to cellular communications and, more particularly, to a system that enables passengers' wireless devices to receive customized electronic content from an in-flight wireless cellular network.

Background Art

There exists a problem in the field of wireless communications in managing electronic content provided to passengers located in an aircraft as the passengers roam among cell sites of a non-terrestrial cellular communication network.

In the world of terrestrial cellular communications, it is common for wireless users to move around in the area served by their home cellular service provider and maintain their desired subscriber feature sets. The availability of feature sets throughout the home network is managed by the home wireless service provider's database, commonly referred to as the Home Location Register (HLR), which uses data connections to one or more switches (packet or circuit) and various ancillary devices, such as voicemail and short message servers, for seamless feature set management.

If a wireless user changes networks, from the coverage area of their home cellular network to the network of the same or another cellular service provider (referred to herein as a "roaming cellular service provider"), the wireless user should be able to make and receive calls in a uniform manner, regardless of their location. Furthermore, it should be possible for a given user's feature set to move transparently with them. However, in order to make this feature set portable, a shared database file is required, where the home cellular service provider's home location register (HLR) sends the user's authorized feature set profile to the roaming cellular service provider's database, commonly referred to as a visitor location register or VLR. The VLR then recognizes that a given roaming wireless user has been authorized for a certain feature set and enables the roaming cellular service provider network to transparently provide these features to the wireless user. In this way, the roaming wireless user retains the same authorized feature set, or "subscriber class," as they would have in their home cellular service provider's network.

When wireless users access a non-terrestrial cellular communication network (i.e., they are traveling as passengers on an airplane), they encounter a unique environment that is traditionally inaccessible to terrestrial cellular networks. The airplane's wireless network connects the user (herein, "passenger") to a variety of services and content. Thus, the airplane's wireless network can act as a content filter or create unique types of content targeted to airplane passengers. The management and generation of this content needs to be handled within the existing wireless network. Furthermore, various services related to the user's travel plans and/or the user's flight while traveling are currently not available to the user.

Summary of the Invention

The aforementioned problems are addressed and advances in the art are achieved in the present system for customized electronic content delivery to users in an inflight wireless cellular network (referred to herein as a "customized electronic content delivery system") that enables a passenger's wireless device operating in an inflight wireless cellular network to receive a delivery of content customized for a particular user.

The customized electronic content delivery system provides customized electronic content to passengers on board an aircraft by storing data indicating a plurality of electronic content items available to passengers on board an aircraft. Based on the stored data, the customized electronic content delivery system further stores a plurality of electronic content items indicating passenger preferences and associates at least one of the plurality of electronic content items with the identified passenger. Once communication is established, the customized electronic content delivery system informs the passenger of the availability of the customized electronic content and, in response to the passenger selecting one of the plurality of electronic content items, establishes wireless communication between the passenger's wireless device and the selected one of the electronic content items.

Customized e-services for passengers include in-flight entertainment, such as multimedia shows, and destination-based services that connect passengers' existing travel plans with additional service offerings, where these services are available to passengers at their designated destination and their planned travel schedule. Thus, during the flight, passengers have the opportunity to enhance their travel experience both in-flight and at their destination.

Configuration of the customized electronic content delivery system may be achieved in part by utilizing an "internal network" that connects two portions of an "external network," including the airborne subsystem and the ground-based portion of the non-terrestrial cellular communication network. The internal network transmits user traffic (including voice and/or other data) and feature set data between the airborne subsystem and the ground-based cellular communication network, thereby enabling user wireless devices located in the aircraft to receive consistent wireless communication service in both terrestrial (ground-based) and non-terrestrial areas.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 shows, in block diagram form, the overall structure of a hybrid air-ground network that interconnects a ground-based communication network with an airborne subsystem;

FIG2 illustrates, in block diagram form, the architecture of an exemplary embodiment of a typical aircraft-based network for wireless devices embodied in a multi-passenger commercial aircraft;

FIG3 shows the structure of a customized electronic service delivery system in the form of a block diagram;

FIG4 illustrates, in flow chart form, typical operations of a passenger-based content management system portion of a customized electronic service delivery system for delivering customized content to passengers;

Figure 5 shows a typical mapping from content sources to content of interest to users;

FIG6 shows, in block diagram form, a typical configuration of a database used by a customized electronic content delivery system;

7 and 8 illustrate a typical set of data used by a customized electronic content delivery system for delivering destination-based services and user-specific content;

FIG9 illustrates, in flowchart form, typical operations of the destination service management system portion of a customized electronic service delivery system for delivering services at a destination customized for a specific passenger.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overall system structure

FIG1 illustrates, in block diagram form, the overall structure of a typical non-terrestrial cellular communication network, comprising an air-to-ground network 2 (internal network) interconnected with two portions of an external network, the external network comprising an air subsystem 3 and a ground subsystem 1. This diagram illustrates the basic concepts of a non-terrestrial cellular communication network and, for the sake of simplicity, does not include all components found in a typical non-terrestrial cellular communication network. The basic components disclosed in FIG1 provide a teaching of the interrelationships between the various components for implementing a non-terrestrial cellular communication network to provide content to wireless devices of passengers in an aircraft.

