Federated Airport System for Centralized Management and Distribution of Content Media to Mobile Devices

Abstract

The invention comprises a federated system having a centralized data collection node that receives real-time data feeds from multiple airport systems, a data decoupling module for scrubbing received data, coding scrubbed data, and validating coded output data, and a central control node for monitoring and controlling the system. The invention also includes graphical user interfaces and methods for displaying such information at a central node, or NOC.r The invention can also detect output devices and create specific special purpose feeds for each data destination or remote display, as well as systems that allow an airline to remotely access and update the status and settings of a remote travel operations display system via the Internet.

1 . A combined airport feeds user interface, comprising:
 a data feeds region configured to display links to real-time airport data feeds selected from the group consisting of an airline data feed, a baggage data feed, a terminal data feed, a public safety data feed, a passenger data feed, a weather data feed, a gate data feed, a vendor data feed, a transportation data feed, an air traffic control data feed, and a media data feed;   a system management region configured to display system management tools for a travel operations display system for centralized management and distribution of airport content media, wherein the travel operations display system comprises (i) a centralized data collection node that receives the real-time airport data feeds, (ii) a data decoupling module for scrubbing the received data of the real-time airport feeds, coding the scrubbed data, and validating the coded data, and (iii) a central control node for monitoring and controlling the travel operations display system; and   at least one additional region configured to display information relating to the at least one additional region, wherein the at least one additional region selected from a manage relational database region, a manage remote display region, a manage customer/passenger mobile devices region, an emergency management region, an archive region, a manage beacon network region, a generate reports region, a communication region, an alert region, and an system parameters region.   
     
     
         2 . A method of providing information about airport operations, comprising:
 providing the combined airport feeds user interface according to  claim 1 , wherein the combined airport feeds user interface comprises the data feeds region, the system management region, and the at least one additional region;   displaying airport data feed information in said data feeds region, wherein said airport data feed information is generated by a travel operations display system that comprises (i) a centralized data collection node that receives the real-time airport data feeds, (ii) a data decoupling module for scrubbing the received data of the real-time airport feeds, coding the scrubbed data, and validating the coded data, and (iii) a central control node for monitoring and controlling the travel operations display system;   displaying system management information in said system management region, wherein said system management information is generated by the travel operations display system; and   displaying additional information in said at least one additional region, wherein said additional information is selected from relational database information, remote display information, customer/passenger mobile devices information, emergency management information, archive information, beacon network information, generating reports information, communication information, alert information, and system parameter information.   
     
     
         3 . A travel operations display system for centralized management and distribution of airport content media, said system having:
 a centralized data collection node that receives real-time data feeds from multiple airport systems;   a data decoupling module for scrubbing received real-time data feeds, coding scrubbed data, and validating coded output data, wherein the output data is stored in a relational database; and   a central control node, wherein the central control node is configured to monitor and control the centralized data collection node and the data decoupling module;   wherein the central control node is configured to manage the relational database;   a plurality of remote display devices, wherein the central control node is configured to transmit output data from the relational database to the plurality of display devices;   wherein the real-time data feeds comprise real-time airport data feeds selected from the group consisting of an airline data feed, a baggage data feed, a terminal data feed, a public safety data feed, a passenger data feed, a weather data feed, a gate data feed, a vendor data feed, a transportation data feed, an air traffic control data feed, and a media data feed; and,   wherein the central control node is configured to display the combined airport feeds user interface according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 3 , wherein the real-time data feeds comprise an airline data feed, a baggage control data feed, a TSA public safety data feed, a weather data feed, a transportation data feed, a public safety data feed, a gate information data feed, and an airport vendor data feed. 
     
     
         5 . A method of providing media content to a plurality of displays in an airport, comprising:
 receiving real-time data feeds from multiple airport systems into the centralized data collection node of the system according to  claim 3 ;   scrubbing received data, coding scrubbed data, and validating coded output data, using the data decoupling module of the system according to  claim 3 ; and   monitoring and controlling the real-time data feeds, database management, data decoupling and output selection, device detection feedback, output data feed distribution to a display device, and the updating of output data feeds for repurposing the plurality of displays in an airport, using the central control node of the system according to  claim 3 .   
     
