Aircraft ATG Antenna Switching Device for Feedthrough Cable Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft air-to-ground communication systems face challenges in efficiently connecting air-to-ground communication units to both in-flight and ground-based antennas due to limited feedthrough sizes, which restricts the number of coaxial cables that can pass through, affecting Wi-Fi service quality.
Innovation Solution
A switching device is implemented to dynamically switch connectivity between air-to-ground antennas and different ports of the communication unit based on flight status, using a commutator or coaxial relay to connect to either in-flight or ground communication ports, allowing for reduced cable requirements and improved service quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the ATG communication unit is installed in the Aft equipment bay to reduce coaxial cable length, then cable length is reduced, but the number of coaxial cables that can pass through the feedthrough is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the antenna connections by creating separate connection paths: ATG antennas connect directly to the ATG communication unit in the Aft equipment bay, while Wi-Fi and TM antennas connect to a separate Wi-Fi access point in the cabin. This segmentation allows each subsystem to have its own dedicated feedthrough passage, resolving the limitation of having only one feedthrough in the Aft equipment bay.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple antennas are connected through a limited-size feedthrough, then all antenna ports can be utilized, but the feedthrough size restricts the number of coaxial cables
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the Wi-Fi and TM antenna connections from the Aft equipment bay feedthrough and relocates them to a separate Wi-Fi access point in the cabin. This extraction removes the constraint of the limited Aft feedthrough size, allowing all ATG antenna ports to be utilized without being bottlenecked by the feedthrough's physical limitations.
3Quantity of substance
If some Wi-Fi antenna ports are not used to reduce coaxial cable count, then fewer cables are needed through the feedthrough, but Wi-Fi service quality is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal Wi-Fi access point system that can serve multiple functions: providing Wi-Fi connectivity to passengers during flight, providing FBO ground services when on the ground, and supporting multiple antenna ports simultaneously. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need to sacrifice Wi-Fi service quality by reducing antenna port usage.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure provides communication systems, switching devices and methods for switching air-to-ground (ATG) antennas of an aircraft. An air-to-ground (ATG) communication unit has a first set of ports for in-flight ATG communication and a second set of ports for ground communication comprising terrestrial communication and accessing fixed base operator (FBO) services. A switching device is configured to switch connectivity of at least one antenna to the first set of ports of the ATG communication unit when the aircraft is in-flight and is configured to switch connectivity of the at least one antenna to the second set of ports when the aircraft is not in-flight.