WO2007116209A1

WO2007116209A1 - System and method for establishing communication between a passenger in a vehicle and a host

Info

Publication number: WO2007116209A1
Application number: PCT/GB2007/001278
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andersen Yuk Cheng
Original assignee: Inviseo Media Ltd.
Priority date: 2006-04-07
Filing date: 2007-04-05
Publication date: 2007-10-18
Also published as: WO2007115577A1

Abstract

A system and method for establishing communication between a passenger in an aircraft and another party is provided by the invention. With a client device, the passenger obtains the host address of the other party from an information provider located in the aircraft. The client device transmits the client address for the client and the host address to a routing device located in the aircraft. The routing device transmits the client address to the host device based on the received host address.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A PASSENGER IN A VEHICLE AND A HOST

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is related to a system and method for establishing communication between a passenger in a vehicle and another party.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wireless communication between a passenger in a vehicle is quite common, provided a network of receiving and transmitting station is established, provided the carrier allows direct communications from aboard of a vehicle and provided the person desiring to establish a communication puts in the corresponding address by means of a keyboard or keypad, if it is available, or directly by mouse click if a corresponding link appears on the display of a client communication device, for example a portable personal computer or a pocket PC, or by keying in the information directly into a mobile telephone.

However, in order to achieve direct communication with a host, the user must know the address with which he wants to communicate and in the second case a communication to the host (e.g. an internet service provider or server connected to a mobile telephony base station) must have been established before he can use links appearing on the display of the communication device.

This is a particular problem in aircraft when there is only a small amount of available information that can be provided to a person (e.g. a passenger) and it has previously not been possible to obtain further information from an external source, such as the internet or provide bi-directional communication to an external network. It has not been possible for an external provider of goods and services to be contacted by a passenger during flight because of the technical considerations in providing communication between a client device and a host located on the ground. It is therefore an object of the present invention to facilitate communication between an information provider, for example a publicity provider who places posters in a vehicle, and the passenger in this vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, mere is provided, in a first aspect of the present invention, a method for establishing communication between a passenger in an aircraft and a host, comprising: (a) at a client device, receiving a host address for the host from an information provider located in the aircraft; (b) wirelessly transmitting the host address and a client address for the client device to a routing device located in the aircraft; and (c) transmitting the client address from the routing device to the host.

Preferably, the client address is transmitted wirelessly from the routing device located in the aircraft to a host device located externally to the aircraft, for example on the ground. Alternatively, the host device may be located in the aircraft.

Advantageously, the information provider is located in a surface opposite a seat in which the passenger is seated during normal operation of the aircraft. In normal operation of an aircraft, passengers are seated in rows of seats such that each seat (apart from the seats at the front of the aircraft) is located directly behind a seat which is located in front. This means that there is a surface opposite a passenger when he is seated in a seat that resides in his field of vision.

Preferably, the information provider is located in a rear surface of a seat in such a way that the information provider faces a passenger seated in a seat located to the rear of the seat having the information provider. This ensures that a passenger is made aware of the host and the possibility of connection to the host. Moreover, this facilitates ease of communication with the host from the passenger's seat. In one embodiment of the present invention, the information provider is located on an underside of a foldable table which is extendable from a folded-away position in which an upper surface of the table is juxtaposed to the rear surface of the seat and the underside of the table faces the passenger in the seat located to its rear.

Preferably, step (c) comprises wirelessly transmitting the host and client address to a host device at the host via a satellite link. This provides high bandwidth communications from the aircraft to the host via a ground station.

Preferably, the client device comprises at least one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a personal computer. In the case of the mobile phone, the host address (which is a unique identifier for the client device) may be the mobile phone number of the mobile phone. In the case of the PDA, the host address may be an IP address and/or Ethernet MAC address of the PDA, which is assigned to the PDA when the PDA is connected to a WLAN for which the routing device is a hub. In the case of the computer, the host address may be an IP address and/or Ethernet MAC address of the computer, which is assigned to the computer when it is connected to a WLAN.

The host may be a server connected to the internet and step (c) may comprise transmitting the host address and client address over an internet link to the host.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises: (d) receiving a response from the host through wireless transmission at the routing device; and (e) transmitting the response from the routing device to the client device.

