Upgradable aircraft in-flight entertainment system and associated upgrading methods

• US 6,748,597 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2000
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LiveTV LLC (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Live TV Incorporated
• Inventors: Frisco, Jeffrey A., Keen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sloan, Nathan A
• Application Number:
  US09/544,883
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 725/63, 725/74-77, 725/126
• US Class Current: 725/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4185 for payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method for installing and operating an aircraft in-flight entertainment system preferably includes installing an entertainment source on the aircraft; installing spaced apart signal distribution devices, each generating audio signals for at least one passenger in an audio-only mode, and generating audio and video signals to at least one passenger in an audio/video mode; installing a cable network connecting the entertainment source to the signal distribution devices; and operating the aircraft in-flight entertainment system with at least one predetermined signal distribution device in the audio-only mode. In addition, the method preferably includes later upgrading the aircraft in-flight entertainment system by connecting at least one passenger video display to the at least one predetermined signal distribution device to operate in the audio/video mode and while leaving the cable network unchanged. Accordingly, the downtime experienced by air carrier is greatly reduced over other systems which require significant recabling and other difficult equipment installation operations for upgrading.

Claims

1. A method for installing and operating an aircraft in-flight entertainment system comprising:

installing at least one entertainment source on the aircraft;

installing a plurality of signal distribution devices spaced throughout the aircraft, each signal distribution device generating audio signals for at least one passenger in an audio-only mode, and generating audio and video signals for at least one passenger in an audio/video mode;

installing a cable network on the aircraft connecting the at least one entertainment source to the signal distribution devices, the cable network comprising common cabling carrying the audio signals for the at least one passenger in the audio-only mode, and carrying the audio and video signals for the at least one passenger in the audio/video mode;

operating the aircraft in-flight entertainment system with at least one predetermined signal distribution device in the audio-only mode; and

later upgrading the aircraft in-flight entertainment system by connecting at least one passenger video display to the at least one predetermined signal distribution device to operate in the audio/video mode and while leaving the cable network unchanged.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein installing at least one entertainment source comprises installing a satellite television (TV) receiver.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein installing at least one entertainment source comprises installing a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) receiver.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein later upgrading further comprises leaving the at least one predetermined distribution device unchanged.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein installing the cable network comprises installing coaxial cable, power cable and data cable throughout the aircraft.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein later upgrading comprises installing at least one passenger video display in the aircraft.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein installing the at least one passenger video display comprises installing video displays on backs of passenger seats.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the aircraft includes different seating classes;

and further comprising offering different entertainment services based upon seating classes.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the different seating classes are reconfigurable;

and further comprising reconfiguring offered entertainment services based upon reconfiguring of the seating classes.

10. A method according to claim 8 wherein offering different entertainment services comprises offering different packages of television channels.

11. A method according to claim 8 wherein offering different entertainment services comprises offering audio-only and audio/video modes of operation based upon seating classes.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the aircraft is a narrow-body aircraft having a single longitudinal passenger aisle.

13. A method for upgrading an aircraft in-flight entertainment system in an aircraft including first and second classes of passengers, the aircraft in-flight entertainment system comprising a satellite television (TV) receiver, a plurality of spaced apart signal distribution devices and generating audio and video signals for at least one first class passenger in an audio/video mode and generating audio signals for at least one second class passenger in an audio-only mode, and a cable network connecting the satellite TV receiver to the signal distribution devices, the cable network comprising common cabling for carrying the audio and video signals to the at least one first class passenger, and carrying the audio signals to the at least one second class passenger, the method comprising:

installing at least one passenger video display for the at least one second class passenger; and

connecting at least one predetermined signal distribution device for the second class passengers to the at least one video display to operate in the audio/video mode and while leaving the cable network unchanged to thereby upgrade the aircraft in-flight entertainment system.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the satellite TV receiver comprises a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) receiver.

15. A method according to claim 13 wherein later upgrading further comprises leaving the at least one predetermined signal distribution device unchanged.

16. A method according to claim 13 wherein installing the at least one passenger video display comprises installing video displays on backs of passenger seats.

17. A method according to claim 13 wherein the aircraft is a narrow-body aircraft having a single longitudinal passenger aisle.

18. A method for operating an aircraft in-flight entertainment system comprising a satellite television (TV) receiver, a plurality of spaced apart signal distribution devices having a capacity to present different entertainment services, and a cable network connecting the satellite TV receiver to the signal distribution devices, the cable network comprising common cabling for carrying different signals to different seating classes in the aircraft, the method comprising:

offering different entertainment services based upon the seating classes; and

reconfiguring offered entertainment services based upon reconfiguring of the seating classes and using existing in-flight entertainment system components.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein the satellite TV receiver comprises a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) receiver.

20. A method according to claim 18 wherein offering different entertainment services comprises offering different packages of television channels.

21. A method according to claim 18 wherein offering different entertainment services comprises offering audio-only and audio/video modes of operation based upon seating classes.

22. A method according to claim 18 wherein the aircraft is a narrow-body aircraft having a single longitudinal passenger aisle.