Handset with virtual reality goggles

• US 10,234,937 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2016
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Azmy, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Merouan, Abderrahim
• Application Number:
  US15/287,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20180101225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00155 Individual entertainment or communication system remote controls therefor, located in or connected to seat components, e.g. to seat back or arm rest
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2146 located in mass transportation means, e.g. aircraft, train or bus flight-deck installations for entertainment or communications B64D11/0015; arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62; moving wireless networks H04W84/005

Abstract

A handset for an entertainment system of a transportation vehicle having virtual reality (VR) goggles is provided. The handset is coupled to a seat using a cord and includes a first segment having options for controlling a passenger seat function and a second segment with a display screen for displaying VR content, when the handset operates as the VR goggles.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a handset for an entertainment system of a transportation vehicle, the handset having virtual reality (VR) goggles coupled to a seat using a cord for enabling a user to place the handset for use in a user desired position, without the handset being integrated to a seat headrest of the seat;

wherein the cord supplies power to the handset and is also used for transmitting data to and from the handset;

wherein the handset includes a first segment having options for controlling a passenger seat function including at least one of interfacing with a transportation vehicle crew member and controlling a display provided by the entertainment system and a second segment with a display screen for displaying VR content, when the handset operates as the VR goggles;

wherein the display screen of the handset also displays content provided by the entertainment system in addition to the VR content, when the transportation vehicle does not include a seat display device; and

wherein the handset includes an inside supporting the display screen in a position facing towards the eyes of the user when the handset is worn as VR goggles, and an outside surface supporting the first segment in which the first segment comprises a display panel facing in a direction opposite from that of the display screen.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transportation vehicle is an aircraft, and the entertainment system is an inflight entertainment system, and the cord is extensible and supplies at least one of power and data for the VR goggles.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the display screen displays in-flight entertainment content when not operating as VR goggles.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the VR content is provided by a personal electronic device.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the VR content is provided by a seat device.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the VR content is downloaded to the aircraft using a network connection.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the VR content is provided by one or more of a personal electronic device, a seat device and downloaded to the aircraft using a network connection.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the handset uses a strap for enabling the user to wear the handset as the VR goggles, and wherein the cord only supplies power to the handset when the transportation vehicle includes a wireless access point.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the transportation vehicle is one of a train, a bus, a ship and a recreation vehicle.

10. A system, comprising:

a handset for an entertainment system of a transportation vehicle, the handset having virtual reality (VR) goggles coupled to a seat using a cord for enabling a user to place the handset for use in a user desired position, without the handset being integrated to a seat headrest of the seat;

wherein the cord supplies power to the handset and is also used for transmitting data to and from the handset;

wherein the handset includes a display screen for displaying VR content, when the handset operates as the VR goggles and provides options for controlling a passenger seat function including at least one of interfacing with a transportation vehicle crew member and controlling a display provided by the entertainment system;

wherein the display screen of the handset also displays content provided by the entertainment system in addition to the VR content, when the transportation vehicle does not include a seat display device; and

wherein the handset includes an inside supporting the display screen in a position facing towards the eyes of the user when the handset is worn as VR goggles, and an outside surface supporting a first segment of the handset in which the first segment comprises a display panel facing in a direction opposite from that of the display screen.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the transportation vehicle is an aircraft, and the entertainment system is an inflight entertainment system, wherein the cord is retractable and provides at least one of power and data to the VR goggles.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the display screen displays in-flight entertainment content when not operating as VR goggles.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the VR content is provided by a personal electronic device.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the VR content is provided by a seat device.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the VR content is downloaded to the aircraft using a network connection.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the handset uses a strap for enabling the user to wear the handset as the VR goggles.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the transportation vehicle is one of a train, a bus, a ship and a recreation vehicle.

18. A handset for an in-flight entertainment system of an aircraft, comprising:

a first segment having options for controlling a passenger seat function on the aircraft including at least one of interfacing with a transportation vehicle crew member and controlling a display provided by the entertainment system; and

a second segment with a display screen for displaying VR content, when the handset operates as a VR goggles;

wherein the handset is coupled to an aircraft seat using a cord for enabling a user to place the handset for use in a user desired position;

wherein the cord supplies power to the handset and is also used for transmitting data to and from the handset;

wherein the display screen of the handset also displays content provided by the entertainment system of the aircraft in addition to the VR content, when the aircraft does not include a seat display device; and

wherein the handset includes an inside supporting the display screen in a position facing towards the eyes of the user when the handset is worn as VR goggles, and an outside surface supporting the first segment in which the first segment comprises a display panel facing in a direction opposite from that of the display screen.

19. The handset of claim 18, wherein the display screen displays in-flight entertainment content when not operating as VR goggles.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the handset uses a strap for enabling the user to wear the handset as the VR goggles, and wherein the cord only supplies power to the handset when the transportation vehicle includes a wireless access point.