This permits data to be sent back to the client device from the host in real-time whilst the client device is located on the aircraft in flight.

Advantageously, the response comprises data for display on the client device or data comprising code for generating a particular response on the device. Moreover, wherein the data may be HTML data corresponding to a web page. Step (b) may comprise transmitting the host address and client address to the routing device over wireless link comprising at least one of the group of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), 3 G, Short Message Service (SMS) and a wireless local area network (WLAN).

The host address may be a Short Message Service (SMS) recipient number. Alternatively, the host address is a Universal Resource Locator (URL) for a web page located at the host.

The client address may be a Short Message Service (SMS) recipient number.

The client may be a mobile phone and the client address may therefore be a mobile phone number for the mobile phone.

The client address may be an email address of an email account accessible via the client device.

In one embodiment of the present invention, step (a) comprises: (a2) transmitting the host address from the information provider to the client device via a local wireless link.

A local wireless link is a short range link which is intended to be accessible by one or more passengers in a group of passengers located within a certain distance from the information provider. The provision of a wireless link over which the host address can be provided permits a passenger to acquire a host address without having to enter the address into the client device. In many situations, the client device may have a limited keyboard or data entry means which makes it difficult to enter a complex host address.

Preferably, the wireless link is localized at one or more seats in the aircraft. This permits different host addresses to be distributed to different passengers. For example, passengers in business class may have different information displayed by the information provider. The local wireless link may be a wireless radio link, such as a Bluetooth® link. Alternatively, the local wireless link may be an infra-red link.

In this embodiment, the method may further comprise: (al) sending a request for the host address from the client device to the information provider via the local wireless link.

Alternatively, the client device comprises a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader and the information provider comprises an RFID tag including the host address stored in memory of the RFID tag.

Advantageously, the RFID tag transmits the host address stored in its memory to the RFID reader when the client device is located in close proximity to the information provider. By close proximity, it is meant that the client device may be located less than one of: 1 metre, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 0.5 cms from the information provider. Alternatively, the client device may have to be located juxtaposed to a surface on the information provider, preferably an information display surface.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, step (a) comprises: (al) obtaining an image of at least part of a display surface on the information carrier, the display surface comprising a digital signature including the host address; and (a2) processing the image at the client device to obtain the host address from the digital signature.

Preferably, the digital signature is embedded in an image on the display surface. The digital signature may be shaped element, such as a dot, solid circular or rectangular component including invisible (with respect to the human eye) markings. Alternatively, the digital signature may be embedded in a watermark in the image. Advantageously, the digital signature is invisible in the image to a human eye. Preferably, the digital signature is a bar code. ,

O

The host is likely to be maintained by a provider of a service or product which is presented in a display surface of the information carrier. The method of the present invention is particularly advantageous when the aircraft is in flight.

In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for communication between a passenger in an aircraft and a host, comprising: an information provider unit located on the aircraft near the passenger; a routing device on the aircraft configured to communicate with a client device which receives a host address for the host from the information provider and wirelessly transmits the host address and a client address for the client to the routing device, the routing device being further configured to connect to the host identified by the host address and communicate with the host, wherein the routing device is configured to transmit the client address to a host device located at the host.

Preferably, the routing device is configured to transmit the host and client address to the host device via a satellite link.

The client device advantageously comprises at least one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant and a personal computer.

The host device may be a server connected to the internet and the routing device is configured to route the client address over an internet link to the host device. Alternatively, the host device may be a server connected directly to an earth station capable of communicating over a satellite link with the routing device.

Advantageously, the routing device may be configured to receive a response from the host device for the client device and wirelessly transmit the response to the client device, wherein the client device is configured to receive the response.

The routing device preferably communicates with the client device over a wireless link comprising at least one of the group of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), 3G, Short Message Service (SMS) and a wireless local area network (WLAN).

Preferably, the client device is a mobile phone and the client address is a mobile phone number for the mobile phone. The client address is an email address of an email account accessible via the client device.

The information provider unit may comprise a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the host address from the information provider unit to the client device via a local wireless link. The client device may comprise a short-range radio receiver and the local wireless link may be a short-range wireless radio link, such as a Bluetooth® link.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the client device comprises an infra red receiver, the wireless transmitter is an infra red transmitter and the local wireless link is an infra-red link. In another embodiment of the present invention, the client device comprises a transmitter configured to send a request for the host address from the client device to the information provider unit via the local wireless link.