The overall concept illustrated in FIG1 is to provide an "internal network" that connects two portions of an "external network," which includes the Air Subsystem 3 and the Ground Subsystem 1. The Air-to-Ground Network 2 transmits passenger communication traffic (including voice and/or other data) and control information, as well as feature set data, between the Air Subsystem 3 and the Ground Subsystem 1, thereby enabling wireless devices of passengers in the aircraft to receive services within the aircraft.

Air Subsystem

The "air subsystem" is a communication environment implemented in an aircraft, where these communications are based on various technologies, including but not limited to: wired, wireless, optical, acoustic (ultrasonic), etc. An example of such a network is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,788,935, entitled "Aircraft-Based Network for Wireless Subscriber Base Stations."

The preferred embodiment of the Air Subsystem 3 uses wireless technology that is local to the passenger wireless devices carried by passengers and crew on the aircraft. Thus, a portable computer can communicate via WiFi or WiMAX wireless mode (or via a wired connection such as a LAN), or a PDA can conduct telephone voice services via VoIP (Voice over IP technology). Similarly, handheld mobile phones using the GSM protocol communicate via GSM when inside the aircraft of the Air Subsystem. CDMA mobile phones use CDMA and analog AMPS phones use analog AMPS when inside the aircraft of the Air Subsystem 3. The connection state can be packet switched or circuit switched or both. In general, the goal of the Air Subsystem 3 is to enable all passenger wireless devices carried by passengers and crew to access the Air Subsystem 3 seamlessly from anywhere, regardless of the technology used by these wireless devices.

The Air Subsystem 3 also provides a mechanism for managing the configuration of services available to passengers' wireless devices in the cabin. This management includes not only providing passenger service connectivity but also providing the availability of a set of non-land-specific features that are authorized for each user to receive. These features include in-flight entertainment services, such as multimedia presentations, and destination-based services that link to passengers' existing travel plans and provide additional services that are available for the passenger's designated destination and their planned travel schedule. This provides passengers with opportunities to enhance their travel experience both during the flight and at their destination.

The passenger wireless devices 101 used in the aircraft are identical to those used in the cellular/PCS ground-based communication network 1; however, these passenger wireless devices 101 are pre-registered with the carrier serving the aircraft, and/or the user has a PIN code for authentication. Additionally, antennas interconnect the passenger wireless devices 101 with base transceiver stations (BTSs) 111-114 in the cabin, which typically have picocells with integrated BSC/MSC functionality. BTS/BSC/MSC modules are added for each supported air interface technology. A switch/router 122 acts as a bridge between the air subsystem 3 and the ground-based communication network 1 (for limited extension of media/content and signaling), as the switch/router 122 connects calls to the ground-based communication network 1 via the air-to-ground network 2 using a modem 123.

Air-to-Ground Network

As is apparent from FIG1 , the air-to-ground network 2 is a wireless communication (radio frequency or optical) network that is located between the ground-based communication network 1 and the wireless devices of passengers in the aircraft, preferably using a radio frequency connection. This radio frequency connection utilizes a cellular topology, where more than one cell typically defines the geographic extent or coverage area of the hybrid air-to-ground network 2. This air-to-ground connection carries both passenger communication traffic and local network signaling traffic.

Alternatively, the air-to-ground network 2 can be implemented via a wireless satellite connection, wherein radio frequency links are established between the aircraft and the satellite and between the satellite and the ground-based communication network 1, respectively. These satellites can be geosynchronous (appearing to be stationary relative to a reference point on the Earth) or mobile, such as medium earth orbit (MEO) and low earth orbit (LEO). Examples of satellites include, but are not limited to, Ku-band geosynchronous satellites, DBS satellites (direct broadcast satellites), the Iridium system, the Globalstar system, and the International Maritime Satellite system. In the case of dedicated satellites, such as those used for direct broadcast, the link is typically unidirectional, that is, from the satellite to the receiving platform (in this case, the aircraft). In such a system, a unidirectional link needs to be sent from the aircraft to make the communication bidirectional. This link can be a satellite or essentially a ground-based wireless link as described above. Finally, other modules for communicating with the aircraft include wide area links, such as HF (high frequency) radio and more specialized systems, such as tropospheric scatter structures.

Air-to-Ground Network 2 can be considered a conduit through which passenger traffic and control data, as well as network profile data, are transmitted between Ground Subsystem 1 and Air Subsystem 3. Air-to-Ground Network 2 can be implemented as a single radio frequency link or as multiple radio frequency links, with some signals routed over different types of links, such as an air-to-ground link and a satellite link. Consequently, there is considerable flexibility in implementing such a system, allowing the various components and architectural concepts disclosed herein to be used in various combinations.

