Detachable seat mounted audio-visual entertainment system with locally storable, selectable, and updatable content

• US 20050132407A1
• Filed: 12/15/2003
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Burrana IP And Assets, LLC
• Original Assignee: Aircraft Protective Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Henson, Robert Ray, Boyer, William J. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,403,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00151 Permanently mounted seat back monitors
• 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: B64D 11/06 Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0624 Arrangements of electrical connectors, e.g. for earphone, internet or electric supply
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0647 Seats characterised by special upholstery or cushioning features
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• 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 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A detachable seat mounted audio-visual entertainment system. The system has locally storable, selectable, and updatable content. The passenger in-flight entertainment device terminal has passenger selectable controls, a video display, an audio output, storage media such as a magnetic or “hard disc”, and a payment interface device such as a card swipe, all located in a seat which has been wired with power, local network, and audio wiring. A local, transport vehicle mounted local host computer provides supports the local network, and may be used to collect revenue slips resulting from passenger input to the payment interface device. Revenue slips may be posted to a remote server during a trip segment via satellite or direct radio frequency communication to receiving facilities providing connection to the internet, or alternately collected and posted batch wise.

Claims

1. An entertainment system for use on a passenger transportation vehicle, said system comprising:

(a) a plurality of passenger terminals, said passenger terminals comprising;

(1) a housing;

(2) a first storage medium for storage of digital data comprising a plurality of audio-visual content items;

(3) a viewing screen;

(4) audio output interface;

(5) a passenger interface, said passenger interface adapted to allow a passenger to select at least one of said audio-visual content items for listening and/or display from said first storage medium;

(b) a power supply system, said power supply system adapted to supply power to one or more of said passenger terminals;

(c) a transportation vehicle host computer, said host computer comprising a local network manager for management of digital data flow to and from each of said passenger terminals;

(d) a local network, said local network providing digital communication between said transportation vehicle host and said plurality of passenger terminals.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least some of said passenger terminals further comprise a payment interface device, said payment interface device adapted to allow a passenger to provide payment information for generation of an electronic revenue data slip upon passenger selection of at least one of said audio-visual content items.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said transportation host further comprises second storage medium, said second storage medium adapted for storage of said electronic revenue data slips.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said passenger transportation vehicle is engaged in travel during use of said entertainment system, and wherein said electronic revenue data slips are posted to a remote server during travel of said passenger transportation vehicle.

5. The system as set forth in claim 4, wherein validity of a payment method used by a passenger is verified during travel of said passenger transportation vehicle.

6. The system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said electronic revenue data slips are posted individually as payment data is provided by a passenger.

7. The system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said passenger transportation vehicle travels for period of time to complete one or more trip segments during use of said entertainment system, and wherein said electronic revenue data slips are posted to a remote server after completion of a selected trip segment.

8. The system as set forth in claim 7, wherein a plurality of said electronic revenue data slips are posted as a batch to said remote server.

9. The system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said transport vehicle host computer generates a signal containing said electronic revenue data slips that is transmitted to a remote server via an internet service provider through a satellite up-link and subsequent down-link to a land based transceiver facility.

10. The system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said transport vehicle host computer generates a signal containing said electronic revenue data slips that is transmitted to a remote server via an internet service provider through a radio link to a land based transceiver facility.

11. The system as set forth in claim 9, or in claim 10, where said remote serve, upon receipt of each electronic revenue data slip, performs a payment mode validity verification check, said validity verification check establishing the validity or the invalidity of the selected payment mode.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11, further comprising, in the case the remote server determines the invalidity of the payment mode, the step of preventing start of, or the step of terminating the viewing of, the audio-visual content selected by the passenger.

13. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said payment mode is selected from the group comprising (a) credit cards, (b) debit cards, or (c) direct funds transfer authorization.

14. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said passenger transportation vehicle is selected from the group consisting of (a) aircraft, (b) trains, (c) buses, and (d) boats.

15. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of updating audio visual content stored on said first storage medium in any one of a plurality of said passenger terminals by providing a portable content storage device, and connecting said portable content storage device to said local network, then directly downloading new audio-visual content to one or more of said passenger terminals.

16. The system as set forth in claim 15, wherein the step of updating audio visual content stored on a plurality of said passenger terminals is performed batchwise, so that a plurality of passenger terminals are updated with new audio visual content simultaneously.

17. The system as set forth in claim 16, wherein said passenger transport vehicle comprises multiple seats occurring in multiple rows, and wherein a selected number of rows are updated simultaneously.

18. The system as set forth in claim 17, wherein groups of five rows are updated simultaneously.

19. The system as set forth in claim 18, wherein each row of seats comprises a group of up to six seats.

20. The system as set forth in claim 15, wherein a selected number of passenger terminals in a selected transport vehicle are updated in about thirty minutes or less.

21. The system as set forth in claim 15, wherein all passenger terminals in a selected transport vehicle are updated in about thirty minutes or less.

22. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein all passenger terminals in a selected transport vehicle are updated in about fifteen minutes or less.

23. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein all passenger terminals in a selected transport vehicle are updated in about twelve minutes or less.

24. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein all passenger terminals in a selected transport vehicle are updated in about ten minutes or less.

25. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least some of said passenger terminals further comprise a slip on cover assembly, said slip on cover assembly including (a) a backing board, (b) a mounting pan, (c) a protective foam cushion, and (d) a slip cover with detachable hook and loop fasteners, wherein said mounting pan is affixed to said backing board and is sized and shaped to pivotally mount said passenger terminal in a close fitting relationship thereto so that a bottom portion of said passenger terminal pivots toward and away from said mounting pan along a horizontal pivot axis, and wherein said backing board is securely located within said slip cover so that said slip on cover assembly is detachably mountable to an upper end portion of an existing seat.