In further embodiment of the present invention, the client device comprises a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag reader and the information provider unit comprises an RFID tag transmitter including memory adapted to store the host address.

Preferably, the RFID tag transmitter is adapted to transmit the host address in its memory to the RFID reader when the client device is located in close proximity to the information provider unit.

Alternatively, the information provider unit comprises: a display surface including a digital signature, wherein the client device is configured to obtain an image of the digital signature and process the image at the client device to obtain the host address. o

In a third aspect of the invention, a method is provided for establishing a wireless communication between a passenger in a vehicle in the air, on land or at sea and another party, comprising the steps of:

- providing a poster in the vehicle, providing an information of the address of the other party in connection with said poster and providing a means for establishing a wireless communication with said other party.

The method may also include the step of: providing in said means for establishing a wireless communication with said other party, a means for retrieving and processing said information of the address on said poster for putting through the communication to said other part at will of the passenger.

The method may also include the step of selecting the information of the address of said other party between one of:

- embedded on the poster in the form of an electronic paper or a water mark, arranged behind the poster, or in the immediate vicinity of the poster, in the form of a RFID chip or a magnetic or a low power electronic tag or device which enables communications and/or storage of information.

The method may also include the step of providing the information of the address of said other party in the form o either of; images, words, characters, bar codes, SMS-codes, phone numbers, web address.

The method may also include the step of selecting the means for retrieving and processing said information of the address on said poster between one of: a mobile phone, a pocket PC, a SMS/email device, a laptop computer, a barcode scanner, an RFID reader, and all these devices including means for reading and processing said information.

The method may also include the step of providing in said means for retrieving and processing said information a means or storing said information as well as the data of the communication.

The method may finally include the step of using the communication with said other party to process a transaction for information or financial purposes.

Further in carrying out the above object and other objects of the present invention, for use of the method defined hereinbefore, the poster may be arranged at the back of a seat in a vehicle, visible by the passenger sitting behind the back of said seat comprising said poster and also for use of the method defined hereinbefore, the poster can be arranged on one of the surfaces of a foldable table disposed at the back of a seat in a vehicle, visible by the passenger sitting behind the back of the seat comprising said foldable table, when said table is either in the inoperative vehicle position or in the horizontal position of use.

Thus, the method of the present invention permits a passenger to establish communication with the provider of an information or an advertisement on said poster by simply directing the communication apparatus or a part thereof, capable of retrieving and processing the information of the address on said poster, towards the poster and to initiate the communication by actuating the means for putting through the communication to said other party at will of the passenger, whereafter the passenger can enter into a real-time transaction for informational or financial purposes with the other party, e.g.. enter into a prize draw or receive additional information, e.g. a promotional code or further instructions or directions or the passenger can retain such information for record or for later use. It is not even necessary that the information of the address on the poster must be visible or readable to the passenger, because the communication apparatus can be designed in such a way that it recognizes even embedded or hidden information and is capable of retrieving and processing same. This information of the address of the other party can be arranged in, under or on the poster or in the frame surrounding the said poster in the form of passive elements, like printed data, images, words, characters, bar codes, SMS-codes, phone numbers or web addresses, whether visually visible or invisible or can be present in the form of active elements in the form of RFID chips, magnetic or low power, electronic tags or devices embedded in said tray table, which enable communication or storage of information.

A retrieving element can be in the form of a digital camera arranged in a mobile phone, a pocket PC, a SMS/e-mail device or a laptop computer which comprise one of an optical or electronic processing unit, capable of recognising the visible or invisible information and to establish a wireless communication with another party upon actuation of a corresponding switch of said communication apparatus.

If active elements in the form of RPID chips, magnetic or low power electronic tags are used, the communication apparatus must dispose of a sensor connected to a processor which recognizes the information emitted by the RFID chip or the magnetic or low power electronic tag and permits to establish a communication with the other party having placed said information in connection with the poster on the back of the seat in the vehicle or on the foldable table attached to the back of a seat in a vehicle.

