The Boeing Company

Honeywell G.m.b.h.

David W Wax

John Haworth

A distribution system for a passenger entertainment system (30) that provides appropriate in-line amplification and equalization of an entertainment signal carried on a common bus (40). The distribution system is comprised of a network of zone management units (ZMUs) (42a, 42b, . . . 42n) and seat electronics units (SEUs) (48a, 48b, . . . 48n) connected to the bus. Each ZMU contains a variable gain amplifier in series with the bus to amplify the entertainment signal carried on the bus. Each ZMU also contains a variable slope compensation network (84) that is continuously adjusted to equalize the amplitude of the entertainment signal across the signal bandwidth. Each SEU contains a variable gain amplifier in series with the bus to amplify the entertainment signal carried on the bus. Each SEU also contains a fixed slope compensation network (330) that may be switched in series with the bus to equalize the amplitude of the entertainment signal across the signal bandwidth. Initialization routines are disclosed to initially configure the ZMUs and SEUs in the distribution system prior to system operation.

Passenger aircraft entertainment distribution system having in-line

Apparatus and a method are disclosed for detecting a tone pulse of known carrier frequency having a carrier phase reversal at a predetermined time by correlating a clipped version of the tone pulse signal with each of quadrature related components of a rectangular wave reference signal. Correlation is accomplished by multiplying the clipped signal with the reference signal components and sampling the two resultant product signals. Samples of each product signal are shifted through a delay register having sufficient capacity to contain samples corresponding to a complete pulse, and having an intermediate tap arranged to correspond with the timing of the phase reversal. Concurrent input and output samples of each delay register and an inverted and doubled version of the signal at its intermediate tap are combined and integrated to provide a pair of correlation signals which are rectified and summed to produce an autocorrelation signal.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

David W Wax