Inflight entertainment system video display unit with swappable entertainment processor board

• US 20110134333A1
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Global Eagle Entertainment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lumexis Corporation
• Inventors: Holyoake, John, Petrisor, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US12/928,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20110134333A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/730
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/66 Transforming electric information into light information scanning details H04N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

A video display unit (VDU) for an inflight entertainment (IFE) system, and a main circuit board and swappable entertainment processor board for use therein. The swappable entertainment processor board detachably engages with the main circuit board, allowing a main circuit board of a single design configuration to be deployed on VDUs throughout an aircraft (or across a fleet of aircraft) with entertainment processor boards of various design configurations that support different IFE feature sets. In addition to facilitating differentiated IFE services, the present invention permits rapid deployment of new technologies through redesign and swapping of entertainment processor boards. Moreover, the main circuit board may be advantageously designed to accept an industry standard entertainment processor board, which allows an entire shipset of VDUs (or a subset thereof) to be upgraded by simply swapping-in an entertainment processor board compliant with the latest version of the industry standard.

Claims

1. A video display unit (VDU) for an inflight entertainment (IFE) system, comprising:

a main circuit board having a first connector; and

a entertainment processor board having a second connector, wherein the main circuit board and the entertainment processor board are detachably engaged via the first and second connectors whereby the main circuit board and the entertainment processor board are communicatively coupled.

2. The VDU of claim 1, wherein the main circuit board includes a passenger safety processor.

3. The VDU of claim 1, wherein the main circuit board includes a network interface.

4. The VDU of claim 1, wherein the main circuit board includes a network switch.

5. The VDU of claim 1, wherein the main circuit board includes a power regulator.

6. The VDU of claim 1, wherein the main circuit board includes an audio switch.

7. The VDU of claim 1, wherein the main circuit board includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) backlight controller.

8. The VDU of claim 1, wherein the main circuit board includes an auxiliary audio/video input/output system.

9. The VDU of claim 1, wherein the main circuit board includes a hard drive mount.

10. The VDU of claim 1, wherein the entertainment processor board includes an entertainment processor.

11. The VDU of claim 1, wherein the entertainment processor board includes a universal serial bus (USB) hub.

12. The VDU of claim 1, wherein the entertainment processor board includes an LCD panel controller.

13. The VDU of claim 1, wherein the entertainment processor board includes a hard drive controller.

14. The VDU of claim 1, wherein the main circuit board and the entertainment processor board are detachably engaged using one or more mounting screws whereby the first and second connectors make electrical contact.

15. The VDU of claim 10, wherein the entertainment processor is COM Express compliant.

16. An IFE system VDU main circuit board, comprising:

a power regulator;

a network interface;

a network switch;

a passenger safety processor;

an audio switch;

an auxiliary audio/video input/output system;

an LCD backlight controller; and

a connector that is detachably engageable with a VDU entertainment processor board.

17. A swappable IFE system VDU entertainment processor board, comprising:

an entertainment processor;

a USB hub;

an LCD panel controller;

a hard drive controller; and

a connector that is detachably engageable with a VDU main circuit board.

18. An IFE system, comprising:

a first VDU having a first main circuit board of a first design configuration and an first entertainment processor board of a second design configuration detachably engaged with the first main circuit board; and

a second VDU having a second main circuit board of the first design configuration and a second entertainment processor board of a third design configuration detachably engaged with the second main circuit board, wherein the second and third design configurations are different.

19. The IFE system of claim 18, wherein the first VDU provides a first IFE feature set and the second VDU provides a second IFE feature set, wherein the first and second IFE feature sets are different.