In a preferred embodiment, the poster with which an information of the address of the part desiring to have a communication established with a passenger in a vehicle is connected, is arranged in a frame attached to a side of a foldable table disposed at the back of a seat of a vehicle said poster being visible by the passenger sitting behind the back of the seat comprising said foldable table when said table is in the inoperative vertical position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention as well as other objects and advantages will become apparent upon consideration of the detailed disclosure thereof, especially when taken with the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, side elevation view of an aircraft comprising components which are integrated into the system of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation view of a further alternative embodiment of the invention to the invention shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a schematic illustration of components of the invention; and

Fig. 6 illustrates the method of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, a device 10, according to the present invention, is shown in an aircraft 32. The device 10 consists of a display surface 12, for example an image having text and graphics, such as an advertisement, which is provided on an information provider 14, such as a poster. This may be a thin layer of paper, cardboard, plastic, or the like. Alternatively, the information provider 14 may be a solid replaceable unit, or a removable frame having cover surface which is placed over the display surface 12. The display surface 12 may take the form of advertising, which is typically in the nature of a picture, a drawing, a logo, and written words.

The information provider 14 is mounted in a display position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, within a recess 16 on a seat 17, which recess 16 is configured to accept a tray table assembly 18. The tray table assembly 18 consists of a wall 20 which nests closely within the recess 16 with the tray table assembly 1 S in a first position as shown in Fig. 3, wherein a surface 22 on the wall 20 substantially fully blocks the display surface 12 as viewed from the rear of the seat 17.

Through a linkage 24, the tray table assembly 18 is allowed to reposition from the position shown in Fig. 3 to a second position, as shown in Fig. 2, wherein a surface 26, facing oppositely to the surface 22, faces upwardly to provide a support for objects accessible to a passenger seated behind the seat 17. A repositionable catch 28 maintains the tray table assembly 18 in the Fig. 3 position.

Four seats A, B, C, D are shown in a passenger compartment 30 on the aircraft 32 in Fig. 1. The information provider 14 on the back of the seat A is viewable by a passenger sitting normally and facing forward in seat B, with the information provider 14 on the seat B being viewable by a passenger sitting in seat C, and so on. For a passenger sitting in seat A, the system 10 can be provided on a dividing wall 34 functions in exactly the same manner as if it had been mounted on a seat forward of the seat A.

Example seat A has a back wall 36 with a rearward facing surface 38. A rearward facing wall surface 40 is recessed forwardly from the back wall surface 36 and defines a support for the advertising sheet 14. In conventional seat construction, cloth layer 41 defines both the back wall surface 38 and wall surface 40.

In one form of the invention, the sheet or information provider 14 is provided with a hook and loop-type fastener element 44. In this case, the fastener element 44 has hooks thereon which allow the fastener element 44 to directly adhere to the cloth layer 41 defining the surface 40.

Accordingly, the sheet or information provider 14 can be placed in the display position of Figs. 2 and 3 by a simple press fit step without any modification to the seat A. The fastener element can be suitably secured to the sheet 14 as by adhesive or by sewing. In one preferred arrangement, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, two laterally spaced, visually extending strips of a fastener element 44 are applied to the sheet 14. This produces a stable mounting for the sheet 14, while facilitating its separation from the wall surface 40 when the sheet 14 is to be removed or replaced.

It should also be understood that while the recess 16 is shown in one example seat construction, some airlines use seats with a flat back wall 36 without any recess therein. The tray table assembly 18 functions in exactly the same manner and selectively blocks and exposes the display surface 12, according to the present invention, in the same manner as described above.

In Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the information provider 14 is shown to have a rectangular shape that is complementary to the rectangular shape of the recess 16. To maximize the visual effect, a post 14, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, can be made to fully confirm to the recess 16.

According to one embodiment, the information provider 14 can be placed so that it is fully blocked with the tray table assemblies 18 in the first, closed position. As passengers enter and exit the passenger compartment 30, the advertisements 12 are fully obscured to that the passenger compartment has a normal appearance. The system 10 can be constructed so that maintenance crew can simply pull off the information provider 14 and effect replacement thereon in a relatively simple operation.