Ground subsystem

The ground subsystem 1 consists of an edge router 140, which connects the voice services of the air-to-ground network 2 to traditional cellular communication network components, including a base station controller 141, a mobile switching center 142 associated with its visitor location register, a home location register (which interconnects the voice services to the public switched telephone network 144), and other such functional components. Furthermore, to complete calls, the base station controller 141 is connected to the Internet 147 via a public switched data network 143. The edge router 140 also provides interconnection for data services to the Internet 147 and the public switched data network 144 through an IP telephony server 146, and provides other such functions. These functions include an authentication server, an operations subsystem, CALEA, and a BSS server 145.

Thus, communications between a passenger's wireless device 101 in an aircraft and the ground subsystem 1 of the ground-based communication network are transmitted via the air subsystem 3 and the air-to-ground network 2 to the ground-based base station controller 141 of the non-terrestrial cellular communication network. The enhanced functionality provided by the air subsystem 3, the air-to-ground network 2, and the ground-based base station controller 141, described below, provides services to the passenger's wireless device 101 in an aircraft that are transparent to the passenger.

Typical aircraft-based network

FIG2 illustrates, in block diagram form, the architecture of an exemplary embodiment of an aircraft-based network for wireless devices, as embodied in a multi-passenger commercial aircraft. This system includes multiple components for implementing a communications backbone that facilitates wireless communications for multiple wireless communication devices of varying nature. The aircraft-based network for passenger wireless devices includes a local area network 206, which includes a radio frequency communication system 201 operating in a spread spectrum mode and with short-range operation. This network 206 supports circuit-switched and packet-switched connections from passenger wireless devices 221-224 and interconnects communications from these passenger wireless devices 221-224 to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) 144 and other destinations, such as the Internet 147 or the public switched data network (PSDN), via a gateway transceiver or transceiver 210. Wireless passengers thus retain their unique digital identities, as if they were directly connected to the public switched telephone network 144. Passenger's wireless devices 221-224 include different communication devices, such as portable computer 221, cellular phone 222, MP3 music player (not shown), personal digital assistant (PDA) (not shown), WiFi-based device 223, WiMAX-based device 224, etc. For the sake of simplicity, all devices are referred to herein as "passenger's wireless devices" without considering the specific details of their implementation.

The basic components of an aircraft-based network for passenger wireless devices include at least one antenna 205, or a module that couples electromagnetic energy to or from an airborne subsystem 3 within the aircraft 200, which is used to communicate with multiple passengers' wireless devices 221-224 within the aircraft 200. The at least one antenna 205 is connected to a wireless controller 201, which contains multiple components for controlling communications with the multiple passengers' wireless devices 221-224. The wireless controller 201 includes at least one low-power radio frequency transceiver 202, which uses wireless communication modes such as PCS, CDMA, or GSM to provide a circuit-switched communication space. In addition, the wireless controller 201 includes a low-power radio frequency transceiver 203, which uses wireless communication modes such as WiFi (which can also transmit packet-switched IP voice (VoIP)) to provide a data packet-based switched communication space.

Finally, wireless controller 201 includes a power control section 204 for controlling the power output of multiple passenger wireless devices. This section also prevents cabin passenger wireless devices from directly and erroneously accessing the ground network when in non-terrestrial mode, through RF noise and interference mitigation. The ultra-low over-the-air transmit power level feature indicates that the power control section 204 of the aircraft-based network wireless controller 201 controls the passenger wireless devices to adjust the output signal power generated by the passenger wireless devices 221-224, thereby minimizing the likelihood of cellular signals being received by ground-based base stations or ground-based passenger wireless devices.

Obviously, the above parts of the wireless controller 201 can be combined or separated in various ways to generate implementations different from those disclosed herein. In order to illustrate the concept of the present invention, the specific implementation is selected, but the specific implementation does not limit the application of the concept to other implementations.

Wireless controller 201 is connected via local area network 206 to various other components that provide services to passengers' wireless devices 221-224. These other components include aircraft interface 209, which provides management, switching, routing, and aggregation functions for communication transmissions from passengers' wireless devices. Data acquisition component 207 interfaces with various flight system sensors 211-214 and global positioning system component 216 to collect data from various sources as described below. Additionally, pilot communication devices, such as display 217 and headset 218, are connected to local area network 206 via either wired or wireless connections.

Finally, gateway transceiver 210 is used to interconnect aircraft interface 209 to antenna 215, allowing signals from the aircraft-based network for passenger wireless devices to be transmitted to transceivers located on the ground. Included in these components is the communication router function, which forwards communication signals to the correct destination. Thus, signals destined for passengers on the aircraft are routed to these passengers, while signals destined for passengers on the ground, for example, are routed to the ground subsystem. Aircraft antenna patterns that generally minimize nadir (towards the Earth) effective radiated power (ERP) can be used in the implementation of antenna 215 on the aircraft to serve the aircraft-based network for passenger wireless devices.

