Sony Corporation

Sony Trans Com Inc.

Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Sony Electronics Inc

Gregory K Henrikson

Robert V Troxel

Loi Quang Ninh

Toshiharu Fukui

Clayton R Backhaus

A system and method of distributing telephone and passenger service signals from a zone interface unit to a plurality of seat electronic units in an in-flight entertainment system is described. The method uses a master/slave arrangement in which multiplexed telephone and passenger service signals are transmitted over a bus to the receiving seat electronic units.

Apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving passenger service system and telephone signals over a network

A system for assigning unique addresses to a series of electronic units in an in-flight entertainment system. The electronic units are connected via an interconnect bus and a keyline wire. During initialization of the system, each electronic unit is enabled via the keyline. After an electronic unit is enabled, the interconnect bus transfers a unique address to the electronic unit and instructs it to ignore future address write signals. This procedure is repeated for each electronic unit in the series of electronic units. The procedure terminates when the last electronic unit requiring an address has been assigned an address.

Dynamic addressing of devices on a shared medium network with a keyline

A passenger entertainment system of an aircraft utilized to distribute audio and/or video in a digital format throughout a vehicle. The passenger entertainment system includes an Asynchronous Transfer Mode ('ATM') network interconnected to a high speed, serial distribution network propagating information in a predetermined format. