Boeing Connexion receives patent for airborne WiFi

[Alexander Turcic]

Connexion by Boeing, the division of the aircraft maker that has leased satellite transponders around the globe to provide airborne broadband access, has just been granted a patent for their on-board WLAN technology. Patent 6,990,338 describes

"A wireless local area network adapted for use by users traveling on a mobile platform such as an aircraft. The network includes a network server located on the mobile platform, and at least one network access point connected to the server and accessible wirelessly by at least one user portable electronic device over one of a plurality of non-overlapping network frequency channels. The RF characteristics of this wireless network are specifically tailored to meet applicable standards for electromagnetic compatibility with aircraft systems and RF exposure levels for passengers and flight crews."

The wireless network is described as such that it can be accessed by connected notebooks and handhelds without causing interferences with the navigation and communication systems on board the aircraft. The first attached image is a view of a WLAN adapted for use on an aircraft; the second image is a graph of E-field strength of emissions versus transmitter-to-victim distance; and the third is a view of a portion of a passenger cabin, shown from above the overhead area, in which more than one connected mobile device is in use.

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