Remote Browsing System for Aircraft Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transportation vehicles face security risks when providing Internet access due to the potential for hackers to inject malicious code into in-flight entertainment systems, and existing solutions are inefficient for updating browser software across multiple aircraft.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a remote browsing system where the browser is executed on a ground server, reducing the risk of security breaches and allowing for efficient software updates by rendering secure content images on seatback devices, while managing user input and security through a centralized server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a browser application is executed locally on the transportation vehicle's entertainment system, then Internet access is provided to users, but security risk increases due to potential hacker injection of malicious code
Solution Approach 1:
The browser application is extracted from the transportation vehicle's entertainment system and relocated to a remote server. The local device only receives and displays rendered content images, while all browser execution occurs remotely. This extraction eliminates the security vulnerability of having a browser running on the vehicle's system, as the browser now exists outside the protected environment.
Solution Approach 2:
A remote server acts as an intermediary between the Internet and the transportation vehicle's entertainment system. The server executes the browser, processes web content, and returns rendered images to the local display device. This intermediary layer prevents direct interaction between potentially malicious Internet content and the vehicle's vulnerable system, maintaining security while enabling Internet access.
2Reliability
If browser software is updated across multiple aircraft, then security vulnerabilities are patched, but the complexity and time required for updates increases with each additional aircraft
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple aircraft's browser execution requirements are merged into a single remote server infrastructure. Instead of maintaining separate browser installations on each aircraft that require individual updates, all browser instances run on the centralized server. This consolidation means that a single software update on the server automatically patches all connected aircraft, eliminating the complexity of distributed update management.
Solution Approach 2:
The remote server provides universal browser execution services to multiple aircraft simultaneously. A single browser installation on the server serves all aircraft in the fleet, making the system multi-functional across different platforms and locations. This universality simplifies update management, as one update deployment benefits the entire fleet rather than requiring aircraft-specific updates.
3Reliability
If a remote browsing system is implemented, then security is enhanced and updates are streamlined, but system complexity increases due to remote server infrastructure requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The computational resources for browser execution are merged into the remote server infrastructure, allowing the aircraft's entertainment system to focus solely on display and user interface functions. This consolidation of complex browser rendering tasks externally reduces the complexity burden on individual aircraft systems, even though it introduces server-side infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for a transportation vehicle are provided. For example, one method includes providing a seat identifier and/or a transportation vehicle identifier in a request to access a webpage via an Internet connection from a seatback device of a transportation vehicle; selecting a server that is not located on the transportation vehicle for providing content to the seatback device; executing a remote browser at the server for retrieving content from the Internet for the seatback device, without having to execute a browser at the seatback device; and rendering content at the seatback device as an image of the content retrieved by the remote browser.