Vehicle entertainment system having built-in test environment server

• US 6,453,259 B1
• Filed: 06/18/1999
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Infiesto, Douglas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilten, John S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, JOHN H
• Application Number:
  US09/336,638
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 702/122, 702/121, 702/123, 701/33, 345/2, 345/327, 370/395, 713/201, 709/230, 709/250
• US Class Current: 702/122
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Line or shop replaceable units (LRUs or SRUs) of a vehicle entertainment system are programmed as microservers to receive and carry out requests for testing the LRUs/SRUs from a browser connected to the LRUs/SRUs over a communications network of the vehicle entertainment system. Test results are transmitted back to the browser for display. The browser may be part of the vehicle entertainment system or remotely connected to the communications network of the vehicle entertainment system. Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is used as the protocol for transporting the requests and the execution results over the communications network, and so, the programming of the LRUs and the SRUs may be achieved with a standard HTTP server program and the browser may be any HTTP-compliant browser such as Netscape Navigator™ and Internet Explorer™.

Claims

1. A vehicle entertainment system in which testing of replaceable units is controllable over an intranet and the Internet, comprising:

a cabin file server; and

a plurality of replaceable units connected to the cabin file server over a communications network at least one replaceable unit operating as a micronet with a HTTP connection and comprising;

a processor operating as a microserver programmed with a HTTP server program to manage requests received over the communications network and as a browser with a HTTP browser program to transmit requests over the communications network to the cabin file server; and

a memory for storing the HTTP server program, the HTTP browser program, hypertext documents and executable programs wherein the processor executes an executable program comprising instructions for testing the at least one replaceable unit in response to a request received over the communications network from the cabin file server and for returning the executable program test results to the cabin file server.

2. The vehicle entertainment system according to claim 1 further comprising a primary access terminal connected to the cabin file server for receiving operator test requests, displaying the test requests and results of the test requests.

3. The vehicle entertainment system according to claim 2, wherein the primary access terminal further comprises:

an input device for receiving operator test requests to request the test program; and

a display for displaying hypertext documents for the operator to request a test program and to display the results of the test program.

4. The vehicle entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one replaceable unit comprises a seat controller card (SCC) said SCC connected to a display with a touch screen for inputs from an operator to the cabin file server to initiate the testing of a replaceable unit.

5. The vehicle entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one replaceable unit comprises one of a passenger entertainment system controller (PESC) and an area distribution box.

6. The vehicle entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein the hypertext document stored in the memory includes a hyperlink to the test program.

7. The vehicle entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein the cabin file server operates as a proxy server when the vehicle entertainment system is controlled over the Internet by a computer at a remote location connected to the Internet to initiate testing of a replaceable unit.

8. The vehicle entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein the replaceable units comprise a seat controller card (SCC) having core application software and low level drivers connected to external equipment such as overhead lights, headphones, and attendant call switches.

9. The vehicle entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein the memory of a seat controller card contains executable programs for testing a display, headphones, overhead lights, and a tuner, the memory of the cabin file server contains executable programs for testing a download card and a system clock, the memory of a passenger entertainment system controller (PESC) contains executable program for testing PESC hardware components, and the memory of an area distribution box (ADB) contains executable programs for testing ADB hardware components.

10. A vehicle entertainment system comprising a plurality of replaceable units testable over a communications network said communications network comprising an intranet, a replaceable unit being connected to the intranet of the vehicle entertainment system, the replaceable unit configured as a micronet and comprising:

a memory having stored therein a hypertext test document and an executable test program; and

a processor programmed as a microserver to manage a test request, received over the intranet from an access terminal external to the replaceable unit, for either the hypertext test document or the executable test program.

11. The vehicle entertainment system according to claim 10, wherein a replaceable unit comprises a cabin file server programmed as a browser for the intranet for transmitting a test request over the intranet.

12. The vehicle entertainment system according to claim 11, wherein the cabin file server comprises executable test programs for testing a download card and a system clock.

13. The vehicle entertainment system according to claim 11 further comprising a primary access terminal connected to the cabin file server for receiving operator test requests, displaying the test requests and results of the test request.

14. The vehicle entertainment system according to claim 13, wherein the primary access terminal further comprises:

an input device for receiving operator test requests to request the test program; and

a display for displaying hypertext documents for the operator to request a test program and to display the results of the test program.

15. The vehicle entertainment system according to claim 11, wherein the replaceable unit comprises a seat controller card (SCC) said SCC connected to a display with a touch screen for inputs from an operator to the cabin file server to initiate the testing of a replaceable unit.

16. The vehicle entertainment system according to claim 10, wherein the intranet and the micronet operate with a Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP).

17. A method of testing a replaceable unit of a vehicle entertainment system, comprising the steps of:

programming the replaceable unit as a server;

storing in the replaceable unit a test program having a series of program instructions for testing the replaceable unit;

transmitting a request to the replaceable unit from an access terminal external to the replaceable unit;

executing the test program at the replaceable unit; and

transmitting the execution results.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of transmitting the request to the replaceable unit from the access terminal comprises the steps of:

initiating the request with an HTTP browser displayed on a primary access terminal;

inputting into the HTTP browser a URL corresponding to testing of the replaceable unit;

transmitting the URL request to a cabin file server browser; and

transmitting the URL request from the cabin file server to the replaceable unit.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the URL request at the replaceable unit;

retrieving a hypertext document for the test from memory in the replaceable unit;

delivering the hypertext document to the primary access terminal;

displaying the hypertext document at the primary access terminal;

selecting the hypertext document to request the test; and

transmitting a request for a corresponding URL for the executable test program to the replaceable unit.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of clicking on a hyperlink to the test program, wherein the step of transmitting the request to the server is carried out in response to the step of clicking.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of transmitting the execution results comprises transmitting the execution results in the form of a hypertext document.