26. The system as set forth in claim 25, wherein said mounting pan further comprises an upper radius portion, and wherein said passenger terminal comprises an upper radiused surface, and wherein said upper radius portion of said mounting pan and said upper radiused surface of said passenger terminal is mounted in a close fitting relationship spaced apart by a small gap G, and wherein said small gap G is sufficiently small so that fingers of a passenger cannot reach through the gap therebetween.

27. The system as set forth in claim 25, wherein said mounting pan further comprises a lower radius portion, and wherein said passenger terminal comprises a lower radiused surface, and wherein said lower radius portion of said mounting pan and said lower radiused surface of said passenger terminal is mounted in a close fitting relationship spaced apart by a small gap D, and wherein said small gap D is sufficiently small so that fingers of a passenger cannot reach through the gap therebetween.

28. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a detachable enclosure for housing said passenger terminal, and wherein said passenger terminal further comprises one or more cables extending therefrom, and wherein said detachable enclosure comprises:

a backing board, said backing board having one or more apertures therein for passage therethrough of one or more cables extending from said in-flight entertainment device,

a mounting pan affixed to said backing board, said pan having one or more apertures therein for passage therethrough of one or more cables extending from said in-flight entertainment device, said mounting pan sized and shaped to pivotally secure thereto a selected in-flight entertainment device;

a foam cushion, said foam cushion mounted to said backing board and confiningly surrounding said mounting pan and providing padding adjacent thereto;

a slip-on cover, said slip on-cover adapted to fit over a selected existing upper seat back in close fitting relationship; and

affixed to said slip-on cover and to said upper seat back, one or more complementary hook and loop fastener portions to releasably secure said enclosure to said upper seat back.

29. The system as set forth in claim 28, where in said complementary hook and loop fastener portions comprise Velcro®

brand fasteners.

30. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first storage medium comprises a drive adapted to hold a magnetic medium.

31. The system as set forth in claim 30, wherein said magnetic medium comprises a magnetic disk.

32. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a safety and public address system signal generator, said signal generator operatively connected to said local network and thence to each of said passenger terminals to provide direct, real time audio communication with each passenger using a passenger terminal.

33. The combination of (a) an existing aircraft seat having an upper seat back portion, and (b) a detachable enclosure for housing a passenger terminal for an in-flight entertainment device system,

wherein said passenger terminal further comprises one or more cables extending therefrom, and

wherein said detachable enclosure comprises:

a backing board, said backing board having one or more apertures therein for passage therethrough of one or more cables extending from said in-flight entertainment device;

a mounting pan affixed to said backing board, said pan having one or more apertures therein for passage therethrough of one or more cables extending from said in-flight entertainment device, said mounting pan sized and shaped to pivotally secure thereto a selected in-flight entertainment device;

a foam cushion, said foam cushion mounted to said backing board in matched relationship rearwardly from said backing board, and having an inner perimeter edge confiningly surrounding said mounting pan and providing padding adjacent thereto;

a slip-on cover, said slip on-cover adapted to fit over a selected existing upper seat back portion in a secure close fitting relationship; and

affixed to said slip-on cover and to said upper seat back, one or more complementary hook and loop fastener portions to releasably secure said detachable enclosure to said upper seat back.

34. The combination as set forth in claim 33, where in said complementary hook and loop fastener portions comprise Velcro®

brand fasteners.

35. A detachable enclosure for housing a passenger terminal for an in-flight entertainment device system, wherein said passenger terminal comprises a case having one or more cables extending therefrom, wherein said detachable enclosure is adapted for mounting to an upper seat back portion of an existing seat, wherein said detachable enclosure comprises:

a backing board, said backing board having one or more apertures therein for passage therethrough of one or more cables extending from said in-flight entertainment device;

a mounting pan affixed to said backing board, said pan having one or more apertures therein for passage therethrough of one or more cables extending from said in-flight entertainment device, said mounting pan sized and shaped to pivotally secure thereto a selected in-flight entertainment device;

a foam cushion, said foam cushion mounted to said backing board in matched relationship rearwardly from said backing board, and having an inner perimeter edge confiningly surrounding said mounting pan and providing padding adjacent thereto;

a slip-on cover, said slip on-cover adapted to fit over a selected existing upper seat back portion in a secure close fitting relationship; and

affixed to said slip-on cover and to said upper seat back, one or more complementary hook and loop fastener portions to releasably secure said detachable enclosure to said upper seat back.

36. The detachable enclosure as set forth in claim 35, where in said complementary hook and loop fastener portions comprise Velcro®

brand fasteners.

37. The detachable enclosure as set forth in claim 35, wherein said slip-on cover comprises a front portion having an lower end edge, and wherein adjacent to said lower end edge, a vertically oriented thin planar portion of hook and loop fastener is mounted, and wherein at a matched position for secure mating engagement is mounted a complementary portion of hook and loop fastener on said upper seat back portion.

38. The detachable enclosure as set forth in claim 37, wherein said slip-on cover comprises a rear portion having first and second lower end portions, and wherein said first and said second lower end portions are adapted to straddle, in a spaced apart relationship, an existing tray table lock mount.

39. The detachable enclosure as set forth in claim 38, wherein said first and second lower end portions each further comprise a horizontally oriented thin planar portion of hook and loop fastener, and wherein a complementary portion of hook and loop fastener is mounted to a rear facing portion of said upper seat back portion, to detachably secure said first and second lower end portions to said rear facing portion of said upper seat back portion.

40. The detachable enclosure as set forth in claim 39, where in said complementary hook and loop fastener portions comprise Velcro®

brand fasteners.