Transit vehicle wireless transmission broadcast system

• US 7,139,595 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CBS Broadcasting Incorporated (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Rail Network, Inc.
• Inventors: Lane, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phuong, Dai
• Application Number:
  US10/279,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20040198281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 455/517, 455/520, 455/414.1, 455/466, 455/99, 455/569.2, 455/345, 725 74- 76, 725/81
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/79 characterised by transmission among broadcast stations

Abstract

A transit vehicle wireless transmission broadcast system for wirelessly transmitting multimedia content from one transit vehicle to another transit vehicle for broadcast of the multimedia content to passengers traveling in the transit vehicles. Each transit vehicle includes a receiver for receiving the multimedia content or storage device for retrieving the multimedia content and a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the multimedia content to a receiver located on another transit vehicle. Each of the transit vehicles includes broadcast device for broadcasting the multimedia content to the passengers.

Claims

1. A transit vehicle broadcast system for broadcasting multimedia content to a plurality of passengers traveling in a transit vehicle having multiple cars, interconnected in predetermined order, the transit vehicle broadcast system comprising:

first means, located in a one of said cars of said transit vehicle, for receiving said multimedia content;

processing means to manage said multimedia content and to distribute and broadcast said multimedia content, comprising;

first storage means, located in a one of said cars of said transit vehicle, for storing said multimedia content;

first means, located in a one of said cars of said transit vehicle, for wirelessly broadcasting said received multimedia content to said plurality of passengers traveling in said one of said cars of said transit vehicle;

converter means connected to said first storage means for converting said multimedia content to a predetermined wireless frequency;

amplifier means for amplifying said converted multimedia content;

a plurality of transmitters, one of said plurality of transmitters located on each of said cars of said transit vehicle for transmitting said converted multimedia content to a next one of said cars of said transit vehicle, interconnected in a predetermined order;

a plurality of receivers, one of said plurality of receivers located on each of said cars of said transit vehicle for receiving said transmitted multimedia content from a previous one of said cars of said transit vehicle; and

a plurality of means for broadcasting said multimedia content, at least one of said plurality of broadcasting means connected to said plurality of receivers for broadcasting said multimedia content to said plurality of passengers.

2. A method of operating a transit vehicle broadcast system for broadcasting multimedia content to a plurality of passengers traveling in multiple transit vehicles, the method comprising:

receiving said multimedia content in a one of said multiple transit vehicles;

processing said multimedia content to manage said multimedia content and to distribute and broadcast said multimedia content, comprising;

storing said multimedia content in a data storage device that is located in one of said multiple transit vehicles;

wirelessly broadcasting, from a one of said multiple transit vehicles, said received multimedia content to said plurality of passengers traveling in said one of said multiple transit vehicles;

converting said multimedia content to a predetermined wireless frequency;

amplifying said converted multimedia content;

transmitting said converted multimedia content to a next one of said multiple transit vehicles via a plurality of transmitters, one of said plurality of transmitters being located on each of said multiple transit vehicles;

receiving said transmitted multimedia content from a previous one of said multiple transit vehicles in a plurality of receivers, one of said plurality of receivers being located on each of said multiple transit vehicles; and

broadcasting said multimedia content to said plurality of passengers via a plurality of transmitters, said plurality of transmitters being connected to associated ones of said plurality of receivers.