Passenger login access system

On every aircraft, passenger access to electronic communications is typically controlled through a registration process for their wireless device. Each electronic device must be identified, authenticated, and authorized to receive service. For wireless communications between a passenger's wireless device and the aircraft's existing in-flight wireless network, the aircraft is a fully equipped environment, so all communications are controlled by a network controller. Therefore, when a passenger activates their wireless device, a communication session is initiated between the passenger's wireless device and the network controller to identify the type of device the passenger is using and its wireless protocol. A "splash screen" is sent to the passenger on the user's wireless device to announce access to the wireless network. Once established, the network controller sends a series of login screens to the passenger's wireless device, allowing the passenger to identify themselves and verify their identity (if the passenger's wireless device is not already equipped to perform these tasks automatically, a smart client can be used to automatically log the passenger into the network). As a result of this approach, the passenger's wireless device is provided with a unique electronic identity (IP address), and the network can respond to the passenger's wireless device without requiring additional administrative overhead. The authentication process can include the use of security measures such as passwords, scanning of unchangeable passenger characteristics (fingerprints, retina, etc.), and so on.

Once logged into the passenger's wireless device, the passenger can access free standard electronic services that are available on the network or customized electronic services for a specific passenger, as described below. The screen provided to the passenger can be customized to present the name of the airline on which the passenger is traveling. The customized electronic service delivery system 300 can be located on the ground as shown in Figure 3 or alternatively implemented in whole or in part on a separate aircraft 320, 321. For simplicity of description, the customized electronic service delivery system 300 is shown as being implemented on the ground and can be used to serve multiple aircraft 320, 321. The content sources 351-35M shown in Figures 3 and 5 are included in the customized electronic service delivery system 300 and provide a variety of entertainment and information that are mapped into multiple data streams that are available to passengers on the aircraft. 5 , these products can be categorized into typical categories: movies and videos 531, live TV 532, live radio 533, music and audio entertainment 534, e-commerce and shopping 535, video games 536, games and other interactive services 537, social networks 538, and “Flightgeist” (flight-related travel information) 539, each of which includes multiple options for passengers. Additionally, the content may include passenger-generated content 361, such as photos of travel destinations, and community-generated content 361, such as electronic bulletin boards where passengers can post reviews and descriptions of various topics, such as restaurant ratings for the destinations the plane is about to fly.

Customized electronic service delivery system

FIG3 illustrates, in block diagram form, the structure of a customized electronic service delivery system 300. A plurality of aircraft 320, 321, each having its own set of passengers 360 (e.g., including passengers 330, 331, 335, and 336), are connected to the customized electronic service delivery system 300 via radio frequency links 301, 302, as shown. Included within the customized electronic service delivery system 300 for each aircraft (e.g., aircraft 321) is a set of databases 341-34N that store data about the passengers 360 in aircraft 321, as well as data about their travel and entertainment preferences and travel itineraries (see FIG5, 7, and 8). Furthermore, as described below, the customized electronic service delivery system 300 includes a processor 311 that runs a plurality of programs, such as a destination-based service management system 312 and a passenger-based content management system 313, as well as administrative routines. Multiple content sources 351-35M may optionally be included in the customized electronic service delivery system 300 or may be accessible via a communication link (not shown) to a remote site, where the content sources are located and managed by the airline or third-party vendor.

In operation, a communication device onboard aircraft 321 (as shown in FIG. 2 ) establishes wireless communication with customized electronic service delivery system 300, which then establishes a communication session with an active wireless device onboard a passenger to provision and provide electronic services. The electronic services customized for the passenger may include in-flight entertainment services, such as multimedia presentations, and destination-based services that connect the passenger's existing travel plans with additional service offerings available to the passenger at their designated destination and on their scheduled schedule. Initiating a communication session via the passenger's wireless device involves identifying and authenticating the passenger's wireless device (as described above) via the aircraft's network in conjunction with customized electronic service delivery system 300. This provides the passenger's wireless device with a unique identity, enabling customized electronic service delivery system 300 to respond to the passenger's wireless device without requiring additional administrative overhead. The authentication process may include using a security process, such as a password, scanning a non-changeable feature of the passenger (fingerprint, retina, etc.), and the like.

The passenger-based content management system 313 provides passengers with access to standard content products and various levels of customized content products, which can be customized on a passenger-by-passenger basis. As shown in FIG6 , the customized electronic service delivery system 300 includes a number of databases that communicate with the processor 311. The database manager 670 includes software that not only manages the databases 610-690 but also formulates the passenger's query based on the passenger's past purchase history and the electronic services currently authorized by the service.

Typically, these databases include an airline/aircraft database 610, which maintains a list of the various airlines served by the customized electronic service delivery system 300 and the services they offer to passengers, as well as a list of each airline's currently operating aircraft. A typical entry in the aircraft section 700 of this airline/aircraft database 610 is shown in FIG7 , which lists the airline 701, the flight date and day of the week, the current time 702, and the airline-assigned flight number 704. Along with this data are listed flight details related to the flight, such as the departure city/airport 705, the estimated departure time 706, and the boarding gate 707. The flight length 708, the destination city/airport 709, the estimated arrival time 710 (including an indication of the amount of time the flight is advanced or delayed), and the disembarkation gate 711 are also listed. The database is regularly updated to list the GPS coordinates 712 of the aircraft and typically provides a list 713 of multimedia content on board the aircraft. It may also include operational data for the aircraft, such as altitude 714, vertical speed 715, horizontal speed 716, and a list of available connecting flights at the destination airport 717. This data enables the customized electronic service delivery system 300 to describe and present to passengers the service products and delivery content provided to them during the flight, as described below.

