Computer system having fixed computers and mobile computers

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring firstly to FIG.
1 it can be seen that there is provided an airline system 1 which has a computer server device 3 provided within a secure area 5 within an airport.
The airport has a number of aircraft boarding areas 7.
In this example, each boarding area 7 is provided with an aerobridge 9 which enables passengers to enter and exist the aircraft 11.
It should be realised that a boarding area 7 may be a designated parking area for aircraft 11 on a special area of the tarmac at the airport terminal.
Each aircraft 11 has a mobile computer 13 suitably mounted within a storage rack therein (the storage rack has not been shown).
When the aircraft 11 visits the airport it is parked at a boarding area 7.
Connection can therefore be made between the mobile computer 13 within the aircraft 11, and the computer server 3 at the fixed site at the airport terminal.
The airport server is provided within a LAN.
In this configuration, the airport computer server 3 is provided within a 100 Mbit LAN switch 15 which has as many ports as required to provide the necessary services in the LAN.
Each of the ports within the LAN switch 15 is connected via cabling 17 to the boarding areas 7.
Thus, in this case, the cabling 17 extends to the mouth of the aerobridges 9.
Typically, the cabling 17 is either copper cabling or fibre optic cabling depending on the distance between the LAN switch 15 and the particular boarding areas 7.
The cabling terminates at the aerobridges 9 and such termination will be explained in due course.
An interconnect cable 19 can then make connection between the cabling 17 and the mobile computers 13 within the aircraft 11.
LAN connection security devices 21 are provided at the aerobridge 9 and also within the aircraft 11 and these are used to ensure authorised connection.
The details of this will be explained in due course.
A satellite receiver computer 23 with a satellite receiver dish 25 is connected with the airport server 3 through the LAN switch 15