Airborne pico cell security system

Abstract

Security is provided in a wireless communication system in a moving vehicle by requiring user input of one or more security codes for validation before the system permits communication. One code, a security access code, corresponds to the vehicle travel segment and is given to the passenger(s) in transit. The second type of code, a personal identification number (PIN), is given to the passenger after baggage check-in. The PIN code is correlated to the passenger and/or seat assignment. PIN use enables associated data systems to report the seat number or location of all parties engaging in wireless communications within the vehicle.

1 . A method of operating a pico cell system in a vehicle capable of providing wireless communications for mobile stations of users riding in the vehicle, comprising:
 assigning a security access code to correspond to a scheduled travel segment of the vehicle, wherein said security access code is a code to be input by any user of a mobile station for validation before communication is permitted, and the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle is valid only for the scheduled travel segment;   only after travel of the vehicle over the segment commences, providing the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle, to people riding in the vehicle, including the users of the mobile stations;   receiving an input code from each of a plurality of the mobile stations, in the pico cell system, during the travel of the vehicle over the segment;   comparing each received input code to the security access code; and   denying wireless communication service through the pico cell system in the vehicle, to any one of the plurality of mobile stations upon the comparison failing to produce a match of the input code received from the one mobile station to said security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising permitting wireless communication service through the pico cell system in the vehicle for communications extending outside the vehicle, for any one of the plurality of mobile stations from which a received input code matches said security access code. 
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 assigning a personal identification number (PIN) code for an identified user of a respective one of the mobile stations;   correlating the PIN code to the identified user and to a seat assignment within the vehicle for the identified user;   issuing the PIN code to the identified user;   receiving another input code from the respective mobile station in the pico cell system during the travel of the vehicle over the scheduled travel segment; and   checking validity of the other received input code as a PIN code.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the checking comprises determining if the other received input code has a format corresponding to a valid format for the PIN code. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the checking comprises:
 comparing the other received input code to the PIN code; and   denying the respective mobile station wireless communication service through the pico cell system in the vehicle, if the comparison to the PIN code indicates that the other received input code does not match the PIN code.   
     
     
         6 . The method as in  claim 5 , further comprising permitting the respective mobile station to utilize wireless communication service through the pico cell system in the vehicle for communications extending outside the vehicle only when input codes received from the respective mobile station match the security access code and the PIN code. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the PIN code is issued to the identified user at or after baggage check-in for the segment of travel of the vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 invalidating the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle, after the vehicle completes the travel segment; and   assigning a different security access code to correspond to a subsequent travel segment of the vehicle.   
     
     
         9 . A pico cell system for use in a vehicle to provide wireless communications for mobile stations of users riding in the vehicle, comprising:
 a base station for wireless communication with the mobile stations within the vehicle;   a base station controller for controlling wireless operations of the base station;   a communication interface coupled to the base station for providing two-way communications to and from a public communication network; and   a security server for controlling mobile station access to communications through the interface to and from the public communication network, wherein:   (a) a security access code is assigned to correspond to a scheduled travel segment of the vehicle, as a code required to be input by each of the users of the mobile stations for validation before communication;   (b) the security server is configured to receive input codes from the mobile stations within the vehicle via the base station during the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle and to deny each respective mobile station access to communications through the interface to and from the public communication network if the respective mobile station has not provided an input code that matches the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled travel segment of the vehicle; and   (c) the security access code is valid only for the scheduled travel segment, and is given to the users of the mobile stations within the vehicle only after the vehicle begins travel of the scheduled travel segment.   
     
     
         10 . The pico cell system of  claim 9 , wherein the security server is further configured to permit one of the mobile stations to access communications through the interface to and from the public communication network if the one mobile station has provided an input code that matches the security access code. 
     
     
         11 . The pico cell system of  claim 9 , wherein the security server is further configured to deny each respective mobile station access to communications through the interface to and from the public communication network if the respective mobile station has not also provided an input code satisfying a validation criteria for a personal identification number (PIN) code. 
     
     
         12 . The pico cell system of  claim 11 , wherein the security server is further configured to permit one of the mobile stations to access communications through the interface to and from the public communication network only if the one mobile station has both:
 provided a first input code that matches the security access code; and   provided a second input code satisfying the PIN code validation criteria.   
     
     
         13 . The pico cell system of  claim 12 , wherein the pico cell system is configured to compile a usage record in association with the second input code, for each permitted communication of the one mobile station. 
     
     
         14 . The pico cell system of  claim 13 , wherein the security server is further configured to transfer usage records to a security agency. 
     
     
         15 . The pico cell system of  claim 9 , wherein the security server is further configured to output the security access code after the vehicle begins travel of the scheduled segment in a manner to enable distribution of the security access code to users of the mobile stations within the vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . A program product comprising:
 a tangible machine readable medium; and   executable code embodied on the medium,   wherein execution of the code by a programmable security controller of a pico cell system operating in an aircraft will cause the security controller to control operations of the pico cell system to provide wireless communications for mobile stations within the aircraft, the controlled operations including steps comprising:   (a) issuing to mobile station users in the aircraft a security access code assigned to correspond to a scheduled flight of the aircraft, only after the aircraft begins the scheduled flight, wherein said security access code is a code required to be input by each of the users of the mobile stations for validation before communication will be permitted, and the security access code remains valid only during the scheduled flight; and   (b) denying each respective mobile station access to communications between the pico cell system and a public communication network, if the respective mobile station has not provided an input code that matches the security access code assigned to correspond to the scheduled flight of the aircraft.   
     
     
         17 . The product of  claim 16 , wherein the controlled operations steps further comprise permitting one of the mobile stations to access communications between the pico cell system and the public communication network if the one mobile station has provided an input code that matches the security access code. 
     
     
         18 . The product of  claim 16 , wherein the controlled operations steps further comprise denying each respective mobile station access to communications between the pico cell system and from a public communication network if the respective mobile station has not also provided an input code satisfying a validation criteria for a personal identification (PIN) code expected to correspond to a passenger. 
     
     
         19 . The product of  claim 18 , wherein the controlled operations steps further comprise permitting one of the mobile stations to access communications between the pico cell system and the public communication network only if the one mobile station has provided both a first input code that matches the security access code and a second input code that satisfies the PIN code validation criteria. 
     
     
         20 . The product of  claim 19 , wherein the controlled operations steps further comprise compiling a usage record in association with the second input code, for each permitted communication of the one mobile station. 
     
     
         21 . The product of  claim 20 , wherein the controlled operations steps further comprise transferring one or more usage records for permitted communication of the one mobile station to a security agency.