Low cost hybrid video distribution system for aircraft in-flight entertainment systems

• US 5,929,895 A
• Filed: 11/27/1996
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1996
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Inventors: Sklar, Richard E., Girard, Lawrence, Berry, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US08/757,721
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 348/7, 348/8, 348/12, 348/13, 455/3.1, 455/3.2, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.3, 455/6.2
• US Class Current: 725/77
• 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 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/104 Switchers or splitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An aircraft entertainment system employing a hybrid video distribution system that permits distribution of direct broadcast satellite television programming to passengers of the aircraft. The aircraft entertainment system has a video control center 11, a plurality of groups of seat display units 40, and a plurality of audio and video processors 20 that control routing of programming to each seat display unit. A plurality of seat junction boxes 30 may be interposed between the audio and video processors 20 and the groups of seat display units 40. An antenna 12 is receives programming from a satellite, and a splitter 13 generates a plurality of channels of programming received by the antenna 12. A decoder 14 decodes the channels to provide video and audio signals, and an RF modulator 16 modulates the decoded audio and video signals for distribution. Each seat display unit 40 has a keypad 44 for selecting channels and controlling audio volume, a logic circuit 45 for outputting channel addresses of the selected channels, an address decoder 47 for decoding the channel addresses, and a channel display 46 for displaying the number of the selected channel. A video display 53 displays the television programming, and an audio output device reproduces the audio signals. The audio and video processors 20 convert the modulated RF video signals to baseband video for distribution to the seat display units 40. Each processor comprises a plurality of tuners 25, and non-blocking audio crosspoint switches 26, 27 having a predetermined number of audio and video outputs that are a selected multiple of the number of inputs. A processor 28 is coupled to the audio and video crosspoint switches and to the address decoder of each seat display unit for processing the decoded channel addresses and selecting which channels are output to each seat display unit.

Claims

1. An in-flight aircraft entertainment video distribution system comprising:

a video control center comprising;

an antenna for receiving programming broadcast from a direct broadcast satellite;

a splitter coupled to the antenna for splitting off a plurality of channels of programming received by the antenna;

a decoder for decoding the plurality of channels of programming and for providing video and audio signals for each of the channels;

a system control unit which provides an operator and airframe interface to the video distribution system; and

an RF modulator for modulating the audio and video signals of the decoded channels;

a plurality of groups of seat display units, wherein each seat display unit comprises;

a keypad having a plurality of switches for selecting the channels and controlling the volume of the audio signals for the selected channels;

a logic circuit for outputting channel addresses corresponding to the selected channels;

an address decoder coupled to the logic circuit for decoding the channel addresses;

a channel display coupled to the logic circuit for displaying the number of the selected channel;

a video display for processing the video signals to display the selected channel; and

an audio output jack for providing the audio signals for each of the channels to passenger headphones; and

a plurality of audio and video processors coupled between the RF modulator and respective ones of the seat display units, for converting the modulated RF video signals to baseband video for distribution to each of the seat display units, wherein each of said processors comprise;

a plurality of tuners comprising one tuner for each channel decoded by the decoder;

a non-blocking audio crosspoint switch having inputs that are coupled to each of the tuners and having a predetermined number of audio outputs that are a selected multiple of the number of inputs;

a non-blocking video crosspoint switch having inputs that are coupled to each of the tuners and having a predetermined number of video outputs that are the selected multiple of the number of inputs; and

a processor coupled to the non-blocking audio and video crosspoint switches and coupled to the address decoder of each of the seat display units for receiving the decoded channel addresses and for selecting which channels are output to each seat display unit in response thereto.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of seat junction boxes interposed between the plurality of audio and video processors and the plurality of groups of seat display units for receiving a predetermined plurality of sets of audio and video input signals and for outputting a first subset of the sets of audio and video output signals to a first group of seat display units, and for outputting a second subset of the sets of audio and video output signals to a second group of seat display units.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the keypad includes a channel up switch, a channel down switch, an on/off switch, a volume up switch, and a volume down switch.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising a volume control circuit for controlling the volume of the audio signals provided by the audio output jack to a set of headphones.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a video enable key coupled to the volume control circuit and the video display for enabling them.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the volume up and volume down switches are coupled to the volume control circuit.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the on/off switch is coupled to the volume control circuit and to the video display to turn them on and off.

