On-board vessel entertainment system

• US 9,245,303 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2015
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alaska Airlines Incorporated (Alaska Air Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Virgin America Incorporated (Alaska Air Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ogilvie, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Alcon, Fernando
• Application Number:
  US14/672,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20150213566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 303 Days
• Field of Search: 705/22, 725/43, 725 74- 77
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• 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: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An improved user experience is provided for passengers on a vessel such as an airplane, train or ship. Passengers can customize their travel experience ahead of time by accessing a web-based server system to indicate preferences with respect to a number of in-flight entertainment options. The passenger'"'"'s experience is also enhanced by allowing passengers to share preferences such as media playlists with others. Meals can be ordered on-demand once on board, and seat-to-seat chat as well as group chatting is also made available through an in-seat or other proximate entertainment device.

Claims

1. A method for providing service items to an aircraft passenger, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one computer aboard an aircraft, passenger preference data received from passengers prior to embarkation aboard the aircraft;

identifying, by the computer from the received passenger preference data, passenger preference data for a first passenger, the passenger preference data indicating a special meal type for the first passenger;

displaying to the first passenger aboard the aircraft on a first entertainment device a plurality of menu options, the menu options including a food ordering option;

receiving from the first passenger at the first entertainment device a selection of the food ordering option;

responsive to the selection of the food ordering option, displaying on the first entertainment device a description of the available food and beverage items associated with the special meal type indicated for the first passenger;

receiving, at the first entertainment device, a request from the first passenger for one of the displayed food or beverage items;

responsive to receiving the request from the first passenger for the displayed food or beverage items, displaying on an amenities module a description of the requested item and a seat location of the first passenger; and

receiving, at the amenities module, an indication that the requested item has been delivered to the first passenger in response to the displaying on the amenities module of the description of the requested item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, by the computer aboard the aircraft, received inventory information describing available food and beverage items aboard the aircraft, the inventory information including an available quantity of each item; and

responsive to receiving the indication that the requested item has been delivered, decrementing the available inventory of the requested food or beverage item.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the amenities module includes a plurality of input buttons for receiving entry of new requests for food and beverages, and further comprising:

receiving at the amenities module a selection of an input button enabling entry of new requests for food and beverages;

receiving via an order fulfillment screen input specifying order information for a second request for food and beverages;

receiving via the order fulfillment screen input indicating that the second request has been completed; and

updating the stored inventory information based on the second request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the displayed food and beverage items have a displayed associated cost.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the request from the first passenger for the displayed food or beverage items further comprises receiving, at the first entertainment device, payment from the first passenger of the cost associated with the requested food or beverage item.

6. A computer program product for providing service items to an aircraft passenger, the computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and including program code for performing steps comprising:

receiving passenger preference data received from passengers prior to embarkation aboard the aircraft;

identifying, from the received passenger preference data, passenger preference data for a first passenger, the passenger preference data indicating a special meal type for the first passenger;

displaying to the first passenger aboard the aircraft on a first entertainment device a plurality of menu options, the menu options including a food ordering option;

receiving from the first passenger at the first entertainment device a selection of the food ordering option;

responsive to the selection of the food ordering option, displaying on the first entertainment device a description of the available food and beverage items associated with the special meal type indicated for the first passenger;

receiving, at the first entertainment device, a request from the first passenger for one of the displayed food or beverage items;

responsive to receiving the request from the first passenger for the displayed food or beverage items, displaying on an amenities module a description of the requested item and a seat location of the first passenger; and

receiving, at the amenities module, an indication that the requested item has been delivered to the first passenger in response to the displaying on the amenities module of the description of the requested item.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, further comprising:

storing received inventory information describing available food and beverage items aboard the aircraft, the inventory information including an available quantity of each item; and

responsive to receiving the indication that the requested item has been delivered, decrementing the available inventory of the requested food or beverage item.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the amenities module includes a plurality of input buttons for receiving entry of new requests for food and beverages, and further comprising:

receiving at the amenities module a selection of an input button enabling entry of new requests for food and beverages;

receiving via an order fulfillment screen input specifying order information for a second request for food and beverages;

receiving via the order fulfillment screen input indicating that the second request has been completed; and

updating the stored inventory information based on the second request.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein at least some of the displayed food and beverage items have a displayed associated cost.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the request from the first passenger for the displayed food or beverage items further comprises receiving, at the first entertainment device, payment from the first passenger of the cost associated with the requested food or beverage item.

11. An aircraft entertainment system comprising:

a passenger database, configured to receive, prior to passenger embarkation about an aircraft, passenger preference data, the passenger preference data including a special meal type preference for at least a first passenger;

a vessel inventory database including inventory information describing available food and beverage items aboard the aircraft, the inventory information including an available quantity of each item, and pre-loaded with initial inventory information prior to departure of the aircraft;

a plurality of entertainment devices aboard the aircraft, the plurality including a first entertainment device configured to;

display a plurality of menu options, the menu options including a food ordering option;

receive from a first passenger at the first entertainment device a selection of the food ordering option;

receive from the first passenger at the first entertainment device a special meal type;

responsive to the selection of the food ordering option, obtain from the vessel inventory database the information describing the available food and beverage items aboard the aircraft and display at least a portion of the information on the first entertainment device according to the received special meal type;

receive a request from the first passenger for one of the displayed food or beverage items; and

responsive to receiving the request for the displayed food or beverage item from the first passenger, providing to an amenities module a description of the requested item and a seat location of the first passenger;

the amenities module, coupled to the plurality of entertainment devices, adapted to;

display indicia of the requested item including the seat location of the first passenger;

receive an indication that the requested item has been delivered to the first passenger in response to the displayed indicia;

responsive to receiving the indication that the requested item has been delivered, decrementing the available inventory of the requested food or beverage item in the vessel inventory database; and

a second of the plurality of entertainment devices, the second device coupled to the first entertainment device, the amenities module and the vessel inventory database, and adapted to;

obtain from the vessel inventory database updated information describing the available food and beverage items aboard the aircraft, the updated information reflective of the decrementing by the amenities module, and to display a description of the available food and beverage items, wherein responsive to a determination that the available inventory of the item requested by the first passenger is zero, the description of the available food and beverage items displayed to the second passenger does not include the item requested by the first passenger.