Apple new satellite patent: after the aircraft enters radio silence, the iPhone / Mac communication system can contact air traffic control

CTOnews.com, March 4, according to a list published by the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office (USPTO), Apple has obtained a new satellite patent to locate user devices (iDevice, MacBook, etc.) in non-terrestrial networks (Non-Terrestrial Networks,NTN).

In a scenario described by the patent, if the aircraft system goes into radio silence for some reason, then Apple users' iPhone or MacBook communications systems can contact air traffic control. Apple said in its patent that the technology could be extended to major communication failures on trains and buildings.

CTOnews.com learned from the patent description that Apple said that user equipment (UE) could be connected to a non-terrestrial network (NTN). An exemplary embodiment introduces a mechanism for collecting location information from an UE located on an aircraft.

In other examples, UE can use side links to communicate with each other. The term "bypass link" generally refers to the communication link between one UE and another UE. The side link provides direct device-to-device (D2D) communication, wherein information and / or data exchanged between the UE and another UE via the side link does not pass through the base station.