System and method for distributing digital content in a common carrier environment

• US 20020059614A1
• Filed: 10/31/2001
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Sinivaara, Hasse, Talmola, Pekka, Lipsanen, Matti
• Application Number:
  US09/999,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059614A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/75
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for distributing digital content on-demand in a common carrier environment, such as an airplane, are disclosed. The present invention employs a combination of low power RF (e.g., WLAN/Bluetooth) and digital data broadcast (e.g., DVB-T) technology to distribute digital content to passengers in an airplane cabin. In an advantageous embodiment, a mobile multimedia terminal (or, alternatively, a fixed seat-back terminal), with a WLAN or Bluetooth link to a content server aboard the plane is used by a passenger to request digital content such as movies, music, games, etc. In response, the server transmits the requested content to the passenger'"'"'s device via a DVB-T connection. The elimination of a wired connection for each of, for example, 400+ passengers in a Boeing 747, decreases the overall weight of the system and thus reduces fuel costs. A mechanism is also disclosed for quickly updating content in the airplane'"'"'s server via a DVB-T connection while the plane is at a gate receiving flight and operational data for its next flight.

Claims

1. A method for distributing digital content in a common carrier environment, comprising:

receiving a request for content from a passenger device via a wireless link; and

transmitting the content to the passenger device using a digital data broadcast capability.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving authentication information from the passenger device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a SIM card parameter; and

using the parameter for authentication and/or billing.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the parameter is a username/password.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the parameter is an International Mobile Station Identifier of a GSM system.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the passenger device is one that has roamed into an area in which content can be transmitted using the digital data broadcast capability and wherein the parameter permits the content to be billed to an account associated with the passenger device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the account is a GSM account.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless link is a short range wireless link.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the short range wireless link is a WLAN or Bluetooth link.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital data broadcast capability is a DVB-T capability.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the passenger device is a fixed seatback terminal or a passenger carried terminal.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the common carrier environment is an airplane.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting authentication information from the passenger device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting, from the passenger device, a SIM card parameter for authentication and/or billing.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the parameter is a username/password.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the parameter is an International Mobile Station Identifier of a GSM system.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting an audio portion of the content from the passenger device to a passenger headset via a low power wireless connection.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the low power wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.

13. A method for receiving digital content in a common carrier environment, comprising:

transmitting, from a passenger device, a request for content via a wireless link; and

receiving the content at the passenger device via a digital data broadcast capability.

20. A method for distributing digital content on-demand to passengers in an airplane, comprising:

receiving a request for content from a passenger terminal via a wireless LAN access point; and

transmitting the content to the passenger terminal via a DVB-T transmitter.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the terminal is either a fixed seat back terminal or a passenger carried terminal.

22. A system for distributing digital content on-demand to passengers in an airplane, comprising:

a terminal for transmitting a passenger request for content and for receiving content in response thereto;

a server for responding to the passenger request for content;

an access point coupled to the server for receiving the passenger request for content from the terminal via a short range wireless link and communicating the request to the server; and

a digital data broadcast transmitter for broadcasting requested content from the server to the terminal.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the server comprises a storage medium for storing content.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the server comprises an access controller for controlling access to the content.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the access controller authenticates the request for content.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the authentication includes receiving a SIM card parameter and using the parameter for authentication and/or billing.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the parameter is a username/password.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the parameter is an International Mobile Station Identifier of a GSM system.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein the parameter is received from a terminal that has roamed into an area served by the system and is used to bill the requested content to a GSM account of the terminal.

30. The system of claim 22 wherein the access point is coupled to the server via a local area network (“

LAN”

).

31. The system of claim 22 wherein the short range wireless connection is a WLAN or Bluetooth connection.

32. The system of claim 22 wherein the digital data broadcast transmitter is a DVB-T transmitter.

33. The system of claim 22 wherein the terminal is either a fixed seat-back terminal or a passenger carried terminal.

34. The system of claim 22 wherein the passenger request is communicated to the server via an access controller.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the digital data broadcast transmitters are DVB-T transmitters.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein each of the access points and each of the DVB-T transmitters serve terminals in a predetermined area of the airplane.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the predetermined area comprises a predetermined number of seats.

39. The system of claim 35 wherein the access controller authenticates the request for content.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the authentication includes receiving a SIM card parameter and using the parameter for authentication and/or billing.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the parameter is a username/password.

42. The system of claim 40 wherein the parameter is an International Mobile Station Identifier of a GSM system.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the parameter is received from a terminal that has roamed into an area served by the system and is used to bill the requested content to a GSM account of the terminal.