According to another embodiment, the information provider 14 can be affixed to the surface 22 on the wall 20 of the tray table assembly 18 which is visible in the first closed position, depicted to Fig. 3. In this case, the surface 22 on the wall 20 of the tray table assembly 18 may comprise a recess, not shown, adapted to receive a information provider 14 mounted in a frame and covered by a transparent pane, whereby the frame is attached to the tray table assembly 18 in said recess by similar means as described with reference to Fig. 2. Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the display surface 12 on the information provider 14 or the frame carrying the poster includes a host address (i.e. information on the address of host, e.g. the advertiser or of the provider of the advertisement) in the form of a digital signature 13, such as a bar code, a digital watermark, an image, words, characters, SMS codes, phone numbers or web addresses which are viewed for instance by a digital camera 19 incorporated in a client device 15, such as a mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA) (e.g. a pocket PC), an SMS/email device or a personal computer (e.g. laptop computer) having a digital camera incorporated therein. The image of the digital signature 13 is thereafter processed by an image processor in the client device 15 to obtain the host address for transmitting the host address to the display 21 of the client device 15 where it can be viewed and the user of the client device 15 can establish a communication with said host by, for example, actuating a corresponding key sequence or a particular switch on the keyboard 23 of the client device 15. Alternatively, the client device 15, upon receiving the decoded host address from the image processor, can automatically connect to the host without intervention by the user. The user may also read the digital signature 13 and manually enter the host address into the client device 15 using the keyboard 23. In all of these scenarios, the client device 15 transmits its client address along with the host address to the host so that the host is able to respond to the establishment of communication and transmit a response to the client device 15. This response may in the form of text data to be displayed in real-time (i.e. whilst the aircraft is in flight) on the client device 15 (e.g. an SMS text message or HTML data for generating a web page on the client device). By interacting with the client device 15 based on the response (e.g. by inputting data into a form on a web page), the user can transmit further information to the host. For example, the response may be a request for answers to specific questions (e.g. a survey) relating to the product being described at the information provider 14.

In the aforementioned embodiment, the host address is obtained through reading of passive elements by the client device 15 or user. It is also possible to incorporate one or more active elements into the information provider 14. These active elements may be in the form of a transmitter 50, implemented as an infra-red transmitter, in electronic paper, a printable RFID chip or a magnetic or a low power electronic tag. These devices store the host address and other information and transmit it wirelessly to a corresponding receiver in the client device 15. Other information may be stored comprising, for example, further information on the product or service which is described in the display surface 12 of the information provider 14.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic layout of the system 100 of the present invention. The aircraft 32 is shown in flight with at least an information provider 14, preferably a plurality of information providers 14 each located in the rear side of each passenger seat. A routing device 60 is located in the aircraft and communicates bi-directionally with one or more host devices 62 located on the ground via a satellite link 64. The satellite link 64 is a multiple access bi-directional link providing connection to a Wide Area Network (WAN) 66, such as the internet, and the host device 62 is connected to the WAN. In an alternative embodiment which is not depicted in Fig. 5, a host device 62 may be located in the aircraft itself and connected directly by a wired or wireless connection to the routing device 60. The client device 15 communicates with the routing device 60 over a wireless link. The wireless link 61 is provided by a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) for which the routing device 60 is a Wireless Access Point (WAP). Alternatively, the wireless link 61 is provided by a cellular network, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), implemented as a pico-cell within the aircraft 32, in which case the routing device 60 is a mobile pico-base station.

Fig. 5 will now be explained in conjunction with Fig. 6 which shows steps carried out in performance of the method of the present invention.

In step 601, a passenger uses the client device 15 to obtain an address for the host device 62 in one of the ways described above in connection with Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

In step 602, the client device 15 wirelessly transmits both the client address and the obtained host address to the routing device 60 located in the aircraft 32 over wireless link. In step 603, the routing device 60 initiates a connection with the host device 62 over the satellite link 64 and WLAN 66 based on the host address received from the client device 15 and transmits the client address to the host device 62.

In step 604, the host device 62 stores the client address and responds with an acknowledgement and/or other response to the client device 15 via the routing device 60 over the satellite link 62 and WLAN 66. The response is preferably data which permits further bi-directional interaction with the host device 62 over the integrated link comprising the wireless link 61, the satellite link 64 and WLAN 66.