Passenger database 620 maintains a list of passenger attributes, typically maintaining a list of frequent flyers for various airlines. A typical passenger-specific entry 800 in passenger database 620 is shown in FIG8 , listing the passenger's name 860, their demographic profile (including credit card information) 850, a list of frequent flyer programs 865, and the type of trip 855. Data indicating the passenger's past activities is also listed, such as previous behavior (on-board activity) 805, previous purchases 810, likely purchases estimated by statistical prediction programs 815, movie preferences 820, game preferences 825, and audio preferences 830. Finally, the passenger's current trip is characterized using destination accommodations 840, ground transportation 835, and activity preferences 845 for this type of destination or a particular destination of interest. The previous behavior database 805 can record information detailing the passenger's past browsing history, including sites visited and time spent at each site. This allows the system to assess the passenger's interest in various topics and products, thereby providing relevant electronic services to the passenger. Finally, passenger generated content 870 is provided, such as photos of travel destinations.

The marketing database 630 can utilize this data in the passenger database 620 and data related to destination services stored in the destination services database 640 (described in detail below) to generate additional service offerings for the passenger based on the passenger's current travel plans. An additional database 650 is maintained to support additional service and feature offerings, and a passenger-generated content database 690 can provide information, such as photos of travel destinations, derived from the passenger-specific entry 800 in the passenger database 620.

Passenger-based content management system

The customized electronic service delivery system 300 can provide numerous electronic services tailored to passengers. For illustrative purposes, two such electronic services are disclosed herein. A destination-based service management system 312 and a passenger-based content management system 313 each provide a set of electronic services and utilize the aircraft identification, passenger identification and verification, and communication management capabilities provided by the processor 311 within the customized electronic service delivery system 300. Typically, these electronic services are activated on each aircraft during flight.

FIG4 illustrates, in flow chart form, the typical operation of the passenger-based content management system 313 portion of the customized electronic service delivery system 300, which delivers customized content to passengers, and FIG6 illustrates, in block diagram form, a typical configuration of a database used by the customized electronic service delivery system 300. The passenger-based content management system 313 maintains in its database a list of various available content from a plurality of sources, which may reside onboard the aircraft, in the customized electronic service delivery system 300 on the ground, or in a remote location.

These content sources provide a vast array of entertainment and information that is mapped into multiple data streams available to passengers on board the aircraft via a customized electronic services delivery system 300. As shown in Figure 5, these can be grouped into typical categories of offerings: movies and video 531, live television 532, live radio 533, music and audio entertainment 534, e-commerce and shopping 535, video games 536, and games and other interactive services 537, where each of these categories of offerings typically includes a variety of options available to passengers.

At step 401, the passenger-based content management system 313 begins execution, executing one or both of the two processes (402-405 or 412-416) shown in FIG4 . The first process is the passenger-generated request processing (402-405), also known as "content request extraction," while the second process is the system-generated query processing (412-416), also known as "content request push." For ease of explanation, these two processes are described as being executed sequentially, and the order of the two processes is arbitrary.

At step 402, the passenger-based content management system 313 responds to a content request generated by a passenger's wireless device, requesting a content delivery service from a set of content services available to the passenger-based content management system 313. At step 403, in response to receiving the content request from the passenger's wireless device, the passenger-based content management system 313 verifies whether the passenger's wireless device is subscribed to the requested content delivery service and that the content is currently available. If the passenger has not prepaid for the requested content delivery service, the passenger-based content management system 313 executes a payment routine (not shown) so that the passenger can pay for the requested content delivery service.

At step 404, the passenger-based content management system 313 updates the passenger attribute database entries for these passengers to record the passenger's current content selections, thereby maintaining a current history of the passenger's preferences. At step 405, the passenger-based content management system 313 performs retrieval of the requested content and transmits the content to the passenger via the aircraft-based network described in FIG2 .

At step 406, the passenger-based content management system 313 determines whether additional passenger requests have been serviced and, if so, returns to step 401 to service the next of these requests. If not, the process exits at step 407. The passenger-based content management system 313 can service all passenger requests in steps 402-405, or can alternate between this routine and the routine of steps 412-416.

At step 412, the passenger-based content management system 313 initiates a query to the selected passenger's wireless device. The passenger-based content management system 313 offers content delivery services to the selected passenger from the available content services in the passenger-based content management system 313. The passenger is able to view the query and then, at step 413, the passenger can elect to receive content services from the passenger-based content management system 313. At step 414, the passenger-based content management system 313 verifies whether the passenger's wireless device is subscribed to the requested content delivery service and whether the content is currently available. If the passenger has not prepaid for the requested content delivery service, the passenger-based content management system 313 executes a payment routine (not shown) so that the passenger can pay for the requested content delivery service.

