Aircraft in-flight entertainment system including low power transceivers and associated methods
First Claim
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1. An aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system comprising:
- an antenna;
an external communications transceiver connected to said antenna for communicating external the to aircraft;
a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft for distributing entertainment related data;
a distribution network connected to said plurality of SEBs and to said external communications transceiver; and
an internal communications transceiver connected to said distribution network for establishing an external communications link with a portable wireless device carried by a passenger internal to the aircraft;
the portable wireless device being selectively operable in a low power mode during communications with said internal communications transceiver, and a transmit power of the portable wireless device operating in the low power mode being less than one-half a transmit power of the portable wireless device operating in a normal power mode.
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Abstract
An aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system includes an antenna, an external communications transceiver connected to the antenna for communicating external the aircraft, and a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft for distributing entertainment related data. A distribution network is connected to the SEBs and to the external communications transceiver. An internal communications transceiver is connected to the distribution network for establishing an external communications link with a portable wireless device carried by a passenger internal to the aircraft.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system comprising:
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an antenna; an external communications transceiver connected to said antenna for communicating external the to aircraft; a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft for distributing entertainment related data; a distribution network connected to said plurality of SEBs and to said external communications transceiver; and an internal communications transceiver connected to said distribution network for establishing an external communications link with a portable wireless device carried by a passenger internal to the aircraft; the portable wireless device being selectively operable in a low power mode during communications with said internal communications transceiver, and a transmit power of the portable wireless device operating in the low power mode being less than one-half a transmit power of the portable wireless device operating in a normal power mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system comprising:
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an antenna; an external communications transceiver connected to said antenna for communicating external to the aircraft; and a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft for distributing entertainment related data, at least one SEB comprising an internal communications transceiver for establishing a communications link between said external communications transceiver and a portable wireless device carried by a passenger internal to the aircraft, the portable wireless device being selectively operable in a low power mode during communications with said internal communications transceiver, and a transmit power of the portable wireless device operating in the low power mode being less than one-half a transmit power of the portable wireless device operating in a normal power mode. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for operating a portable wireless device carried by a passenger within an aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system comprising an antenna, an external communications transceiver connected to the antenna for communicating external to the aircraft, a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft for distributing entertainment related data, a distribution network connected to the SEBs and to the external communications transceiver, and an internal communications transceiver connected to the distribution network, the method comprising:
establishing over the distribution network a communications link between the external communications transceiver and the portable wireless device via the internal communications transceiver, the portable wireless device being selectively operable in a low power mode during communications with the internal communications transceiver, and a transmit power of the portable wireless device operating in the low power mode being less than one-half a transmit power of the portable wireless device operating in a normal power mode. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
Specification