It will of course be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for establishing communication between a passenger in an aircraft and a host, comprising: (a) at a client device, receiving a host address for the host from an information provider located in the aircraft;

(b) wirelessly transmitting the host address and a client address for the client device to a routing device located in the aircraft; and

(c) transmitting the client address from the routing device to the host.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information provider is located in a surface opposite a seat in which the passenger is seated during normal operation of the aircraft.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information provider is located in a rear surface of a seat in such a way that the information provider faces a passenger seated in a seat located to the rear of the seat having the information provider.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information provider is located on an underside of a foldable table which is extendable from a folded-away position in which an upper surface of the table is juxtaposed to the rear surface of the seat and the underside of the table faces the passenger in the seat located to its rear.

5. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein step (c) comprises wirelessly transmitting the host and client address to a host device at the host via a satellite link.

6. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein step (c) comprises transmitting the host and client address directly to a host device located in the aircraft.

7. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the client device comprises at least one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant and a personal computer.

8. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the host is a server connected to the internet and step (c) comprises transmitting the host address and client address over an internet link to the host.

9. The method of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising:

(d) receiving a response from the host through wireless transmission at the routing device; and

(e) transmitting the response from the routing device to the client device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the response comprises data for display on the client device or data comprising code for generating a particular response on the device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the data is HTML data corresponding to a web page.

12. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein step (b) comprises transmitting the host address and client address to the routing device over wireless link comprising at least one of the group of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), 3 G, Short Message Service (SMS) and a wireless local area network (WLAN).

13. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the host address is a Short Message Service (SMS) recipient number.

14. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the host address is a Universal Resource Locator (URL) for a web page located at the host.

15. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the client address is a Short Message Service (SMS) recipient number.

16. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the client is a mobile phone and the client address is a mobile phone number for the mobile phone.

17. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the client address is an email address of an email account accessible via the client device.

18. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein step (a) comprises:

(a2) transmitting the host address from the information provider to the client device via a local wireless link.

19. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wireless link is localized at one or more seats in the aircraft.

20. The method of claim 18 or claim 19, wherein the local wireless link is a wireless radio link, such as a Bluetooth® link.

21. The method of claim 18 or claim 19, wherein the local wireless link is an infrared link.

22. The method of any one of claims 18 to 21 , further comprising:

(al) sending a request for the host address from the client device to the information provider via the local wireless link.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the client device comprises a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader and the information provider comprises an RFID tag including the host address stored in memory of the RFID tag.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the RFID tag transmits the host address stored in its memory to the RFID reader when the client device is located in close proximity to the information provider.

25. The method of any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein step (a) comprises: (al) obtaining an image of at least part of a display surface on the information carrier, the display surface comprising a digital signature including the host address; and

(a2) processing the image at the client device to obtain the host address from the digital signature.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the digital signature is embedded in an image on the display surface.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the digital signature is embedded in a watermark in the image.

28. The method of any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein the digital signature is invisible in the image to a human eye.

29. The method of any one of claims 25 to 28, wherein the digital signature is a bar code.

30. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the host is maintained by a provider of a service or product which is presented in a display surface of the information carrier.

31. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the aircraft is in flight.

32. A system for communication between a passenger in an aircraft and a host, comprising: an information provider unit located on the aircraft near the passenger; a routing device on the aircraft configured to communicate with a client device which receives a host address for the host from the information provider and wirelessly transmits the host address and a client address for the client to the routing device, the routing device being further configured to connect to the host identified by the host address and communicate with the host, wherein the routing device is configured to transmit the client address to a host device located at the host.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the routing device is configured to transmit the host and client address to the host device via a satellite link.

34. The system of claim 32 or claim 33, wherein the client device comprises at least one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant and a personal computer.

35. The system of any one of claims 32 to 34, wherein the host device is a server connected to the internet and the routing device is configured to route the client address over an internet link to the host device.

36. The system of any one of claims 32 to 35, wherein the routing device is configured to receive a response from the host device for the client device and wirelessly transmit the response to the client device, wherein the client device is configured to receive the response.

37. The system of any one of claims 32 to 36, wherein the routing device communicates with the client device over a wireless link comprising at least one of the group of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), 3G, Short Message Service (SMS) and a wireless local area network (WLAN).

38. The system of any one of claims 32 to 37, wherein the host address is a Short Message Service (SMS) recipient number.