     
         6 . A method of providing media content to a smartphone of a passenger in an airport, comprising:
 receiving real-time data feeds from multiple airport systems into the centralized data collection node of the system according to  claim 3 ;   scrubbing received data, coding scrubbed data, and validating coded output data, using the data decoupling module of the system according to  claim 3 ; and   monitoring and controlling the real-time data feeds, database management, data decoupling and output selection, device detection feedback, output data feed distribution to the smartphone, and the updating of output data feeds for repurposing the smartphone, using the central control node of the system according to  claim 3 .   
     
     
         7 . A system for providing an airline remote access to the status and settings of the remote travel operations display system according to  claim 3  via the Internet, the system comprising:
 a web server connected to the Internet, the web server is programmed to access the remote travel operations display system and has a data storage device, a connection to the Internet to communicate with the airline, and a messaging gateway coupled to a network to communicate with the remote travel operations display system, at least one remote access module is connected to the remote travel operations display system, the remote access module has a digital interface coupled to the remote travel operations display system and a communications module to communicate with the web server via the network, and the messaging gateway, and an internet device is connected to the internet to allow the airline to communicate with the web server, wherein the airline can remotely access and control the remote travel operations display system via the web server. 
 
     
     
         8 . A method of providing a system that allows an airline to remotely access the status and settings of the remote travel operations display system according to  claim 3  via the Internet, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a web server connected to the Internet, wherein the web server is programmed to access the remote travel operations display system, wherein the web server has a data storage device, a connection to the Internet to communicate with the airline, and a messaging gateway coupled to a network to communicate with the remote travel operations display system; 
 providing at least one remote access module that is connected to the remote travel operations display system, the remote access module having a digital interface coupled to the remote travel operations display system and a communications module to communicate with the web server via the network, and the messaging gateway; and 
 providing an internet device is connected to the internet to allow the airline to communicate with the web server, wherein the airline can remotely access and control the remote travel operations display system via the web server. 
 
     
     
         9 . A method of remotely updating the travel operations display system according to  claim 3  via the Internet, comprising the steps:
 accessing the travel operations display system at a remote airport location, via the Internet; 
 providing updated airline information to the remote travel operations display system; 
 wherein the updated airline information is received into a centralized data collection node; 
 wherein a data decoupling module scrubs the received updated airline information, codes the scrubbed data, and validates the coded output data; 
 wherein an output selection module creates a special purpose output data feed, 
 wherein a device detection feedback module modifies and updates the output selection module, 
 wherein an output distribution module distributes the special purpose output data to a special purpose output data display device; 
 wherein a central control node monitors and controls the updated airline information, the database management, the data decoupling and output selection, the device detection feedback, and the output data feed distribution to a display device. 
 
     
     
         10 . The travel operations display system according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 an output selection module for creating a plurality of filtered special purpose output data feeds;   a device detection feedback module for modifying and updating the output selection module;   an output distribution module for distributing each filtered special purpose output data feeds to special purpose output data display device; and   a display reconfiguration module for updating each filtered special purpose output data feed and for re-purposing the filtered special purpose output data feed to include a second selection of real-time data feeds different from the original selection of real-time data feeds.   
     
     
         11 . The method of providing media content to a plurality of displays in an airport according to  claim 5 , further comprising the steps:
 creating a plurality of filtered special purpose output data feeds, using an output selection module;   modifying and updating the output selection module, using a device detection feedback module;   distributing each filtered special purpose output data feeds to special purpose output data display device, using an output distribution module; and,   updating each filtered special purpose output data feed and re-purposing the filtered special purpose output data feed to include a second selection of real-time data feeds different from the original selection of real-time data feeds, using a display reconfiguration module   
     
     
         12 . The method of providing media content to a smartphone of a passenger in an airport according to  claim 6 , further comprising the steps:
 creating a plurality of filtered special purpose output data feeds, using an output selection module;   modifying and updating the output selection module, using a device detection feedback module;   distributing each filtered special purpose output data feeds to the smartphone, using an output distribution module; and,   updating each filtered special purpose output data feed and re-purposing the filtered special purpose output data feed to include a second selection of real-time data feeds different from the original selection of real-time data feeds, using a display reconfiguration module.