Aircraft in-flight entertainment system with a distributed memory and associated methods

• US 9,509,937 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2004
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LiveTV LLC (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: LiveTV LLC (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Easterling, Scott D., Frisco, Jeffrey A., Keen, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alcon, Fernando
• Application Number:
  US11/023,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20060143662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,354 Days
• Field of Search: 725 74- 77
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

An aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system includes a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft. Each SEB comprises a memory including a shared memory portion for storing entertainment related data and an unshared memory portion. The SEBs cooperate with one another so that the entertainment related data in the shared memory portion of each SEB is available for at least one other SEB.

Claims

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

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

each SEB comprising

a memory including a shared memory portion for storing a section of entertainment related data being shared as network files and an unshared memory portion to store data associated with the corresponding SEB that is not to be shared, and with each section of entertainment related data being different from one another,

a network switch including an output for providing entertainment related data to an external portable computing device connected thereto, and

a network switch controller connected between said memory and said network switch for control of said network switch in response to the external portable computing device; and

said plurality of SEBs cooperating so that the section of entertainment related data in the shared memory portion of each SEB is available for at least one other SEB so that when a passenger selects the entertainment related data, retrieval of the different sections does not require action by the passenger, with one of said plurality of SEBs functioning as a master SEB for controlling availability of the entertainment related data for all of the other SEBs, with each section of entertainment related data being loaded through the same master SEB to anyone of the other SEBs.

2. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 1 further comprising cabling connecting said plurality of SEBs together in a daisy chain configuration.

3. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 1 wherein the entertainment related data in each shared memory portion comprises at least one video program.

4. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 1 wherein the entertainment related data in each shared memory portion comprises audio.

5. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 1 wherein each SEB comprises at least one auxiliary output for providing the entertainment related data to at least one external display.

6. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 1 wherein the shared memory portion of each SEB is connected together in a local area network (LAN).

7. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 6 wherein said LAN comprises an Ethernet network.

8. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of passenger control units (PCUs) connected to said plurality of SEBs, each PCU for permitting passenger selection of the entertainment related data.

9. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 1 wherein the aircraft is divided into a plurality of passenger seating zones and each SEB is within a respective passenger seating zone;

and further comprising a headend unit comprising a switch including a plurality of outputs, each output connected to said SEBs within a respective passenger seating zone.

10. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 9 wherein said switch includes a maintenance input for interfacing with an external device.

11. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 9 wherein said switch includes a first input;

wherein said headend unit further comprises a satellite television (TV) receiver connected to the first input of said switch for providing TV programming channels to said plurality of SEBs; and

further comprising at least one video display unit (VDU) connected to each BBB for displaying the TV programming channels.

12. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 1 wherein said network switch further includes at least one passenger output for providing entertainment related data, and wherein each SEB further comprises at least one passenger processor connected to the at least one passenger output for decoding the entertainment related data.

13. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 12 further comprising a respective passenger control unit (PCU) connected to said at least one passenger processor for permitting passenger selection of the entertainment related data to be decoded.

14. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 12 wherein each SEB further comprises a respective headphone detection circuit connected to said at least one passenger processor, and a respective headphone jack connected to each headphone detection circuit for receiving headphones.

15. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 14 wherein said headphone detection circuit sets a volume of the entertainment related data to a predefined level when removal of the headphones has been detected.

16. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 1 wherein the unshared memory portion of said memory in each SEB stores graphical data.

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

a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft, each SEB comprising

a memory including a shared memory portion for storing a section of entertainment related data being shared as network files and an unshared memory portion to store data associated with the corresponding SEB that is not to be shared, and with each section of entertainment related data being different from one another,

a network switch including an output for providing entertainment related data to an external portable computing device connected thereto, and at least one passenger output for providing entertainment related data,

at least one passenger processor connected to the at least one passenger output for decoding the entertainment related data, and

a network switch controller connected between said memory and said network switch for control of said network switch in response to the external portable computing device and said at least one passenger processor;

a local area network (LAN) connecting said plurality of SEBs together so that the entertainment related data in the shared memory portion of each SEB is available for at least one other SEB so that when a passenger selects the entertainment related data, retrieval of the different sections does not require action by the passenger; and

a plurality of passenger control units (PCUs) connected to said plurality of SEBs, with each PCU connected to a respective passenger processor for permitting passenger selection of the entertainment related data, with one of said plurality of SEBs functioning as a master SEB for controlling availability of the entertainment related data for all of the other SEBs, with each section of entertainment related data being loaded through the same master SEB to anyone of the other SEBs.

18. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 17 wherein said plurality of SEBs are connected together in a daisy chain configuration.

19. An aircraft IFS system according to claim 17 wherein the entertainment related data in each shared memory portion comprises at least one video program.

20. An aircraft IFS system according to claim 17 wherein the entertainment related data in each shared memory portion comprises audio.

21. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 17 wherein each SEB comprises at least one auxiliary output for providing the entertainment related data to at least one external display.

22. An aircraft IFS system according to claim 17 wherein said LAN comprises an Ethernet network.

23. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 17 wherein the aircraft is divided into a plurality of passenger seating zones and each SEB is within a respective passenger seating zone;

and further comprising a headend unit comprising a switch including a plurality of outputs, each output connected to said SEBs within a respective passenger seating zone.

24. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 23 wherein said switch includes a maintenance input for interfacing with an external device.

25. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 23 wherein said switch includes a first input;

wherein said headend unit further comprises a satellite television (TV) receiver connected to the first input of said switch for providing TV programming channels to said LAN via the plurality of outputs; and

further comprising at least one video display unit (VDU) connected to each SEB for displaying the TV programming channels.

26. An aircraft IFE system according to claim 17 wherein the unshared memory portion of said memory in each SEB stores graphical data.

27. A method for providing entertainment related data in an aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system comprising a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft, each SEB comprising a memory including a shared memory portion and an unshared memory portion, a network switch including an output for providing entertainment related data to an external portable computing device connected thereto, and a network switch controller connected between the memory and the network switch, the method comprising:

storing a section of entertainment related data in the shared memory portion of each SEB, with the section of entertainment related data to be shared as network files, with other sections of the entertainment related data being stored in the shared memory portions of other SEBs, and with each section of entertainment related data being different from one another;

storing data associated with the corresponding SEB in the unshared memory portion, with the unshared memory portion to the stored data that is not to be shared;

making the different sections of the entertainment related data in the shared memory portions of the plurality of SEBs available for at least one other SEB; and

operating the network switch controller connected between the memory and the network switch for controlling the network switch in response to the external portable computing device so that when a passenger selects the entertainment related data, retrieval of the different sections does not require action by the passenger;

with one of the plurality of SEBs functioning as a master SEB for controlling availability of the entertainment related data for all of the other SEBs, with each section of entertainment related data being loaded through the same master SEB to anyone of the other SEBs.

28. A method according to claim 27 wherein the plurality of SEBs are connected together in a daisy chain configuration.

29. A method according to claim 27 wherein the entertainment related data in each shared memory portion comprises at least one video program.

30. A method according to claim 27 wherein the entertainment related data in each shared memory portion comprises audio.

31. A method according to claim 27 wherein each SEB comprises at least one auxiliary output for providing the entertainment related data to at least one external display.

32. A method according to claim 27 wherein the shared memory portion of each SEB is connected together as a local area network (LAN).

33. A method according to claim 32 wherein the LAN comprises an Ethernet network.

34. A method according to claim 27 wherein the IFE system further comprises a plurality of passenger control units (PCUs) connected to the plurality of SEBs, each PCU for permitting passenger selection of the entertainment related data.

35. A method according to claim 27 wherein the aircraft is divided into a plurality of passenger seating zones and each SEB is within a respective passenger seating zone;

and wherein the IFE system further comprises a headend unit comprising a switch including a plurality of outputs, each output connected to the SEBs within a respective passenger seating zone.

36. A method according to claim 35 wherein the switch includes a maintenance input for interfacing with an external device.

37. A method according to claim 35 wherein the plurality of SEBs are connected together using cabling;

wherein the switch includes a first input;

wherein the headend unit further comprises a satellite television (TV) receiver connected to the first input of the switch for providing TV programming channels to the cabling via the plurality of outputs; and

wherein the IFE system further comprises at least one video display unit (VDU) connected to each SEB for displaying the TV programming channels.

38. A method according to claim 27 wherein the network switch further includes at least one passenger output for providing entertainment related data, and wherein each SEB further comprises at least one passenger processor connected to the at least one passenger output for decoding the entertainment related data.

39. A method according to claim 38 wherein the IFE system further comprises a respective passenger control unit (PCU) connected to the at least one passenger processor for permitting passenger selection of the entertainment related data to be decoded.

40. A method according to claim 27 further comprising storing graphical data in the unshared memory portion of the memory in each SEB.