Inflight entertainment system network configurations

• US 9,344,351 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2015
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anuvu IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Lumexis Corporation
• Inventors: Petrisor, Gregory C., Beuman, Timotheus Antonius, Curtis, Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhu, Alvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZHU, BO HUI ALVIN
• Application Number:
  US14/715,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20160072698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/028 Dynamic adaptation of the update intervals, e.g. event-triggered updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/22 Adaptations for optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0066 Provisions for optical burst or packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0092 Ring

Abstract

Serial networking dedicated fiber optic inflight entertainment (IFE) systems, methods therefor and components thereof, that exhibit improved configuration and failover attributes through implementation of novel network configuration protocols. In some aspects of the invention, such an IFE system comprises a plurality of head end line replaceable units (HE-LRUs) and a plurality of serial networking line replaceable units (SN-LRUs), wherein each of the SN-LRUs individually detects that a closed system network has been formed between the plurality of HE-LRUs and the plurality of SN-LRUs based on a plurality of packets sourced by at least one of the HE-LRUs and received on a plurality of ports of each of the SN-LRUs, and wherein in response to detecting that the closed system network has been formed one of the SN-LRUs blocks one of its ports based on further detecting that the SN-LRU is a middle SN-LRU.

Claims

1. An in-flight entertainment (IFE) system comprising:

a plurality of serial networking line replaceable units (SN-LRUs); and

a plurality of head end line replaceable units (HE-LRUs) in communication with the SN-LRUs, at least one of the plurality of HE-LRUs being a blocking HE-LRU, the blocking HE-LRU comprising;

a processor; and

a plurality of ports communicatively coupled with the processor, the plurality of ports comprising a first port and a second port, the blocking HE-LRU configured to transmit a packet on at least the first port and to determine whether the packet has been received on the second port;

the blocking HE-LRU in communication with a database comprising unique identifiers for each of the plurality of HE-LRUs, the blocking HE-LRU configured to determine whether the unique identifier for the blocking HE-LRU is designated as a break line replaceable unit (LRU);

wherein, under control of the processor, the blocking HE-LRU is configured to block one of the first and second ports in response to determining that a condition is satisfied, the condition comprising;

the packet transmitted on the first port has been received on the second port; and

the unique identifier for the blocking HE-LRU is designated as the break line replaceable unit (LRU).

2. The IFE system of claim 1, wherein, in response to determining that the condition is satisfied, the blocking HE-LRU is further configured to clear a topology database on the blocking HE-LRU.

3. The IFE system of claim 2, wherein under control of the processor, the blocking HE-LRU is further configured to transmit a topology change packet, via an unblocked one of the first and second ports, to at least one other of the plurality of HE-LRUs.

4. The IFE system of claim 1, wherein, in response to determining that the condition is satisfied, the HE-LRU is further configured to unblock the other of the first and second ports.

5. The IFE system of claim 4, wherein:

the blocking HE-LRU further comprises a last state variable for the first port and a last state variable for the second port; and

in response to determining that the condition is satisfied, the blocking HE-LRU is further configured to;

determine whether the last state variable of the blocked port indicates blocked or unblocked; and

in response to determining that the last state variable of the blocked port indicates unblocked, to transmit a topology change packet on the unblocked port.

6. The IFE system of claim 5, wherein, in response to determining that the condition is satisfied, the blocking HE-LRU is further configured to:

set the last state variable of the blocked port to blocked; and

set the last state variable of the unblocked port to unblocked.

7. The IFE system of claim 1, wherein, in response to determining that the unique identifier for the blocking HE-LRU is not designated as the break LRU, the blocking HE-LRU is further configured to:

unblock the first port;

set a last state variable of the first port to unblocked;

unblock the second port; and

set a last state variable for the second port to unblocked.