At step 415, the passenger-based content management system 313 updates the passenger attribute database entry for the passenger to record the passenger's current content selection, thereby maintaining a current history of the passenger's preferences. At step 416, the passenger-based content management system 313 retrieves the requested content and delivers the content to the passenger via the aircraft-based network shown in FIG2 .

At step 406 , the passenger content management system 313 determines whether to service additional passenger requests. If so, the process returns to step 401 and then services the next of these requests. If not, the process returns to step 407 .

Destination-based service management system

FIG9 illustrates, in flowchart form, the exemplary operation of the destination-based service management system 312 portion of the customized electronic service delivery system 300. FIG7-8 illustrates exemplary data sets used by the customized electronic service delivery system to deliver destination-based services. These differ from those described above in that such products are user-specific and user-modifiable to reflect the passenger's travel plans; therefore, they are referred to as "destination-based services."

At step 901, the destination-based service management system 312 begins operation, initiating one of the two processes (902-905 or 912-916) shown in FIG9 , or running both processes simultaneously. The first process is the passenger-generated request processing (902-905), also known as "service request extraction," and the second process is the system-generated query processing (912-916), also known as "service request push." For ease of explanation, these two processes are described as being executed sequentially.

In step 902, the destination-based service management system 312 responds to a destination-based service request generated by a passenger's wireless device, where the passenger requests a destination-based service from the standard set of destination-based services available to the destination-based service management system 312. In step 903, in response to receiving the destination-based service request from the passenger's wireless device, the destination-based service management system 312 verifies whether the passenger's wireless device is subscribed to the requested destination-based service and whether the destination-based service is currently available. If the passenger has not paid for the requested destination-based service, the destination-based service management system 312 executes a payment routine (not shown) so that the passenger can pay for the requested destination-based service.

At step 904, the destination-based service management system 312 updates the passenger attribute database entries for these passengers to record the passenger's current destination-based service selections, thereby maintaining a current history of the passenger's preferences. At step 905, the destination-based service management system 312 performs the reservation of the requested destination-based service and sends the receipt of the destination-based service to the passenger via the aircraft-based network shown in FIG2.

At step 906, the destination-based service management system 312 determines whether there are additional passenger requests still being processed, and if so, returns to step 901 to service the next of these requests. If not, the process proceeds to step 907.

At step 912, the destination-based service management system 312 initiates a query of the selected passenger's wireless device, wherein the destination-based service management system 312 offers the selected passenger a destination-based service from a set of available destination-based services in the destination-based service management system 312 (as described in greater detail below). At step 913, in response to receiving the destination-based service query, the passenger can elect to subscribe to a destination-based service from the destination-based service management system 312. At step 914, the destination-based service management system 312 verifies whether the passenger has subscribed to the requested destination-based service and whether the service is currently available. If the passenger has not paid for the requested destination-based service, the destination-based service management system 312 executes a payment routine (not shown) so that the passenger can pay for the requested destination-based service using a credit card, by charging the service to their destination hotel room account, or by any other available payment method.

At step 915, the destination-based service management system 312 updates the passenger attribute database entries for these passengers to record the passenger's current destination-based service selections, thereby maintaining a current history of the passenger's preferences. At step 916, the destination-based service management system 312 executes the reservation of the requested destination-based service and sends the receipt of the destination-based service to the passenger via the aircraft-based network shown in FIG2.

At step 916, the destination-based service management system 312 determines whether there are additional passenger requests still being processed, and if so, returns to step 901 to service the next of these requests. If not, the process proceeds to step 907.

Destination-based services

As described above, the customized electronic service delivery system 300 can provide passenger-specific and destination-specific products for passengers traveling by air. Since the flight destination, passenger identity (optionally, the seat number of the aircraft) and passenger preferences are known, the customized electronic service delivery system 300 can use the data in the marketing database 630 to create a travel package for the selected passenger. For example, the destination-based service management system 312 can be used to cycle through the passengers on a particular flight and determine which passengers are traveling for, for example, leisure. The destination-based service management system 312 can read the arrival time, destination attractions, ground transportation, and the number of people in the tour group from the database. The destination-based service management system 312 can then provide restaurant reservations for the passenger and their travel agency, selecting restaurants based on the passenger's past preferences and the airline's partner restaurants at the passenger's travel destination or other locations. In addition, because the passenger's destination and preferences are known, as well as the activities the passenger has engaged in in the past, the destination-based service management system 312 can be used to provide activities and reservations for vacation destinations.

Destination-based services can also be used in the event of bad weather and flight cancellations. In the event of a flight cancellation, passengers scheduled for a specific flight (which has been delayed or canceled) can be offered a package of services such as ground transportation, accommodation, and restaurant reservations. This can, to some extent, reduce the disruption caused by such travel disruptions and, by anticipating and catering to passenger needs, earn the airline goodwill. This can also enable the airline to transfer delayed passengers to partner hotels and restaurants, generating additional revenue for the airline.

Summarize

The customized electronic service delivery system stores data indicating various electronic services available to passengers on an aircraft, as well as the passengers' preferences. Electronic services include in-flight entertainment services and destination-based services that connect passengers' existing travel plans with the provision of additional services that are available to passengers at their designated destinations and in their planned travel schedules.

