Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Daniel J Sherlock

Robert W Preston

In-flight entertainment systems provide entertainment for passengers on commercial airline flights. Presently, usually on longer flights, video entertainment is commonly available on in-flight passenger entertainment systems. In-flight entertainment systems can display video on a variety of display monitors ranging from a conventional CRT display to a more modern Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). Generally most displays are connected to the aircraft electronic system via a ARINC 722 connector. The ARINC 722 connector commonly provides an electrical interface between the aircraft and the video system, whether the video system is a CRT or LCD type monitor. With the increasing use of LCD monitors there is a greater need for the ability of the display monitor to be able to report its status. The need for status reporting is increased because the LCD monitors are often greater in number than the prior art CRT monitors and because malfunctions are less obvious. Several methods for providing status information from video displays have been proposed. Embodiments of the present invention comprise a system wherein the display status information is superimposed upon a 28-volt monitor on-indicator signal, which currently is contained within the ARINC 722 connector which couples the display to the aircraft wiring. Because embodiments of the invention use an existing signal and superimpose further data upon it, the need for modification of the airline and monitor systems is greatly reduced.

System and method for test data reporting using a status signal

In-flight entertainment systems provide entertainment for passengers on commercial airline flights. Presently, usually on longer flights, video entertainment is commonly available on in-flight passenger entertainment systems. In-flight entertainment systems can display video on a variety of display monitors ranging from a conventional CRT display to a more modern Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). Generally most displays are connected to the aircraft electronic system via a ARINC 722 connector. The ARINC 722 connector commonly provides an electrical interface between the aircraft and the video system, whether the video system is a CRT or LCD type monitor. With the increasing use of LCD monitors there is a greater need for the ability of the display monitor to be able to report its status. The need for status reporting is increased because the LCD monitors are often greater in number than the prior art CRT monitors and because malfunctions are less obvious. Several methods for providing status information from video displays have been proposed. Embodiments of the present invention comprise a system in which data can be requested by repeating commands, such as turn on, a number of times within a predetermined time interval. Because embodiments of the invention use an existing command, which can be the repeated without affecting the functioning of legacy systems, the need for modification of the airline and monitor systems is greatly reduced.

Data request method without using dedicated connections

A system for detecting an obstruction in the deploy path of a retractable LCD monitor includes a disc that rotates with the monitor as the monitor is deployed, an optical switch operatively coupled to the disc to generate pulses indicating the speed at which the monitor is deploying, and a retriggerable one-shot circuit that receives the pulses from the optical switch. When the pulses fail to arrive at the retriggerable one-shot circuit fast enough, i.e., below a threshold rate, the retriggerable one-shot circuit times out and its output state transitions from a high level to a low level. The high-to-low state transition causes the monitor to retract and re-attempt deployment.

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Fullerton, CA, United States of America

Daniel J Sherlock