WIRELESS AUDIO DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM

• US 20090007193A1
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales Avionics Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Thales Avionics Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Correa, Paulo, Brady, Kenneth A. JR., Vanyek, Gary E., Law, Harmon F., McClelland, V. Ian, Heydler, Arnaud
• Granted Patent: US 8,635,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles
• 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 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A wireless communication system for a vehicle includes a seat or overhead video display unit, a control and audio unit that is associated with and located remotely with respect to the video display unit, a first wireless transceiver associated with the video display unit, a second wireless transceiver associated with the control and audio unit, where the first and second wireless transceivers are linked together for communication. The video display unit receives audiovisual content and splits audio content for transmission to the control unit. The control unit can similarly transmit control and selection information to the video display unit.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system for a vehicle including at least one seat, comprising:

a vehicle seat or overhead video display unit receiving at least one of video content and audio content;

a control unit located remotely with respect to the video display unit;

a first wireless transceiver associated with the video display unit; and

a second wireless transceiver associated with the control unit, wherein the first wireless transceiver and second wireless transceiver are linked to each other.

2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless transceiver comprises an output for transmitting audio content, and the second wireless transmitter comprises an input for receiving the transmitted audio content.

3. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless transceivers communicate via a low latency digital format.

4. The wireless communication system according to claim 3, wherein the low latency digital format comprises pulse-code modulation.

5. The wireless communication system according to claim 3, wherein the low latency is ≦

35 ms.

6. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless transceivers comprise a master-slave relationship.

7. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless transceivers comprise a peer-to-peer tandem relationship.

8. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

the video display unit comprises a splitter that splits audio content from the video content, and an audio packetizer that creates digital audio packets from the audio content for transmission from the first wireless transceiver to the second wireless transceiver; and

the control unit comprises a combiner that receives the digital audio packets from the second wireless transceiver and combines the audio packets, and an audio processor that processes the combined audio packets for listening by a user.

9. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

the first wireless transceiver is associated with a first network address;

the second wireless transceiver is associated with a second network address; and

the video display unit receives audiovisual content from a streaming video source that directs the audiovisual content to the video display unit, the video display unit displaying video content of the audiovisual content on its display.

10. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the first wireless transceiver comprises an input;

and

the second wireless transceiver comprises an output via which control information is transmitted to the first wireless transceiver.

11. The wireless communication system according to claim 10, wherein the control information is selected from the group consisting of audio control information, game control information, and selection information.

12. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the video display unit is an overhead video display unit, and the first wireless transceiver transmits data to a plurality of the second wireless transceivers utilizing a multicast IP address.

13. The wireless communication system according to claim 12, wherein the multicast IP address is specified utilizing the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

14. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless transceiver transmits packetized audio data to the second wireless transceiver, and the packetized audio information is uncompressed.

15. The wireless communication system according to claim 13, wherein the packetized audio information is in a 16-bit, 48 kHz format.

16. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless transceiver and the second wireless transceiver are linked to each other using a network selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth, Wireless USB, Ultra-WideBand, IEEE 802.11 and Wi Fi, and infrared.

17. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a portable component that is associated with or comprises the second wireless transceiver.

18. The wireless communication system according to claim 17, further comprising a cradle for holding the portable component.

19. The wireless communication system according to claim 18, wherein the cradle further comprises a battery charger for charging the portable component, and circuitry for associating or assigning the portable component with the first wireless transceiver.

20. A method for communicating video and audio content in a vehicle, comprising:

providing at least one of video content and audio content to a vehicle seat or overhead video display unit; and

wirelessly linking a first wireless transceiver associated with the video display unit to a second wireless transceiver associated with a control unit located remotely from the video display unit.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising transmitting audio content from the first wireless transceiver to the second wireless transceiver.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising,

splitting the audio content by video display unit;

creating digital audio packets from the split audio content that are wirelessly transmitted from the first wireless transceiver to the second wireless transceiver;

combining the digital audio packets by the control unit; and

processing the combined digital audio packets for listening by a user.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the packetized audio information is in a 16-bit, 48 kHz format.