Aircraft in-flight entertainment system including low power transceivers and associated methods
AssigneeLiveTV, LLC
InventorsRobert Keen, Jeffrey Frisco
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system includes an antenna, an external communications transceiver connected to the antenna for communicating external the aircraft, and a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft for distributing entertainment related data. A distribution network is connected to the SEBs and to the external communications transceiver. An internal communications transceiver is connected to the distribution network for establishing an external communications link with a portable wireless device carried by a passenger internal to the aircraft.
Claims35
An aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system comprising:
- an antenna;
- an external communications transceiver connected to said antenna for communicating external the aircraft;
- a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft for distributing entertainment related data;
- a distribution network connected to said plurality of SEBs and to said external communications transceiver;
- and
- an internal communications transceiver connected to said distribution network for establishing an external communications link with a portable wireless device carried by a passenger internal to the aircraft.
An aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system comprising:
- an antenna;
- an external communications transceiver connected to said antenna for communicating external the aircraft;
- and
- a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft for distributing entertainment related data, at least one SEB comprising an internal communications transceiver for establishing a communications link between said external communications transceiver and a portable wireless device carried by a passenger internal to the aircraft, the portable wireless device being selectively operable in a low power mode during communications with said internal communications transceiver.
A method for operating a portable wireless device carried by a passenger with an aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system comprising an antenna, an external communications transceiver connected to the antenna for communicating external the aircraft, a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft for distributing entertainment related data, a distribution network connected to the SEBs and to the external communications transceiver, and an internal communications transceiver connected to the distribution network, the method comprising:
- establishing over the distribution network a communications link between the external communications transceiver and the portable wireless device via the internal communications transceiver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.