SERIAL NETWORKING FIBER-TO-THE-SEAT INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An inflight entertainment system, comprising:
- a plurality of head end line replaceable units physically interconnected in a ring configuration; and
a plurality of serially-connected networking line replaceable units physically interconnected in a serial configuration,wherein two of the serially-connected networking line replaceable units at the edge of the serial configuration are physically interconnected with two of the head end line replaceable units, respectively,wherein a loop-free head end data path is maintained between active head end line replaceable units by regulating link participation in the head end data path, andwherein one or more loop-free serially-connected networking data paths are maintained between at least one of the two head end line replaceable units and active networking line replaceable units by regulating link participation in the serially-connected networking data paths.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An entertainment system that exhibits advantages of fiber-to-the-seat systems, has improved failure recovery characteristics, and reduces the connection components is disclosed. In one aspect, an inflight entertainment system comprises a plurality of head end line replaceable units physically interconnected in a ring configuration and a plurality of serially-connected networking line replaceable units physically interconnected in a serial configuration, wherein two of the serially-connected networking line replaceable units at the edge of the serial configuration are physically interconnected with two of the head end line replaceable units, respectively, wherein a loop-free head end data path is maintained between active head end line replaceable units by regulating link participation in the head end data path, and wherein one or more loop-free serially-connected networking data paths are maintained between at least one of the two head end line replaceable units and active serially-connected networking line replaceable units by regulating link participation in the serially-connected networking data paths.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. An inflight entertainment system, comprising:
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a plurality of head end line replaceable units physically interconnected in a ring configuration; and a plurality of serially-connected networking line replaceable units physically interconnected in a serial configuration, wherein two of the serially-connected networking line replaceable units at the edge of the serial configuration are physically interconnected with two of the head end line replaceable units, respectively, wherein a loop-free head end data path is maintained between active head end line replaceable units by regulating link participation in the head end data path, and wherein one or more loop-free serially-connected networking data paths are maintained between at least one of the two head end line replaceable units and active networking line replaceable units by regulating link participation in the serially-connected networking data paths. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A first head end line replaceable unit for an inflight entertainment system, comprising:
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a plurality of fiber optic transceivers; and a processor communicatively coupled with the transceivers, wherein under control of the processor in response to failure of a first link to a second head end line replaceable unit via a first one of the transceivers the first head end line replaceable unit activates a second link to a third head end line replaceable unit via a second one of the transceivers, whereby a loop-free head end data path between a plurality of head end line replaceable units is restored.
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28. A serial networking line replaceable unit for an inflight entertainment system, comprising:
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a plurality of fiber optic transceivers; and a processor communicatively coupled with the transceivers, wherein under control of the processor in response to failure of a first data path to a first head end line replaceable unit via a first one of the transceivers the serial networking line replaceable unit activates a second data path to a second head end line replaceable unit via a second one of the transceivers.
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29. A head end line replaceable unit for an inflight entertainment system, comprising:
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a plurality of fiber optic transceivers; and a processor communicatively coupled with the transceivers, wherein under control of the processor the head end line replaceable unit transmits a presence message on a link via a first one of the transceivers, receives the presence message on a link via a second one of the transceivers, and in response to receiving the presence message removes one of the links from participation in a loop-free head end data path between a plurality of head end line replaceable units. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A serial networking line replaceable unit for an inflight entertainment system, comprising:
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a plurality of fiber optic transceivers; and a processor communicatively coupled with the transceivers, wherein under control of the processor the serial networking line replaceable unit receives a presence message having a received hop count on a link via a first one of the transceivers, increments the hop count and transmits the presence message having an incremented hop count on a link via a second one of the fiber optic transceivers, and wherein under control of the processor the serial networking line replaceable unit regulates participation of one of the links in a loop-free serial networking data path between a head end line replaceable unit and a plurality of serial networking line replaceable units based at least in part on the received hop count.
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Specification