Overhead video system for an aircraft

• US 7,971,221 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Lee, Donald B., Mitchell, Bradley J., Callahan, Kevin S., Laib, Trevor M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonzell; Philip J
• Application Number:
  US11/303,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20070057122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 244/118.5, 244/117.R, 244/129.1, 248/343, 248917-924, 725 74- 76
• US Class Current: 725/76
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• 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: Y10S 248/917 Video display screen support

Abstract

An overhead video system for an aircraft is disclosed. The overhead video system comprises a wireless overhead video unit; and at least one mounting rail detachably coupled to the wireless overhead video unit. The mounting rail provides structural support and electrical power to the wireless overhead video unit. A system in one embodiment may use mounting rails that double as power rails supplying power to the wireless overhead video unit. Video control and content streaming is accomplished over a wireless link. The power rail control may be accomplished remotely via a standard or solid state relay. Normal rail power for the rail mounted video system may come from the utility bus.

Claims

1. An overhead video system for a vehicle, the overhead video system comprising:

a mounting rail including an elongated member that extends above a plurality of seats in the vehicle, wherein the elongated member includes a cylindrical portion that is electrically conductive;

multiple overhead video units configured to be detachably coupled to the mounting rail, the cylindrical portion providing structural support and electrical power to each of the overhead video units; and

an electrical contact assembly coupled to each of the overhead units, the electrical contact assembly comprising an electrical spring contact and an insulating support member, wherein the electrical spring contact is clipped on the cylindrical portion of the mounting rail and the insulating support member is clipped on the cylindrical portion of the mounting rail in the same manner as the electrical spring contact to provide support for the electrical spring contact, wherein each of the overhead video units can be removed from the mounting rail by unclipping the electrical contact assembly.

2. The overhead video system of claim 1, wherein the insulating support member clips on to a different location of the cylindrical portion of the rail that is electrically conductive, the different location being different than a location of the cylindrical portion onto which the electrical spring contact is clipped.

3. The overhead video system of claim 1, wherein the mounting rail is one of a plurality of mounting rails to which the overhead video units are detachably coupled and providing structural support and electrical power to each of the overhead video units.

4. The overhead video system of claim 1, wherein the electrical spring contact includes an electrical clip that clips onto a first portion of the cylindrical portion of the mounting rail and the insulating support member includes an insulating clip, distinct from the electrical clip, that clips onto a second, different portion of the cylindrical portion of the mounting rail.

5. The overhead video system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the overhead video units displays content streamed via a wireless link.

6. The overhead video system of claim 1 wherein the overhead video unit comprises:

a personal computer including an LCD display; and

a connector for detachably coupling the personal computer to the at least one mounting rail.

7. The overhead video system of claim 6 wherein a wireless screen drop activation control is provided for the LCD display to allow for viewing of content on the display, wherein a discrete signal is provided by at least one of the overhead video units over a wireless link to the wireless screen drop activation control to allow the LCD display of the at least one overhead video unit to drop relative to a surrounding surface.