In-flight entertainment systems and methods

A system for providing in-flight entertainment related content, comprising:

• an overhead client terminal operating in a passenger cabin of an aircraft, configured to download, from a content server, first content for local storage and subsequent playback at the overhead client terminal;
• and
• an in-seat client terminal operating in the passenger cabin of the aircraft, configured to download, from the content server, second content for local storage and subsequent playback at the in-seat client terminal,
• wherein the overhead client terminal and the in-seat client terminal are configured to synchronize to a defined reference point for initiation of playback of the first content and the second content, and to operate independently of each other and of the content server subsequent to the initiation of the playback, and
• wherein a first client terminal of the overhead client terminal and the in-seat client terminal, subsequent to the initiation of the playback and in response to a local disruption of the playback of the corresponding content at the first client terminal, is configured to:
• identify, responsive to the local disruption to the playback, a second client terminal from one of the overhead client terminal or the in-seat client terminal based on a proximity of the second client terminal to the first client terminal being closest among proximities of the plurality of client terminals, to which to request corresponding content that is affected by the local disruption, wherein the second client terminal is operating independently of the first client terminal that is affected by the local disruption;
• send a request for the corresponding content to the second client terminal identified from the overhead client terminal and the in-seat client terminal, the request indicating a point at which the local disruption occurred at the first client terminal;
• and
• resume the playback of the corresponding content at the first client terminal from the point at which the local disruption occurred by requesting the corresponding content from the second client terminal of the overhead client terminal and the in-seat client terminal, the resumption independent of the playback in the second client terminal.

A method of providing in-flight entertainment related content, comprising:

• uploading, by a content server operating in an aircraft, to each client terminal of a plurality of client terminals operating in a passenger cabin of the aircraft, content for local storage and subsequent playback at the respective client terminal, each client terminal synchronized with one another to a defined reference point for initiating playback, and operating independently of one another and of the content server subsequent to initiating the playback;
• identifying, by the content server, a point at which a local disruption occurred at a first client terminal from the plurality of client terminals during the playback of the content at the first client terminal;
• identifying, by the content server, a second client terminal from the plurality of client terminals based on a proximity of the second client terminal to the first client terminal being closest among proximities of the plurality of client terminals:
• and
• transmitting, responsive to the local disruption at the first client terminal, to the first client terminal, a command to cause the first client terminal to:
• identify, the second client terminal to which to request corresponding content that is affected by the local disruption, the second client terminal operating independently of the first client terminal that is affected by the local disruption;
• send, to the second client terminal a request indicating the point at which the local disruption occurred at the first client terminal the request causing the second client terminal to stream the content to the first client terminal;
• and
• resume the playback of the content from the point at which the local disruption occurred at the first client terminal using the content streamed from the second client terminal of the plurality of terminals, the resumption of the playback of the content independent of other client terminals.