Short messaging method and system for airborne passengers

Abstract

An air-to-ground telecommunications system allows callers to store messages on an aircraft data server when sufficient air-to-ground communication bandwidth is unavailable for transmitting a call. The system allows aircraft callers to leave voice, fax, e-mail or other data messages. The messages are stored on the aircraft until sufficient bandwidth becomes available for transmission to the ground. Transmitting messages requires shorter air time and more efficient bandwidth usage because messages do not require a high degree of interaction between parties. The messages can also be compressed before transmission for further efficiently using aircraft-to-ground bandwidth.

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a ground station configured to receive a combined message via a ground station antenna; and   a server configured to receive the combined message from the ground station and parse the combined message into at least one individual message and send a delivery receipt to a sender associated with the at least one individual message, wherein the receipt is transmitted from the ground station antenna to an aircraft antenna.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to deliver the at least one individual message to a message destination. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one individual message is an e-mail message. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one individual message is a short data message. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to parse the combined message into a plurality of individual messages. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the combined message includes two or more individual email messages. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the combined message includes two or more individual data messages. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to decompress the combined message. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to decrypt the combined message. 
   
   
       10 . A method for receiving a call, comprising:
 receiving a combined message directed to a ground station;   parsing the combined message into at least one individual message; and   sending a delivery receipt to a sender of the at least one individual message.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising delivering the at least one individual message to a destination. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising decompressing the combined message. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising decrypting the combined message. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising decompressing the at least one individual message. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising de-encrypting the at least one individual message. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one message is an e-mail message. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the combined message includes a plurality of individual messages, and the combined message is parsed into the individual messages. 
   
   
       18 . A method for receiving an individual message, comprising:
 determining an available communication bandwidth;   receiving a combined message directed to a ground station if the available communication bandwidth is sufficient; and   parsing the combined message to obtain the individual message.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the individual message is an e-mail message. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the individual message is a short data message.