Methods and systems for pairing a personal electronic device on a transportation vehicle

• US 9,950,795 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Perng, Bruce, Khabrani, Gurmukh, Haftvani, Razmik Moradoghli, Perng, Chin
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jelani A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US15/179,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20170355464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 701 41, 701 70, 701 1, 701 23, 701 293, 701 294
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0624 Arrangements of electrical connectors, e.g. for earphone, internet or electric supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Methods and systems for a transportation vehicle are provided. For example, one method includes generating a request to associate an electronic device with a system of a transportation vehicle; generating a image with a pattern and displaying the image with the pattern on a display device; entering the displayed pattern by a user; verifying that the entered pattern matches with the displayed pattern; and enabling communication from the electronic device to the system of the transportation vehicle for managing one or more seat control functions.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method, comprising:

generating a request by an electronic device to securely access an electronic system of a transportation vehicle for controlling one or more seat functions;

verifying a passenger'"'"'s identity by a networked computing system of the transportation vehicle, based on information in the request;

generating a random image with an identifying pattern by the networked computing system and displaying the random image with the identifying pattern on a display device;

repeating the displayed pattern by a user by entering the identifying pattern on the display device;

generating a code associated with the entered identifying pattern;

verifying that the entered pattern matches with the displayed identifying pattern by verifying the generated code; and

enabling communication from the electronic device to the electronic system of the transportation vehicle for managing one or more seat control functions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transportation vehicle is an aircraft, the electronic device is a personal electronic device (PED) and the electronic system is an in-flight entertainment system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request identifies a passenger and a passenger seat for associating the PED to a seat device comprising at least a portion of the in-flight entertainment system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the random image with the identifying pattern is displayed by the seat device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the request is generated by the PED executing a device pairing application and the identifying pattern is entered on the PED.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the request is generated by the seat device executing at least a portion of a device pairing application.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the random image is displayed at the PED and when the identifying pattern is entered, the code is generated to verify that the identifying pattern was correctly entered.

8. A machine implemented method, comprising:

generating a request from a personal electronic device to associate the personal electronic device with an inflight entertainment system of an aircraft;

verifying a passenger'"'"'s identity by an onboard management system of the transportation vehicle, based on information in the request;

upon verification of the passenger'"'"'s identity, generating an image by a seat device comprising a portion of the inflight entertainment system with an identifying pattern and displaying the image with the identifying pattern on a display device;

repeating the displayed identifying pattern by entering the identifying pattern on a user interface of the passenger electronic device;

verifying that the entered pattern matches with the displayed identifying pattern; and

enabling communication from the personal electronic device to the seat device for managing one or more seat control functions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the request is generated by the seat device executing at least a portion of a device pairing application.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a passenger data structure is maintained by the onboard management system to verify passenger identity.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the image and the identifying pattern is generated by the onboard management system and provided to the seat device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the seat device verifies the passenger and seat identity based on passenger data received from the onboard management system.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein when the identifying pattern is entered, a code is generated to verify that the identifying pattern was correctly entered.

14. A system, comprising:

a memory containing machine readable medium comprising machine executable code having stored thereon instructions; and

a processor module coupled to the memory, the processor module configured to execute the machine executable code to;

generate a request by an electronic device to securely access an electronic system of a transportation vehicle for controlling one or more seat functions;

verify a passenger'"'"'s identity based on information in the request;

generate a random image with an identifying pattern and display the random image with the identifying pattern on a display device;

repeat the displayed identifying pattern by a user by entering the identifying pattern on the display device;

generate a code associated with the entered pattern;

verify that the entered pattern matches with the displayed identifying pattern by verifying the generated code; and

enable communication from the electronic device to the electronic system of the transportation vehicle for managing one or more seat control functions.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the transportation vehicle is an aircraft, the electronic device is a personal electronic device (PED) and the electronic system is an in-flight entertainment system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the request identifies a passenger and a passenger seat for associating the PED to a seat device executing at least a portion of the in-flight entertainment system.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the random image with the identifying pattern is displayed by the seat device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the request is generated by the PED executing a device pairing application and the identifying pattern is entered on a display of the PED.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the request is generated by the seat device executing at least a portion of a device pairing application.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the random image is displayed at the PED and when the identifying pattern is entered, the code is generated to verify that the pattern was correctly entered.