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Rf shielding for aircraft windows

Rf shielding for aircraft windows description/claims

This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/187,062, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,350,753, filed on Jul. 21, 2005, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

This relates to improvements in window units installed in aircraft of all types. Specifically, this relates to aircraft windows capable of shielding against the transmission of radio frequency (RF) energy.

The increasing usage of cellular telephones and other wireless electronic devices generally has given rise to a demand for the use such devices by passengers while traveling in aircraft. In most commercial aircraft, however, the passengers are prohibited from using these wireless devices, since their use interferes with services outside the aircraft. When activated on board aircraft, cellular telephones will actively try, and sometimes succeed, in communicating via ground based cellular infrastructure. This is undesirable, and not allowed by government regulations.

As shown in FIG. 1, an aircraft 10 has an aluminum exterior 12, a passenger compartment 14 and a plurality of windows 16. It is believed, that the primary means of transmission of RF energy between the passenger compartment 14 and the exterior of the aircraft 10 is via the windows 16. This includes the transmission of electromagnetic transmission frequencies currently in use for cellular phones which commonly operate in the 800 Mhz to 5 Ghz frequency range.

There is a need, therefore, for improved aircraft windows that are transparent to electromagnetic energy in the visible spectrum, yet opaque to RF energy.

Disclosed is an improved aircraft window, where RF shielding is desirable. In one embodiment, a window shield comprises an electrically conductive, transparent flexible film, which is applied by known processes to a window pane. This shield is grounded to the aircraft frame or exterior by a “tail” of conductive material, which is secured to a ground point in the vicinity of the window pane.

In an alternative embodiment, a window pane may support elements of conductive material embedded in the pane which are formed into patterns such as grids, that are adapted to absorb energy at the wavelengths emitted by cell phones, or to absorb other radiation.

Embodiments of the present invention therefore allow visible light to pass through an aircraft window while shielding certain other electromagnetic energy. The improved window will facilitate use of certain electronic devices within the aircraft, without interference being caused by or to other signals, outside the plane.

There are additional aspects to the present invention. It should therefore be understood that the preceding is merely a brief summary of some, embodiments and aspects of the present inventions. Additional embodiments and aspects of the present inventions are referenced below. It should further be understood that numerous changes to the disclosed embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. The preceding summary therefore is not meant to limit the scope of the inventions. Rather, the scope of the inventions is to be determined by appended claims and their equivalents.

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is an exterior view of a portion of an aircraft having a plurality of windows;

FIG. 2 is an interior view of a portion of an aircraft with two window assemblies in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an aircraft window pane of one of the window assemblies of FIG. 2;

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