39. The system of any one of claims 32 to 38, wherein the host address is a Universal Resource Locator (URL) for a web page located at the host.

40. The system of any one of claims 32 to 39, wherein the client address is a Short Message Service (SMS) recipient number.

41. The system of any one of claims 32 to 39, wherein the client device is a mobile phone and the client address is a mobile phone number for the mobile phone.

42. The system of any one of claims 32 to 39, wherein the client address is an email address of an email account accessible via the client device.

43. The system of any one of claims 32 to 42, wherein the information provider unit comprises a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the host address from the information provider unit to the client device via a local wireless link.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the client device comprises a short-range radio receiver and the local wireless link is a short-range wireless radio link, such as a

Bluetooth® link.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the client device comprises an infra red receiver, the wireless transmitter is an infra red transmitter and the local wireless link is an infra-red link.

46. The system of any one of claims 43 to 45, wherein the client device comprises a transmitter configured to send a request for the host address from the client device to the information provider unit via the local wireless link.

47. The system of claim 43, wherein the client device comprises a Radio Frequency Identification (RPID) tag reader and the information provider unit comprises an RFID tag transmitter including memory adapted to store the host address.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the RFID tag transmitter is adapted to transmit the host address in its memory to the RFID reader when the client device is located in close proximity to the information provider unit.

49. The system of any one of claims 24 to 32, wherein the information provider unit comprises: a display surface including a digital signature, wherein the client device is configured to obtain an image of the digital signature and process the image at the client device to obtain the host address.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the digital signature is embedded in an image on the display surface.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the digital signature is embedded in a watermark in the image.

52. The system of any one of claims 49 to 51, wherein the digital signature is invisible in the image to a human eye.

53. The system of any one of claims 49 to 52, wherein the digital signature is a bar code.

54. The system of any one of the claims 32 to 53, wherein the host is maintained by a provider of a service or product which is presented in a display surface of the information provider unit.

55. The system of any one of claims 32 to 54, wherein the information provider unit is located in a surface opposite a seat in which the passenger is seated during normal operation of the aircraft.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the information provider unit is located in a rear surface of a seat in such a way that title information provider faces a passenger seated in a seat located to the rear of the seat having the information provider.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the information provider unit is located on an underside of a foldable table which is extendable from a folded-away position in which an upper surface of the table is juxtaposed to the rear surface of the seat and the underside of the table faces the passenger in the seat located to its rear.

58. Method for establishing a wireless communication between a passenger in a vehicle in the air, on land or at sea and another party, comprising the steps of: providing a poster in the vehicle; providing an information of the address of the other party in connection with said poster and providing a means for establishing a wireless communication with said other party.

59. Method according to claim 58, including the step of providing in said means for establishing a wireless communication with said other party, a means for retrieving and process said information of the address on said poster and for putting through the communication to said other party at will of the passenger.

60. Method according to claim 59, wherein the information of the address of said other party is selected between one of embedded in the poster in the form of an electronic paper, or a digital watermark, and arranged behind the poster in the form of a printable RFID chip or magnetic or low power electronic tags or devices which enable communications and/or storage of information.

61. Method according to claims 58 and 59, wherein the information of the address of said other party is provided in the form of either of: images, words, characters, barcodes, codes, phone numbers, and web addresses.

62. Method according to either one of claims 58 to 61, wherein the means for retrieving and processing said information of the address on said poster is selected between one of: a mobile phone, a pocket PC, a SMS/email device, a laptop computer, including means for reading and processing said information.

63. Method according to claim 62, wherein said means for retrieving and processing said information also includes means for storing said information as well as the data of the communication.

64. Method according to either one of claims 58 to 63, wherein the communication with said other party is used to process a transaction for informational or financial purposes.

65. For use of the method according to either one of claims 58 to 64, wherein the poster is arranged at the back of a seat in a vehicle visible by the passenger sitting behind the back of said seat comprising said poster.

66. For use of the method according to either one of claims 58 to 65, wherein the poster is arranged on one of the surfaces of a foldable table disposed at the back of a seat in a vehicle, visible by the passenger sitting behind the back of the seat comprising said foldable table when said table is either in the inoperative vertical position or in the horizontal position of use.