Aircraft in-flight entertainment system receiving terrestrial television broadcast signals and associated methods

An aircraft in-flight entertainment system comprising:

• an adaptive antenna;
• a terrestrial television (TV) receiver connected to said adaptive antenna for receiving TV programming channels from a plurality of terrestrial TV transmitters;
• a plurality of displays for displaying the TV programming channels;
• a signal distribution network connecting said terrestrial TV receiver to said plurality of displays;
• and
• a controller connected between said terrestrial TV receiver and said adaptive antenna for
• determining a desired terrestrial TV transmitter based upon a position of the aircraft with respect to stored positions of the plurality of terrestrial TV transmitters, and
• directing said adaptive antenna for the desired terrestrial TV transmitter.

An aircraft in-flight entertainment system comprising:

• an adaptive antenna;
• a terrestrial television (TV) receiver connected to said adaptive antenna for receiving TV programming channels from a plurality of terrestrial TV transmitters;
• a plurality of displays for displaying the TV programming channels;
• a signal distribution network connecting said terrestrial TV receiver to said plurality of displays;
• and
• a controller connected between said terrestrial TV receiver and said adaptive antenna for
• determining a desired terrestrial TV transmitter by discriminating among received terrestrial TV signals, and
• directing said adaptive antenna for a desired terrestrial TV transmitter.

An aircraft in-flight entertainment system comprising:

• an adaptive antenna;
• a terrestrial receiver connected to said adaptive antenna;
• a plurality of passenger control units;
• a signal distribution network connecting said terrestrial receiver to said plurality of passenger control units;
• and
• a controller connected between said terrestrial receiver and said adaptive antenna for
• determining a desired terrestrial transmitter, and
• directing said adaptive antenna for the desired terrestrial transmitter, and if a new desired terrestrial transmitter is determined, then redirecting said adaptive antenna for the new desired terrestrial transmitter.

A method for operating an aircraft in-flight entertainment system comprising an adaptive antenna, a terrestrial receiver connected to the adaptive antenna, a plurality of passenger control units, a signal distribution network connecting the terrestrial receiver to the plurality of passenger control units, and a controller connected between the terrestrial receiver and the adaptive antenna, the method comprising:

• receiving information from a plurality of terrestrial transmitters;
• determining a desired terrestrial transmitter;
• and
• directing the adaptive antenna for the desired terrestrial transmitter, and if a new desired terrestrial transmitter is determined, then redirecting the antenna system for the new desired terrestrial transmitter.