Multi-channel audio distribution for aircraft passenger entertainment and information systems

A passenger entertainment system for use in distributing audio and video channels to passenger entertainment stations on an aircraft, the passenger entertainment system comprising:

• a data network on the aircraft;
• a video system on the aircraft which modulates each of a plurality of video channels on one of a plurality of different radio frequency (RF) carrier signals, and which transmits the plurality of video modulated RF carrier signals to the passenger entertainment stations over the data network;
• digital encoding circuitry on the aircraft configured to receive a multiplicity of audio channels and to digitally encode each of the multiplicity of audio channels to thereby provide a multiplicity of digital audio channels;
• first layer time division multiplexers on the aircraft each receiving a different plurality of the multiplicity of digital audio channels as inputs, wherein each of the first layer time division multiplexers combines its corresponding plurality of digital audio channels with a synchronization and control channel into a single sub-channel having a data rate higher than a data rate of the digital audio channels;
• a second layer time division multiplexer on the aircraft receiving as inputs the sub-channels from each of the first layer time division multiplexers, wherein the second layer time division multiplexer combines the sub-channels with a synchronization and control channel into a composite data stream having a data rate higher than the data rate of the sub-channels;
• and
• modulation circuitry on the aircraft coupled to the second layer time division multiplexer and to the data network, the modulation circuitry modulating a first RF carrier signal with the composite data stream to generate an audio modulated RF carrier signal and transmitting the audio modulated RF carrier signal over the data network with the plurality of video modulated RF carrier signals from the video system.