Method for controlling an in-flight entertainment system

• US 20030217363A1
• Filed: 05/14/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales Avionics Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Thales Avionics Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Rafelghem, Dominique Van, Norton, Lyle K., Brady, Kenneth A. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,114,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• 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: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A method for controlling an in-flight entertainment (IFE) system using network protocols, such as TCP/IP, HTTP, or FTP. Control of a plurality of functions, including in-seat and broadcast audio and video, overhead reading light control, and flight attendant call, are implemented using a network client, a network server, and a network server program, each communicating with network protocols. The network client may be visible or invisible to a user of the in-flight entertainment system, depending on whether a web browser or a virtual web browser is used as a network client. The software for each line replaceable unit (LRU) may be designed, redesigned, or tested independently from other components within the IFE system. Particular functions of the IFE system can be made available only to particular parts of the IFE system, allowing different levels of access to the IFE system for different passenger classes.

Claims

1. A network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system, comprising:

a user interface for enabling a user of the in-flight entertainment system to generate an input signal;

a processor for processing the input signal, and for generating a control activation signal in response to the input signal;

a network client for receiving the control activation signal, and for generating a network server request in a network protocol format;

a network server for receiving the network server request; and

a network server program, which is run by the network server, for controlling a function of the in-flight entertainment system by executing at least one instruction on at least one line replaceable unit in the in-flight entertainment system.

2. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the network server program also generates a network client response whereby information about the function performed by the network server program is supplied to the network client.

3. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the network client is a virtual web browser.

4. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the network client is a web browser.

5. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the network server request follows Hyper Text Transfer Protocol.

6. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the network client and the network server are located on the same line replaceable unit.

7. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the network client and the network server are located on two different line replaceable units.

8. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the network server program is implemented with a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) script.

9. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with an audio radio-frequency broadcast.

10. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with an overhead video radio-frequency broadcast.

11. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with an in-seat power supply.

12. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with an in-seat audio stream.

13. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with an in-seat video stream.

14. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with interactive game playing.

15. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with access to the Internet.

16. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with an overhead reading light.

17. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with a flight-attendant call system.

18. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with a climate adjustment system.

19. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with a seat adjustment system.

20. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with a surveillance system.

21. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with a cabin audio announcement system.

22. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with a cabin video announcement system.

23. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with a display of passenger flight information.

24. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is associated with an in-seat telephone.

25. The network protocol enabled in-flight entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the function controlled is available only to a particular group of users of the in-flight entertainment system.

26. A method of performing a function of an in-flight entertainment system using network protocols, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an input signal from a user interface, the input signal associated with a selected function of the in-flight entertainment system;

generating a control activation signal corresponding to the input signal;

sending the control activation signal to a network client;

generating a network server request with the network client;

sending the network server request from the network client to a network server;

running a network server program on the network server; and

executing on at least one line replaceable unit in the in-flight entertainment system at least one instruction for controlling a function of the in-flight entertainment system using the network server program.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the network server request follows Hyper Text Transfer Protocol.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of sending the network server request, the network client and the network server are located on two different line replaceable units.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of sending the network server request, the network client and the network server are located on the same line replaceable unit.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the network server program is implemented with a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) script.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with an audio radio-frequency broadcast.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with an overhead video radio-frequency broadcast.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with an in-seat power supply.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with an in-seat audio stream.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with an in-seat video stream.

36. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with interactive game playing.

37. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with access to the Internet.

38. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with an overhead reading light.

39. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with a flight-attendant call system.

40. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with a climate adjustment system.

41. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with a seat adjustment system.

42. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with a surveillance system.

43. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with a cabin audio announcement system.

44. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with a cabin video announcement system.

45. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with a display of passenger flight information.

46. The method of claim 26, wherein, in the step of executing, the function controlled is associated with an in-seat telephone.

47. The method of claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

generating a network client response with the network server program, the network client response being specific to the particular function of the in-flight entertainment system controlled and to the particular network server request sent by the network client; and

sending the network client response to the network client.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising the steps of:

processing the network client response in order to produce a processed network client response; and

displaying the processed network client response on a display.

49. The method of claim 47, further comprising the step of:

making a particular function of the in-flight entertainment system available only to a particular group of users of the in-flight entertainment system.