8. The IFE system of claim 1, wherein the blocking HE-LRU comprises a server.

9. The IFE system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of SN-LRUs comprise video display units.

10. The IFE system of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of SN-LRUs are configured to individually determine whether a closed communication network has been formed between the plurality of HE-LRUs and the plurality of SN-LRUs, such determination being at least partially based on a plurality of packets sent from at least one of the HE-LRUs and received on a plurality of ports of each of the SN-LRUs.

11. The IFE system of claim 10, wherein one of the plurality of SN-LRUs is configured to block one of its ports in response to detecting that an SN-LRU condition is satisfied, the SN-LRU condition comprising:

the closed communication network has been formed between the plurality of HE-LRUs and the plurality of SN-LRUs; and

the one of the plurality of SN-LRUs comprises a middle SN-LRU.

12. A method of operating an in-flight entertainment (IFE) system comprising a plurality of serial networking line replaceable units (SN-LRUs) and a plurality of head end line replaceable units (HE-LRUs), at least one of the plurality of HE-LRUs being a blocking HE-LRU, the method comprising:

determining, with the blocking HE-LRU, that a closed HE-LRU network exists, wherein determining that a closed HE-LRU network exists comprises;

transmitting a packet on a first port of the blocking HE-LRU; and

receiving the packet on a second port of the blocking HE-LRU;

determining, with the blocking HE-LRU, that the blocking HE-LRU is designated as a break LRU, wherein determining that the blocking HE-LRU is designated as the break LRU comprises;

referencing a unique break LRU identifier; and

determining whether the unique break LRU identifier identifies the blocking HE-LRU as the designated break line replaceable unit (LRU); and

in response to determining that the closed HE-LRU network exists and that the blocking HE-LRU is designated as the break LRU;

blocking one of the first and second ports of the blocking HE-LRU, thereby creating a loop-free HE-LRU network topology.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to determining that the closed HE-LRU network exists and that the blocking HE-LRU is designated as the break LRU;

unblocking the other of the first and second ports of the blocking HE-LRU.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether a last state variable of the blocked port indicates blocked or unblocked; and

in response to determining that the last state variable of the blocked port indicates unblocked, informing another of the plurality of HE-LRUs of a topology change.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein informing another of the plurality of HE-LRUs of a topology change comprises:

transmitting a topology change packet on the unblocked port of the blocking HE-LRU.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising clearing the topology database on each of the plurality of HE-LRUs.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

setting the last state variable of the blocked port to indicate blocked; and

setting a last state variable of the unblocked port to indicate unblocked.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to determining that the blocking HE-LRU is not designated as the break LRU;

unblocking the first port;

setting a last state variable of the first port to indicate unblocked;

unblocking the second port; and

setting a last state variable for the second port to indicate unblocked.

19. An in-flight entertainment (IFE) system comprising:

a plurality of serial networking line replaceable units (SN-LRUs); and

a plurality of head end line replaceable units (HE-LRU), at least one of which comprises;

a processor; and

a plurality of ports communicatively coupled with the processor, the HE-LRU configured to transmit a packet on at least one of the plurality of ports;

wherein, under control of the processor, the at least one HE-LRU is configured to block one of its ports in response to;

detecting that a packet transmitted on a first one of the at least one HE-LRU'"'"'s ports has been received on a second one of the at least one HE-LRU'"'"'s ports; and

detecting that the HE-LRU is a designated break line replaceable unit (LRU).

20. The IFE system of claim 19, wherein the HE-LRU under control of the processor clears a topology database on the HE-LRU based on detecting that a packet transmitted on a first one of the ports has been received on a second one of the ports and based on further detecting that the HE-LRU is a designated break LRU.

21. The IFE system of claim 19, wherein the HE-LRU under control of the processor transmits a topology change packet on an unblocked one of the ports based on detecting that a packet transmitted on a first one of the ports has been received on a second one of the ports and based on further detecting that the HE-LRU is a designated break LRU.

22. The IFE system of claim 19, wherein the HE-LRU comprises a server.