Method for controlling an in-flight entertainment system

• US 20070130591A1
• Filed: 09/22/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thales Avionics Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Thales Avionics Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Brady, Kenneth, Norton, Lyle, Rafelghem, Dominique
• Application Number:
  US11/525,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130591A1
• 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 passenger entertainment and environmental control system for an aircraft, comprising:

a seat-level passenger unit executing a web browser that outputs first and second addressed requests having a network protocol format;

a head-end subsystem including an audio/video controller unit executing a first web server that receives one of the first and second addressed requests and delivers entertainment content to the seat-level passenger unit; and

a passenger service subsystem executing a second web server that receives the other one of the first and second addressed requests and adjusts an environmental function of the aircraft.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the seat-level passenger unit comprises:

a first plurality of actuators configured to vary the environmental functions of the passenger service subsystem; and

a second plurality of actuators configured to select a desired content and vary a volume of the desired content, wherein the web browser transmits the first and second addressed requests in response to actuation of the first and second plurality of actuators.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the first and second plurality of actuators are selected from the group consisting of switches, buttons, knobs, keyboards and touch-screens.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the seat-level passenger unit further includes a display.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the entertainment content is selected from the group consisting of streaming audio, streaming video, an interactive game and Internet access.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the network protocol format is Hyper Text Transfer Protocol.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the audio/video controller unit further includes a first Common Gateway Interface script that is executed by the first web server, and wherein the passenger service subsystem further includes a second Common Gateway Interface script that is executed by the second web server.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the environmental function being adjustable by the passenger service subsystem is selected from the group consisting of an in-seat power supply, an overhead reading light, a flight-attendant call system, a climate adjustment system, a seat adjustment system, and an in-seat telephone.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the environmental function is an overhead reading light, and wherein the second web server executes a Common Gateway Interface script to actuate a switch connected to the overhead reading light for turning the overhead reading light on and off.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second seat-level passenger unit including a second web client that outputs third and fourth addressed requests having the network protocol format; and

a distribution unit that routes the first, second, third and fourth addressed requests to the first and second web servers, and which routes the entertainment content from the audio/video controller to at least one of the first and second seat-level passenger units.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the passenger service subsystem includes the distribution unit.

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

connecting a head-end controller unit with a passenger service system;

connecting a plurality of seat-level units with the head-end controller unit;

configuring a plurality of network clients and a plurality of network servers on the plurality of seat-level units such that each seat-level unit of the plurality includes at least one of a network client of the plurality and a network server of the plurality, and wherein each network client of the plurality is operable to communicate with each network server of the plurality and with the passenger service system;

configuring a key routing table on each seat-level unit of the plurality that includes a network client;

receiving, at a network client of the plurality, an input signal from a user interface device connected with a seat-level unit of the plurality, the input signal associated with a selected function of the in-flight entertainment system;

mapping the input signal from the receiving step to a control activation signal relative to the key routing table;

transmitting the control activation signal to at least one network server of the plurality; and

the at least one network server receiving the control activation signal, executing an instruction to control the selected function of the in-flight entertainment system.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the mapping step comprises formatting the control activation signal in a network protocol format.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the network protocol format is selected from the group consisting of Transmission Control Protocol, User Datagram Protocol, Hyper Text Transfer Protocol and File Transfer Protocol.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the network protocol format is Hyper Text Transfer Protocol and the step of executing an instruction comprises running a Common Gateway Interface script.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein, in the step of executing, the selected function being controlled is selected from the group consisting of streaming audio, streaming video, an interactive game, Internet access, a reading light, a flight-attendant call, a climate adjustment, a seat adjustment, and an in-seat telephone.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

the at least one network server receiving the control activation signal, generating a network client response acknowledging execution of the instruction; and

the at least one network server receiving the control activation signal, sending the network client response to the network client receiving the input signal from a user interface device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

the network client processing the network client response in order to output a display control signal; and

the network client controlling a display connected with at least one of the user interface device and a seat-level LRU of the plurality to display an indication that execution of the instruction was completed relative to the display control signal.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of restricting availability of a particular function of the in-flight entertainment system to a subset of seat-level unit of the plurality of seat-level units.

22. The in-flight entertainment system of claim 19 further comprising:

a first area distribution box unit that routes entertainment content from the controller to the plurality of seat-level units;

a second plurality of seat-level units; and

a second area distribution box unit that routes entertainment content from the controller to the second plurality of seat-level units,

wherein the passenger service system includes first and second zone passenger service system modules, the first zone passenger service system module being interposed between the first area distribution box unit and the controller, and the second zone passenger service system module being interposed between the second area distribution box unit and the controller.

20. An in-flight entertainment system, comprising:

a passenger service system including a light and a switch that controls illumination of the light;

a plurality of seat-level units;

a passenger user interface connected to a seat-level unit of the plurality, the passenger user interface configured to output a user input signal;

a plurality of web browsers running on the plurality of seat-level units, each web browser of the plurality configured to output a first HTTP-formatted URL call relative to the user input signal;

a plurality of web servers running on the plurality of seat-level units, each web server of the plurality being responsive to each web browser of the plurality;

at least one server program in communication with the switch, the at least one server program actuating the switch relative to the first HTTP-formatted URL call; and

head-end equipment remote from and in communication with the plurality of seat-level units, the head-end equipment including a controller, wherein the controller provides entertainment content from at least one audio/video source relative to a second HTTP-formatted URL call from the plurality of web browsers.

21. The in-flight entertainment system of claim 20 wherein the plurality of seat-level units comprise:

a plurality of personal digital gateways including smart video display units, the plurality of personal digital gateways configured in a first class section of the aircraft; and

a plurality of passenger control units configured in non-first class sections of the aircraft.