US 2018/0020042 A1 · TRANSFERRING CONTENT BETWEEN A GROUND BASED CONTENT SERVER AND AN AIRCRAFT BASED CONTENT SERVER VIA CONTENT FRAGMENTS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS COURIER ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Abstract

A ground based content server transfers content to an aircraft based content server via courier devices that are transported by aircraft passengers. Content files to be delivered to a target aircraft are identified. Courier devices associated with persons scheduled to become passengers on the target aircraft are identified. Each of the content files are divided into content fragments, where the content fragments collectively contain all data necessary for reassembling the content files. The content fragments are distributed from the ground based content server across the courier devices, so that each courier device is distributed one of the content fragments containing data that is at least partially redundant with data contained in one of the content fragments that is distributed to at least one other one of the courier devices and that is not redundant to data contained in other content fragments distributed to still other ones of the courier devices.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method by at least one processor of a ground based content server to transfer content to a vehicle based content server, the method comprising:

identifying content files to be delivered to a vehicle based content server on a target vehicle,
identifying courier electronic devices that are associated with persons who are scheduled to become passengers on the target vehicle,
dividing each of the content files into content fragments, wherein the content fragments collectively contain all data necessary for reassembling the content files, and
distributing the content fragments from memory of the ground based content server across memory of the courier electronic devices that have been identified, wherein the distributing is performed so that each of the courier electronic devices is distributed one of the content fragments containing data that is at least partially redundant with data contained in one of the content fragments that is distributed to at least one other one of the courier electronic devices and that is not redundant to data contained in other ones of the content fragments that are distributed to still other ones of the courier electronic devices.

1 more element

A method by at least one processor of a vehicle based content server to receive content files provided by a ground based content server, the method comprising:

discovering presence of content fragments stored in memory of courier electronic devices that have been transported onto the vehicle by passengers and which have established communication links with the vehicle based content server;
fetching the content fragments from the courier electronic devices, responsive to the discovering;
assembling the content files by combining at least some of the content fragments;
and
providing content of the content files to video display units operated by passengers.

2 more elements

A method by at least one processor of a courier electronic device to transfer content between a ground based content server and a vehicle based content server, the method comprising:

communicating a scheduling message to the ground based content server indicating an upcoming flight schedule for a person who possesses the courier electronic device;
receiving a content fragment from the ground based content server responsive to the scheduling message, the content fragment containing an incomplete fragment of a content file;
establishing a communication link with the vehicle based content server;
transferring the content fragment to the vehicle based content server;
receiving, from the vehicle based content server, a listing of content files that are available for on-demand consumption through the courier electronic device and which includes the content file assembled based on the content fragment;
displaying the listing of content files on a display device of the courier electronic device;
communicating a content selection message to the vehicle based content server indicating a person's selection of the content file from among the list of content files;
and
receiving from the vehicle based content server a data stream from the content file assembled based on the content fragment.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Transferring content between a ground based content server and an aircraft based content server via content fragments distributed across courier electronic devices

Life of this patent

Transferring content between a ground based content server and an aircraft based content server via content fragments distributed across courier electronic devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20