Entertainment systems utilizing field replaceable storage units

• US 8,667,544 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2009
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Passenger Innovations LLC (Safran SA)
• Original Assignee: Systems and Software Enterprises LLC (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Bird, Randall, Cote, Kevin, Farley, Rodney, Renton, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): EKPO, NNENNA NGOZI
• Application Number:
  US12/629,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 725 75- 77, 725/80, 725/82
• US Class Current: 725/76
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0003 inside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0078 Quick-disconnect two-parts mounting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0096 Theft prevention of articles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0294 Apparatus with multi-functionalities, e.g. radio and telephone
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets

Abstract

Vehicular entertainment systems where devices in the systems can each utilize a common type of storage units are presented. A vehicular entertainment system can include a media server head unit in communication over a network with a plurality of media players that are installed about the cabin of a vehicle. Media content can be stored on a plurality of field replaceable storage units where each of the storage units can be installed in any one of the players or the server. Each of the storage units can store a substantially identical content set including passenger content, player content, server content, crew content, or other types of content. The server or players can be restricted from accessing content to which they lack rights, possibly based on a location identifier that indicates roles or responsibilities of the players at their installed location.

Claims

1. A vehicular entertainment system, comprising

a plurality of physically similar field replaceable storage units (FRSUs) comprising first and second sets of the physically similar FRSUs, where each set of the physically similar FRSUs stores a similar digital media content set;

a head unit media server having at least one FRSU receptacle configured to receive the first set of the FRSUs and configured to access the digital media content set from the first set of FRSUs; and

a plurality of media players disposed within a cabin of a vehicle, where

(a) each media player communicatively couples to the media server over a network,

(b) each media player has at least one FRSU receptacle configured to receive a FRSU of the second set, and

(c) each media player is configured to access and play passenger related content from the digital;

media content set of an installed FRSU of the second set, where the first set of FRSUs and the second set of FRSUs are swappable between the head unit media server and the plurality of media players.

2. The entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the media server receives an updated digital content set through replacement of its installed first set of FRSUs with a third set of FRSUs storing the updated digital content set.

3. The entertainment system of claim 2, wherein each of the media players is configured to receive at least some of the updated digital content set from the media server over the network and to store the at least some of the updated digital content set on its installed FRSU.

4. The entertainment system of claim 1, further comprising at least one spare uninstalled media player that is fungible with respect to the plurality of media players and also having at least one FRSU receptacle configure to receive a FRSU of the second set.

5. The entertainment system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of media players are installed in a seat of the vehicle.

6. The entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of media players are each configured to access and play digital media content from the installed FRSUs based on installed locations of the media players.

7. The entertainment system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the media players is configured to access and play non-passenger digital media content from the installed FRSUs based on an installed location within a non-passenger area of the vehicle.

8. The entertainment system of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of media player docking stations, each docking station having a location identifier where installed ones of the media players use the location identifier to determine which portions of the digital media content set can be accessed.

9. The entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the head unit media server has at least two FRSU receptacles, each configured to receive any one FRSU of the first set of FRSUs.

10. A method of distributing updated entertainment content within a vehicular entertainment system, the method comprising:

providing a first set of physically similar field replaceable storage units (FRSUs), each of which stores a similar digital media content set;

providing access to a head unit media server, wherein the head unit media server has at least one FRSU receptacle in which is installed at least one FRSU;

accessing, by the head unit media server, the digital media content set from the at least one installed FRSU;

providing access to a plurality of installed media players within a cabin of a vehicle;

communicatively coupling, by a network, the head unit media server to each of the media players;

wherein each of the media players (a) has at least one FRSU receptacle in which is installed one of the FRSUs, and (b) is configured to access and play at least a portion of the digital media content set from the installed FRSU

wherein any one of the physically similar FRSUs can be installed in the head unit media server and the plurality of media players;

replacing at least one of the FRSUs installed in the media server with another FRSU from a second set of FRSUs storing an updated digital content set; and

replacing the digital media content set of the installed media player with at least a portion of the updated digital content set.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising replacing installed FRSUs in at least one spare un-installed media player with at least a second physically similar FRSU having the portion of the updated digital content set.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of replacing the digital media content set of the installed media players includes distributing, by the media server, the portion of the updated digital content set to the installed media players over the network.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the media players each storing the portion of the updated digital content set in place of at least some of the digital media content set on their installed FRSU(s).

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of replacing the digital media content set of the installed media players includes physically replacing an installed FRSU of at least one of the installed media players with a physically similar FRSU storing the portion of the updated digital content set.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the media players determining which portions of the updated digital content set are accessible to the media players based on their installed locations.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising at least one media player accessing and playing non-passenger digital content of the updated digital content set stored on its installed at least one FRSU based on its installed location in a non-passenger area of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising at least one media player obtaining a location identifier from a docking station in which it is installed and using the location identifier to determine which of the portions of the updated digital content set can be accessed.

18. A vehicular entertainment system, comprising

a plurality of physically similar field replaceable storage units (FRSUs) comprising first and second sets of the physically similar FRSUs, wherein each FRSU of the first set comprises a first media content set, and each FRSU of the second set comprises a second media content set, and wherein the second set comprises at least two FRSUs;

a head unit media server having at least one FRSU receptacle configured to receive the first set of the FRSUs and configured to access the first media content set from the first set of FRSUs;

a plurality of media players disposed within a cabin of a vehicle, each comprising;

(a) at least one FRSU receptacle configured to receive any one FRSU of the second set;

(b) wherein each media player communicatively couples to the head unit media server over a network;

(c) wherein each media player is configured to access and play passenger-related content from the second media content set of an installed FRSU of the second set; and

wherein the at least one FRSU receptacle of the head unit media server is capable of receiving a FRSU of the second set and the at least one FRSU receptacle of each of the plurality of media players are each capable of receiving a FRSU of the first set.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first and second media content sets are substantially identical.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first and second media content sets have overlapping content.