Aircraft in-flight entertainment system with soft fail and flight information features and associated methods

• US 7,707,612 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2003
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LiveTV LLC (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Live TV Incorporated
• Inventors: Keen, Michael, Frisco, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli; Dominic D
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARRY, CHRISTOPHER L
• Application Number:
  US10/716,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,351 Days
• Field of Search: 725/72, 725/76, 725/75, 725/71
• US Class Current: 725/76
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00151 Permanently mounted seat back monitors
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00155 Individual entertainment or communication system remote controls therefor, located in or connected to seat components, e.g. to seat back or arm rest
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/12 wherein another information is substituted for the portion of broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

An aircraft in-flight entertainment system preferably includes, in one embodiment, a satellite TV receiver, at least one passenger video display connected to the receiver, and a processor connected to the receiver for determining an undesired condition and for generating a substitute image on the passenger video display rather than permit display of an undesired image which would otherwise be produced. The undesired condition may relate to a weak signal or component malfunction. Accordingly, the undesired image may be an undesired default text message or a degraded picture image. Other embodiments of the in-flight entertainment system are directed to providing a moving map image flight information channel integrated with the programming channels of the system.

Claims

1. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system comprising:

a satellite television (TV) receiver;

a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft;

a plurality of passenger video displays connected to said plurality of SEBs;

a processor connected to said satellite TV receiver for

determining a component malfunction condition within said satellite TV receiver, and

generating responsive thereto a substitute image on said plurality of passenger video displays rather than permit display of an undesired image which would otherwise be produced, the component malfunction being independent of a strength of a signal received at said satellite TV receiver; and

a storage device connected to said processor for storing the substitute image.

2. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system according to claim 1 wherein said satellite TV receiver comprises a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) receiver.

3. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system according to claim 1 wherein the undesired image is a degraded program image.

4. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system according to claim 1 wherein the undesired image is default text message image.

5. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of passenger video display comprises a plurality of passenger seatback video displays.

6. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of signal distribution devices; and

a cable network connecting said satellite TV receiver to said signal distribution devices, and connecting said signal distribution devices to said plurality of SEBs.

7. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system according to claim 1 wherein the aircraft is a narrow-body aircraft having a single passenger aisle.

8. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system comprising:

a satellite television (TV) receiver;

a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft;

a plurality of passenger video displays connected to said plurality of SEBs; and

a processor connected to said satellite TV receiver for

determining a weak received signal strength condition and a component malfunction condition within said satellite TV receiver, and

generating responsive thereto a substitute image on said plurality of passenger video displays prior to display of an undesired image which would otherwise be produced, the component malfunction being independent of a strength of a signal received at said satellite TV receiver; and

a storage device connected to said processor for storing the substitute image.

9. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system according to claim 8 wherein said satellite TV receiver comprises a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) receiver.

10. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system according to claim 8 wherein the undesired image is a degraded program image.

11. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system according to claim 8 wherein the undesired image is default text image.

12. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system according to claim 8 wherein said satellite TV receiver generates a plurality of individual video channels;

and wherein said processor determines the undesired condition for each of the individual video channels.

13. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system according to claim 8 wherein said satellite TV receiver generates a plurality of video channels;

and wherein said processor determines the undesired condition for the plurality of video channels.

14. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system according to claim 8 further comprising:

a plurality of signal distribution devices; and

a cable network connecting said satellite TV receiver to said signal distribution devices, and connecting said signal distribution devices to said plurality of SEBs.

15. An aircraft in-flight entertainment system according to claim 8 wherein the aircraft is a narrow-body aircraft having a single passenger aisle.

16. A method for operating an aircraft in-flight entertainment system comprising a satellite television (TV) receiver, a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft, and a plurality of passenger video displays connected to the plurality of SEBs, the method comprising:

operating a processor connected to the satellite TV receiver for determining a weak received signal strength condition and a component malfunction condition within the satellite TV receiver, the component malfunction being independent of a strength of a signal received at the satellite TV receiver; and

generating a substitute image responsive to the determining on the plurality of passenger video displays rather than permit display of an undesired image which would otherwise be produced, with the substitute image being stored in a storage device connected to the processor.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the satellite TV receiver comprises a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) receiver.

18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the undesired image is a degraded program image.

19. A method according to claim 16 wherein the undesired image is default text message image.

20. A method according to claim 16 wherein the satellite TV receiver generates a plurality of individual video channels;

and wherein determining comprises determining the undesired condition for each of the individual video channels.

21. A method according to claim 16 wherein the satellite TV receiver generates a plurality of video channels;

and wherein determining comprises determining the undesired condition for the plurality of video channels.

22. A method according to claim 16 wherein the aircraft is a narrow-body aircraft having a single passenger aisle.