8. A video distribution system for use with an in-flight aircraft entertainment system that provides modulated audio and video signals corresponding to a plurality of video channels decoded by a direct broadcast satellite TV decoder, said video distribution system comprising:

a plurality of groups of seat display units, wherein each seat display unit comprises;

a keypad having a plurality of switches for selecting channels and controlling the volume of the audio signals for the selected channels;

a logic circuit for outputting channel addresses corresponding to the selected channels;

an address decoder coupled to the logic circuit for decoding the channel addresses;

a channel display coupled to the logic circuit for displaying the number of the selected channel; and

a video display for processing the video signals to display the selected channel; and

an audio output jack for providing the audio output signals for each of the channels; and

a plurality of audio and video processors coupled between an RF modulator and respective ones of the seat display units, for converting the modulated signals to baseband video for distribution to each of the seat display units, wherein each of said processors comprise;

a plurality of tuners comprising one tuner for each channel decoded by the direct broadcast satellite TV decoder;

a non-blocking audio crosspoint switch having inputs that are coupled to each of the tuners and having a predetermined number of audio outputs that are a selected multiple of the number of inputs;

non-blocking video crosspoint switch having inputs that are coupled to each of the tuners and having a predetermined number of video outputs that are the selected multiple of the number of inputs; and

a processor coupled to the non-blocking audio and video crosspoint switches and coupled to the address decoder of each of the seat display units for receiving the decoded channel addresses and for selecting which channels are output to each seat display unit in response thereto.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a plurality of seat junction boxes interposed between the plurality of audio and video processors and the plurality of groups of seat display units for receiving a predetermined plurality of sets of audio and video input signals and for outputting a first subset of the sets of audio and video output signals to a first group of seat display units, and for outputting a second subset of the sets of audio and video output signals to a second group of seat display units.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the keypad includes a channel up switch, a channel down switch, an on/off switch, a volume up switch, and a volume down switch.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a volume control circuit for controlling the volume of the audio signals provided by the audio output jack to a set of headphones.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a video enable key coupled to the volume control circuit and the video display for enabling them.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the volume up and volume down switches are coupled to the volume control circuit.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the on/off switch is coupled to the volume control circuit and to the video display to turn them on and off.

15. A video distribution system for use with an in-flight aircraft entertainment system that provides modulated audio and video signals corresponding to a plurality of video channels decoded by a direct broadcast satellite TV decoder, said video distribution system comprising:

a plurality of groups of seat display units, wherein each seat display unit comprises;

a keypad having a plurality of switches for selecting channels and controlling the volume of the audio signals for the selected channels;

a logic circuit for outputting channel addresses corresponding to the selected channels;

an address decoded coupled to the logic circuit for decoding the channel addresses;

a channel display coupled to the logic circuit for displaying the number of the selected channel;

a video display for processing the video signals to display the selected channel; and

an audio output jack for providing the audio output signals for each of the channels; and

a plurality of audio and video processors coupled between an RF modulator and respective ones of the seat display units, for converting the modulated video signals to baseband video for distribution to each of the seat display units, wherein each of said processors comprise;

a plurality of tuners comprising one tuner for each channel decoded by the decoder;

a non-blocking audio crosspoint switch having inputs that are coupled to each of the tuners and having a predetermined number of audio outputs that are a selected multiple of the number of inputs;

a non-blocking video crosspoint switch having inputs that are coupled to each of the tuners and having a predetermined number of video outputs that are the selected multiple of the number of inputs; and

a processor coupled to the non-blocking audio and video crosspoint switches and coupled to the address decoder of each of the seat display units for receiving the decoded channel addresses and for selecting which channels are output to each seat display unit in response thereto; and

a plurality of seat junction boxes interposed between the plurality of audio and video processors and the plurality of groups of seat display units for receiving a predetermined plurality of sets of audio and video input signals and for outputting a first subset of the sets of audio and video output signals to a first group of seat display units, and for outputting a second subset of the sets of audio and video output signals to a second group of seat display units.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the keypad includes a channel up switch, a channel down switch, an on/off switch, a volume up switch, and a volume down switch.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a volume control circuit for controlling the volume of the audio signals provided by the audio output jack to a set of headphones.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a video enable key coupled to the volume control circuit and the video display for enabling them.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the volume up and volume down switches are coupled to the volume control circuit.