Wireless Beacon Location System for Aircraft Cabin Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing location-based services do not effectively continue beyond airport terminals to provide useful information and services during air travel, failing to account for the unique environment and layout of aircraft.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing wireless beacons dispersed throughout an aircraft's passenger cabin, connected to a Power over Ethernet network, which broadcasts unique identifiers and a location server that determines user device locations to provide location-based services, including maps and resource availability, by receiving and processing these identifiers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If location-based services are extended onboard aircraft, then passenger experience and service continuity are improved, but system complexity and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the aircraft into multiple zones with wireless beacons positioned at fixed locations throughout the passenger cabin. Each beacon independently broadcasts its unique identifier, allowing the location server to determine passenger positions by receiving signals from multiple beacons. This segmentation enables location-based services without requiring a monolithic complex system.
Solution Approach 2:
The location server performs multiple functions: determining passenger locations, providing navigation assistance, identifying resource availability, and delivering personalized information. By making the location server multi-functional, the system achieves service continuity across various aircraft operations without adding separate specialized systems for each function.
2Measurement precision
If wireless beacons are dispersed throughout the passenger cabin, then location accuracy is improved, but device quantity and installation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The passenger cabin is divided into multiple detection zones, each covered by individual wireless beacons. By positioning beacons at fixed locations throughout the cabin, the system achieves accurate location determination through triangulation or signal strength measurement from multiple beacons, rather than using a single complex positioning system.
Solution Approach 2:
Each wireless beacon independently broadcasts its unique identifier and operates autonomously without requiring constant central control. The beacons self-configure and maintain their positions, reducing installation and maintenance complexity despite the increased quantity of devices.
3Productivity
If location information is provided to passengers, then navigation efficiency is improved, but information processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential location information (beacon identifiers and signal strength) from the complex wireless signals and transmits this condensed data to the location server. The server then processes this extracted information to determine passenger positions and provides only relevant navigation assistance, reducing overall data processing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless beacons continuously broadcast their unique identifiers and position information before any location query is made. This preliminary transmission of location data allows the location server to quickly determine passenger positions without requiring complex real-time processing when navigation information is requested.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments described herein provide location-based services onboard an aircraft for users having mobile devices utilizing wireless beacons dispersed at fixed locations within a passenger cabin of the aircraft. One embodiment comprises a system that includes a plurality of wireless beacons and a location server. Each of the wireless beacons broadcast a unique ID in a broadcast area for receipt by the mobile devices. The location server receives a message from a mobile device that indicates at least one of the IDs received by the mobile device, and identifies location information for the mobile device within the passenger cabin based on the at least one ID. The location server provides the location information to the mobile device for display to a user.