35. A system for distributing digital content on-demand to passengers in an airplane, comprising:

a plurality of terminals for transmitting requests for content and for receiving content in response to the requests;

a storage medium for storing content;

an access controller for controlling access to the content;

a plurality of access points coupled to the access controller via a local area network for receiving requests for content from the terminals via a short range wireless link and communicating the requests to the access controller; and

a plurality of digital data broadcast transmitters for broadcasting requested content from the storage medium to the terminals.

44. A system for distributing digital content on-demand to passengers in an airplane, comprising:

a storage medium for storing content;

an access controller for controlling access to the content;

a plurality of access points coupled to the access controller for receiving requests for content from the terminals via a short range wireless link and communicating the requests to the access controller; and

a plurality of digital data broadcast transmitters for broadcasting requested content from the storage medium to the terminals.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein the digital data broadcast transmitters are DVB-T transmitters.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein the access points are coupled to the access controller via a local area network.

47. The system of claim 44 wherein the short range wireless link is either a WLAN or Bluetooth link.

48. The system of claim 44 wherein content in the storage medium is updated via a DVB-T connection while the airplane is at a terminal gate.

49. The system of claim 44 wherein the access controller authenticates the request for content.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the authentication includes receiving a SIM card parameter and using the parameter for authentication and/or billing.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the parameter is a username/password.

52. The system of claim 50 wherein the parameter is an International Mobile Station Identifier of a GSM system.

53. The system of claim 52 wherein the parameter is received from a terminal that has roamed into an area served by the system and is used to bill the requested content to a GSM account of the terminal.

54. A system for distributing digital content on-demand to passengers in an airplane, comprising:

a storage medium for storing content;

an access controller for controlling access to the content;

an access point coupled to the access controller for receiving requests for content from a plurality of terminals via a short range wireless link and communicating the requests to the access controller; and

a digital data broadcast transmitter for broadcasting requested content from the storage medium to the terminals.

55. The system of claim 54 wherein the digital data broadcast transmitter is a DVB-T transmitter.

56. The system of claim 54 wherein the access point and the digital data broadcast transmitter serve terminals in a particular area of the airplane.

57. The system of claim 54 wherein the access controller authenticates the request for content.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the authentication includes receiving a SIM card parameter and using the parameter for authentication and/or billing.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein the parameter is a username/password.

60. The system of claim 58 wherein the parameter is an International Mobile Station Identifier of a GSM system.

61. The system of claim 60 wherein the parameter is received from a terminal that has roamed into an area served by the system and is used to bill the requested content to a GSM account of the terminal.

62. A system for updating passenger-consumable content in an airplane'"'"'s content data base while the airplane is at a gate of an airport terminal, comprising

a storage medium for storing content;

an access controller;

an access point coupled to the access controller via a local area network for receiving a request for content from the airplane via a short range wireless link and communicating the request to the access controller; and

a digital data broadcast transmitter for broadcasting requested content from the storage medium to the airplane to update the airplane'"'"'s content data base.

63. The system of claim 62 wherein the digital data broadcast transmitter is a DVB-T transmitter.

64. The system of claim 62, wherein the access controller controls access to a local area network of the airport terminal.

65. The system of claim 62, wherein the access point receives requests for flight data from the airplane and transmits the flight data to the airplane via the short range wireless link.

66. A system for updating passenger-consumable content in an airplane'"'"'s content data base while the airplane is at a gate of an airport terminal, comprising

a storage medium for storing content;

an access controller for controlling access to flight data and content;

a first access point coupled to a local area network for transmitting flight data to the airplane via a first short range wireless link; and

a second access point coupled to the local area network for transmitting requested content from the storage medium to the airplane via a second short range wireless link to update content in the airplane'"'"'s content data base.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein the access controller receives requests for flight data and content from the airplane via the first short range wireless link.

68. The method of claim 66 wherein the transmission of flight data via the first short range wireless link and the transmission of the content via the second short range wireless link occurs substantially simultaneously.

70. The system of claim 69 wherein the server comprises a storage medium for storing content.

71. The system of claim 69 wherein the server comprises an access controller for controlling access to the content.

72. The system of claim 69 wherein the server authenticates the requests for content.

73. The system of claim 72, wherein the authentication includes receiving a SIM card parameter and using the parameter for authentication and/or billing.

74. The system of claim 73, wherein the parameter is a username/password.

75. The system of claim 73 wherein the parameter is an International Mobile Station Identifier of a GSM system.

76. The system of claim 75 wherein the parameter is received from a terminal that has roamed into an area served by the system and is used to bill the requested content to a GSM account of the terminal.

69. In a system for distributing digital content on-demand to a plurality of passenger terminals in an airplane, the terminals for transmitting requests for content and for receiving content in response thereto,

a server for responding to passenger requests for content;

a plurality of access points coupled to the server for receiving requests for content from the terminals via a short range wireless link and communicating the requests to the server; and

a plurality of digital data broadcast transmitters for broadcasting requested content from the server to the terminals.