Claims (28)

1. A system for providing customized, destination-based services to passengers located on an aircraft and equipped with wireless electronic devices, the system comprising: A passenger database is used to store data indicating the corresponding identity of each of the multiple passengers on the aircraft, data indicating the corresponding destination of each passenger, and data indicating the corresponding type of travel of each passenger; A destination-based service module is configured to run a service push module in response to a destination-based service query generated by the system. The service push module initiates a query for a specific passenger's wireless electronic device, thereby providing the specific passenger with access to at least one destination-based service selected from a set of destination-based services, including ground transportation, accommodation, activities, and restaurants, via the specific passenger's wireless electronic device. The provision is based on stored data indicating the specific passenger's corresponding destination and stored data indicating the specific passenger's corresponding travel type. In response to the data stored in the passenger database, the specific passenger is selected from a plurality of passengers to receive the provision of the at least one destination-based service. A linking module is configured to establish wireless communication between the wireless electronic device of the specific passenger and the selected destination-based service in response to the specific passenger selecting one of the at least one destination-based service provided by the service push module. 2. The system for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 1, further comprising: A login module is configured to, in response to a specific passenger activating the wireless electronic device, confirm authorization for at least one of the specific passenger's access request for a destination-based service or a selected destination-based service. 3. The system for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 1, further comprising: A passenger preference database for storing data indicating one or more corresponding preferences for each passenger regarding at least some of a plurality of destination-based services, the plurality of destination-based services including at least one selected destination-based service; and The association module is used to associate at least one passenger's preferred destination-based service with the identified passenger based on the data stored in the passenger preference database. 4. The system for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 3, wherein the provision corresponding to the particular passenger is further based on stored data indicating one or more corresponding preferences of the particular passenger for at least some of the plurality of destination-based services. 5. The system for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 3, further comprising: A passenger preference update module is used to update data indicating the one or more corresponding preferences of the specific passenger and stored in the passenger preference database in response to the specific passenger's selection of one of the at least one destination-based services. 6. The system for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 3, further comprising: A reservation module is configured to, in response to the particular passenger selecting one of the at least one destination-based services, transmit the receipt of the selected at least one destination-based service to the particular passenger's wireless electronic device. 7. The system for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 6, further comprising: A passenger preference update module is used to update data indicating the one or more corresponding preferences of the specific passenger and stored in the passenger preference database in response to the specific passenger's selection of one of the at least one destination-based services. 8. The system for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 1, further comprising: A communication service module is used to manage the configuration of the wireless communication based on at least one of the following: medium, bandwidth, or service type. 9. The system for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 1, wherein the destination-based service module further includes a module for operating a service extraction module in response to a destination-based service request generated by a wireless electronic device of a second specific passenger included among the plurality of passengers, the service extraction module performing the requested destination-based service and transmitting content corresponding to the requested destination-based service to the wireless electronic device of the second specific passenger. 10. A method for providing customized, destination-based services to passengers located on an aircraft and equipped with wireless electronic devices, the method comprising: The passenger database stores data indicating the identity of each of the multiple passengers on the aircraft, data indicating the destination of each passenger, and data indicating the type of travel of each passenger. A service push module operates in response to a destination-based service query generated by a system device. This module initiates a query to a specific passenger's wireless electronic device, thereby providing the specific passenger with access to at least one destination-based service selected from a set of destination-based services, including ground transportation, accommodation, activities, and restaurants. The provision is based on stored data indicating the specific passenger's corresponding destination and stored data indicating the specific passenger's corresponding travel type. In response to the data stored in the passenger database, the specific passenger is selected from a plurality of passengers to receive the provision of the at least one destination-based service. In response to the specific passenger selecting one of the at least one destination-based services provided by the service push module, wireless communication is established between the specific passenger's wireless electronic device and the selected destination-based service. 11. The method for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 10, further comprising: In response to the specific passenger activating the wireless electronic device, authorization for the specific passenger to access the at least one destination-based service is confirmed. 12. The method for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 10, further comprising: A passenger preference database stores data indicating one or more corresponding preferences for each passenger regarding at least some of a plurality of destination-based services, said plurality of destination-based services including at least one selected destination-based service; and The data stored in the passenger preference database is used to associate at least one passenger's preferred destination-based service with the identified passenger. 13. The method for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 12, further comprising: The at least one destination-based service is further provided based on the data stored in the passenger preference database that indicates one or more corresponding preferences of the particular passenger. 14. The method for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 10, further comprising: In response to the particular passenger's selection of one of the at least one destination-based services, update the data stored in the passenger preference database that indicates one or more corresponding preferences of the particular passenger. 15. The method for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 13, further comprising: In response to the particular passenger selecting one of the at least one destination-based services, the reception of the selected destination-based service is transmitted to the particular passenger's wireless electronic device. 16. The method for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 15, further comprising: In response to the particular passenger selecting one of the at least one destination-based services offered, update the data stored in the passenger preference database that indicates the one or more corresponding preferences of the particular passenger. 