Airbus Operations Gmbh

Airbus Deutschland Gmbh

Dirk Andersen

Martin Frey

Sandra Deimer

Michael Dietl

Thomas Kriebisch

The invention relates to a system and method for transmitting audio data in a combined cabin management system in an aircraft with the steps: playing back entertainment programs and providing communications possibilities with an entertainment system (), which is connected to several first audio data sources () and to several first audio playback devices (), setting and displaying cabin parameters with a control system (), which is connected to several second audio data sources () and to several second audio playback devices (), transmitting audio data between the control system () and the entertainment system () with several audio channels () each with a coding device () and a decoding device () respectively. In order to be able to carry out the transmission of audio data and associated information by using commercially available coding chips with the lowest possible expense, the steps are provided: interlinking the audio signals from the several audio data sources () into one data stream through a multiplexer (), via which the coding device () is connected to several audio data sources (), and depacketing the data stream into audio signals for the several audio playback devices () through a demultiplexer () via which the decoding device () is connected to several audio playback devices (), wherein the audio data are transmitted between the coding device () and the decoding device () with a predetermined resolution.

System and method for transmitting audio data

Passenger service units in an aircraft are equipped with a passenger interface and supply adapter ( ). Each adapter includes an individual processor ( ) which is programmable independently of the aircraft central control through a programming input. The programmable interface ( ) permits controlling passenger service components in the passenger cabin such as lamps in a cabin lighting system, a public address system, and so forth, directly by the interface ( ) independently of the aircraft central control. The interface ( ) with its own individual processor ( ) and memory ( ) is connected through a databus ( ) to the aircraft central control ( ), for example, for remote programming of the interface and for reporting the module's activities to the aircraft central control. The interface ( ) reduces the memory capacity requirements for the aircraft central control and permits the individual programming of each passenger service unit also independently of any other passenger service unit thereby avoiding retesting of the entire cabin system when for example only one passenger service unit is reprogrammed.

Growing community of inventors

Wilster, Germany

Dirk Andersen