FIBER-TO-THE-SEAT IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An aircraft in-flight entertainment data communication system, comprising:
- a server/switch unit comprising a plurality of servers, a plurality of passenger seat transceivers, and a switch configured to provide data communication between said passenger seat transceivers and said plurality of servers such that each of said servers can communicate with each of passenger seat transceivers through said switch;
a plurality of video display units, each video display unit comprising a video display unit transceiver provided to a processor module, a video display provided to said processor module, and one or more user input devices provided to said processor module; and
a plurality of fiber-optic cables, wherein each cable comprises a head-end connection and a passenger-end connection such that each one of said video display unit transceivers is provided to a corresponding one of said passenger seat transceivers through a corresponding one of said fiber-optic cables.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A modular, scalable, extensible, In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) data communication system is described. In one embodiment, a server/switch line replaceable unit including at least one server, at least one switching element and a plurality of fiber optic transceivers communicates with a plurality of passenger seat video display units over fiber optic cables. A server, such as, for example, an audio server, a video server, an audio/video server, a game server, an application server, a file server, etc, provides data (e.g., entertainment programming, internet file data, etc.) to the video display unit. In one embodiment, a hybrid switch unit provides flexible communication between one or more servers and the passenger seats.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. An aircraft in-flight entertainment data communication system, comprising:
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a server/switch unit comprising a plurality of servers, a plurality of passenger seat transceivers, and a switch configured to provide data communication between said passenger seat transceivers and said plurality of servers such that each of said servers can communicate with each of passenger seat transceivers through said switch;
a plurality of video display units, each video display unit comprising a video display unit transceiver provided to a processor module, a video display provided to said processor module, and one or more user input devices provided to said processor module; and
a plurality of fiber-optic cables, wherein each cable comprises a head-end connection and a passenger-end connection such that each one of said video display unit transceivers is provided to a corresponding one of said passenger seat transceivers through a corresponding one of said fiber-optic cables. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 42)
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16. An aircraft in-flight entertainment data communication system, comprising:
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a hybrid-switch unit, comprising;
a packet switch configured to switch packets for a packet-based data network;
a circuit switch configured to switch circuits for a circuit-based data network;
a first packet transceiver having an electrical port provided to said packet switch and an optical port provided to a first coupler;
a second packet transceiver having an electrical port provided to said packet switch and an optical port provided to a second coupler;
a first circuit transceiver having an electrical port provided to said circuit switch and an optical port provided to said first coupler; and
a second circuit transceiver having an electrical port provided to said circuit switch and an optical port provided to said second coupler;
a first packet server provided to said packet switch;
a second packet server provided to said packet switch;
a first premium server provided to said circuit switch;
a hybrid video display unit comprising;
a processing module;
a video display provided to said processing module;
a third packet transceiver having an electrical port provided to said processing module and an optical port provided to a third coupler; and
a third circuit transceiver having an electrical port provided to said processing module and an optical port provided to said third coupler; and
a fiber-optic cable having a first connector provided to said first coupler and a second connector provided to said third coupler. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An aircraft in-flight entertainment data communication system, comprising:
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a switch unit comprising a plurality of passenger seat transceivers, and a switch configured to provide data communication between said passenger seat transceivers and a plurality of auxiliary ports to provide data communication between said auxiliary ports and said passenger seat transceivers through said switch;
a plurality of video display units, each video display unit comprising a video display unit transceiver provided to a processor module, a video display provided to said processor module, and one or more user input devices provided to said processor module; and
a plurality of fiber-optic cables, wherein each cable comprises a head-end connection and a passenger-end connection such that each one of said video display unit transceivers is provided to a corresponding one of said passenger seat transceivers through a corresponding one of said fiber-optic cables. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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43. An aircraft in-flight entertainment data communication system, comprising:
a switch unit comprising a plurality of servers, a plurality of passenger seat transceivers, and a switch configured to provide data communication between said passenger seat transceivers and said plurality of servers such that each of said servers can communicate with each of passenger seat transceivers through said switch. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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45. An aircraft in-flight entertainment data communication system, comprising:
a hybrid-switch unit, comprising;
a packet switch configured to switch packets for a packet-based data network;
a circuit switch configured to switch circuits for a circuit-based data network;
a first packet transceiver having an electrical port provided to said packet switch and an optical port provided to a first coupler;
a second packet transceiver having an electrical port provided to said packet switch and an optical port provided to a second coupler;
a first circuit transceiver having an electrical port provided to said circuit switch and an optical port provided to said first coupler; and
a second circuit transceiver having an electrical port provided to said circuit switch and an optical port provided to said second coupler. - View Dependent Claims (46)
Specification