17. The method for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 10, further comprising: The configuration of the wireless communication is managed based on at least one of the medium, bandwidth, or service type. 18. The method for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 10, further comprising: A service extraction module is operated in response to a destination-based service request generated by the wireless electronic device of a second specific passenger among the plurality of passengers. The service extraction module performs the requested destination-based service and transmits content corresponding to the requested destination-based service to the wireless electronic device of the second specific passenger. 19. A system for providing customized, destination-based services to passengers located on an aircraft and equipped with wireless electronic devices, the system comprising: A passenger database is used to store data indicating the corresponding identity of each of the multiple passengers on the aircraft, data indicating the corresponding destination of each passenger, and data indicating the corresponding type of travel of each passenger; The service menu module is used to store data indicating multiple destination-based services available to the multiple passengers located on the aircraft, the multiple destination-based services including ground transportation, accommodation, activities and restaurants provided at the respective destinations of the multiple passengers; A passenger preference module is used to store data in a passenger preference database indicating one or more corresponding preferences of each passenger for at least some of the plurality of destination-based services; A mapping module is used to associate one or more of the plurality of passengers located on the aircraft with one or more of the plurality of destination-based services to create passenger-specific mappings for the destination-based services for the one or more of the plurality of passengers; A service push module is configured to initiate a query for a specific passenger's wireless electronic device in response to a destination-based service query generated by the system, thereby providing the specific passenger with access to one or more destination-based services via the specific passenger's wireless electronic device. The one or more destination-based services are based on a passenger-specific mapping for the destination-based services provided to the specific passenger. The module selects the specific passenger from the plurality of passengers to receive the provision of the one or more destination-based services in response to data stored in the passenger database indicating the corresponding destinations of the plurality of passengers and data indicating the corresponding travel types of the plurality of passengers. A link module is configured to establish wireless communication between the wireless electronic device of the particular passenger and the selected destination-based service in response to the particular passenger selecting one of the one or more destination-based services offered. 20. The system for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 19, further comprising: A passenger preference update module is used to update the data stored in the passenger preference database that indicates the one or more corresponding preferences of the specific passenger in response to the specific passenger selecting one of the one or more destination-based services offered. 21. The system for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 19, further comprising: A reservation module is configured to, in response to a particular passenger selecting one of the one or more destination-based services offered, transmit the receipt of the selected destination-based service to the particular passenger's wireless electronic device. 22. The system for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 21, further comprising: A passenger preference update module is used to update the data stored in the passenger preference database that indicates the one or more corresponding preferences of the specific passenger in response to the specific passenger selecting one of the one or more destination-based services offered. 23. The system for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 19, further comprising: The service extraction module is configured to respond to a destination-based service request generated by a wireless electronic device of a specific passenger among the plurality of passengers, to run the requested destination-based service and to transmit content corresponding to the requested destination-based service to the wireless electronic device of the specific passenger. 24. A method for providing customized, destination-based services to passengers located on an aircraft and equipped with wireless electronic devices, the method comprising: The passenger database stores data indicating the identity of each of the multiple passengers on the aircraft, data indicating the destination of each passenger, and data indicating the type of travel of each passenger. The storage indicates data on multiple destination-based services available to the multiple passengers located on the aircraft, the multiple destination-based services including ground transportation, accommodation, activities and restaurants provided at the respective destinations of the multiple passengers; The passenger preference database stores data indicating one or more corresponding preferences of each passenger for at least some of the multiple destination-based services; Associate one or more of the plurality of passengers located on the aircraft with one or more of the plurality of destination-based services to create passenger-specific mappings for the destination-based services for the one or more of the plurality of passengers; and In response to a destination-based service query generated by the system device: One or more destination-based services are determined based on the passenger-specific mapping of the destination-based services for a particular passenger and based on the stored data indicating the corresponding destination of the particular passenger. Initiate a query for the wireless electronic device of the specific passenger to provide access to one or more destination-based services to the specific passenger via the specific passenger's wireless electronic device, wherein, in response to data stored in the passenger database indicating the respective destinations of the plurality of passengers and data indicating the respective travel types of the plurality of passengers, select the specific passenger from the plurality of passengers to receive the provision of the one or more destination-based services; and The passenger receives an instruction from the wireless electronic device to select one of the one or more destination-based services offered. 25. The method for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 24, further comprising: In response to the selection of one of the one or more destination-based services offered, update the data stored in the passenger preference database that indicates the one or more corresponding preferences of the particular passenger. 26. The method for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 24, further comprising: In response to the selection of one of the one or more destination-based services provided, the wireless electronic device of the particular passenger is sent a message indicating receipt of the selected destination-based service. 27. The method for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 26, further comprising: In response to the selection of one of the one or more destination-based services offered, update the data stored in the passenger preference database that indicates the corresponding preferences of the particular passenger. 28. The method for providing customized destination-based services according to claim 24, further comprising: In response to a destination-based service request generated by a wireless electronic device of a second specific passenger among the plurality of passengers, the requested destination-based service is executed and content corresponding to the requested destination-based service is transmitted to the wireless electronic device of the second specific passenger.