FIBER-TO-THE-SEAT (FTTS) FIBER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

• US 20080063398A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anuvu IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Lumexis Corporation
• Inventors: Cline, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,184,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/66
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• 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 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/22 Adaptations for optical transmission

Abstract

A modular, scalable, extensible, In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) data communication system is described. In one embodiment, the system comprises a hub providing connection between one or more server/switch line replaceable unit including at least one server and a plurality of passenger video display units. 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, the connection between the plurality of server/switch line replacement units, the hub and the plurality of video display units is provided by passive fiber optic links.

Claims

1. A fiber to the seat distribution system comprising:

a fiber-optic junction box;

a number, M of server-switch line replacement units provided to said fiber-optic junction box via one or more fiber-optic network cables; and

a number, N, of video display units provided to said junction box by a plurality of fiber-optic network cables.

2. The fiber to the seat distribution system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

an on-board network system provided to said junction box via one or more fiber-optic network cables;

an off-board network system provided to said junction box via one or more fiber-optic network cables;

one or more data loading systems provided to said junction box via one or more fiber-optic network cables; and

one or more cabin management terminals provided to said junction box via one or more fiber-optic network cables.

3. The fiber to the seat distribution system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured for use in a mode of transporting people.

4. The fiber to the seat distribution system of claim 3, wherein the total number of video display units, N, is at least equal to the number of seats in said mode of transporting people.

5. The fiber to the seat distribution system of claim 3, wherein the total number of video display units, N, is less than the number of seats in said mode of transporting people.

6. The fiber to the seat distribution system of claim 3, wherein the total number of server-switch line replacement units, M is less than the number of video display units, N.

7. The fiber to the seat distribution system of claim 1, wherein a number, K, of video display units is joined to one server-switch line replacement unit through the junction box.

8. The fiber to the seat distribution system of claim 7, wherein the number, K, of video display units joined to one server-switch line replacement unit is greater than 1.

9. The fiber to the seat distribution system of claim 7, wherein the number, K, of video display units joined to one server-switch line replacement unit is less than or equal to the total number, N, of video display units.

10. A passenger entertainment system comprising:

one or more servers;

one or more trunk line to head-end cable assemblies, having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end has a number, P, of cable terminations and said second end has a number, Q, of cable terminations;

one or more trunk line disconnect assemblies, having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end has Q connectors that substantially mate with the number, Q, of cable terminations on the second end of the trunk line to head-end cable assemblies;

one or more trunk line to seat group cable disconnect assemblies;

having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end of the trunk line to seat group disconnect assembly is substantially joined to the second end of the trunk line disconnect assembly;

one or more seat group disconnect assemblies having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the seat group disconnect assembly is substantially joined to the second end of the trunk line to seat group cable disconnect assembly; and

a number, N, of seat group disconnect to video display unit cable assemblies, each of said seat group disconnect to video display unit cable assembly having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end of each of the seat group disconnect to video display unit cable assembly, substantially provides connection with the second end of the seat group disconnect and the second end of each of seat group disconnect to video display unit cable assembly, substantially joins to a video display unit.

11. The passenger entertainment system of claim 10, wherein the system is configured to use in a mode of transporting people.

12. The passenger entertainment system of claim 10, wherein said one or more trunk line to head-end cable assemblies substantially joins to said one or more servers through said first end of the trunk line to head-end cable assemblies.

13. The passenger entertainment system of claim 10, wherein said one or more trunk line to head-end cable assemblies comprises a passive fiber optic network.

14. The passenger entertainment system of claim 10, wherein the seat group disconnect to video display unit cable assemblies comprises a passive fiber optic network.

15. The passenger entertainment system of claim 10, wherein said number, P, of cable terminations on the first end of the trunk line to head-end cable assembly is greater than or equal to 1.

16. The passenger entertainment system of claim 10, wherein said number, Q, of cable terminations on the first end of the trunk line to head-end cable assembly is greater than or equal to the number, P, of cable terminations on the first end of the trunk line to server cable assembly.

17. The passenger entertainment system of claim 11, wherein said number, Q, of cable terminations on the second end of the trunk line to head-end cable assembly is less than or equal to the number of seats in the mode of transporting people.

18. The passenger entertainment system of claim 10, wherein the number, N, of the seat group disconnect to video display unit cable assemblies is greater than or equal to 1.

19. The passenger entertainment system of claim 10, wherein the number, N, of the seat group disconnect to video display unit cable assemblies is between 1 and 10.

20. The passenger entertainment system of claim 10, further comprising a fiber-optic junction box configured to provide a fiber signal path from said one or more servers to one or more video display units,

wherein said one or more servers are joined to said fiber-optic junction box through one or more server link cable assemblies, and

wherein said one or more trunk line to head-end cable assemblies substantially joins to said fiber-optic junction box through said first end of the trunk line to head-end cable assemblies.

21. The passenger entertainment system of claim 20, wherein the fiber-optic junction box is further configured to provide a fiber signal path between two or more servers provided to said fiber-optic junction box with server link cable assemblies.

22. The passenger entertainment system of claim 20, wherein each of said one or more video display units is substantially joined to one server through a passive fiber optic network, the junction box and a server link cable assembly.

23. The passenger entertainment system of claim 10, wherein said one or more video display units are provided with fiber disconnects.

24. The entertainment system of claim 10, wherein the server further comprises:

an application server further comprising at least one of;

a video server;

an audio server;

a game server;

a file server; and

a passenger flight information system.

25. A method of distributing information in connection with passenger entertainment system, said method comprising;

marshalling information in a server;

transporting information from said server to one or more trunk line disconnect assemblies over one or more trunk line to head-end cable assemblies;

transporting information from said one or more trunk line disconnect assemblies to one or more trunk line to seat group disconnect assemblies;

transporting information from said one or more trunk line to seat group disconnect assemblies to one or more seat group disconnect assemblies over one or more trunk line to seat group disconnect cable assemblies; and

transporting information from said one or more seat group disconnect assemblies to one or more video display units over one or more seat group disconnect to video display unit cable assemblies.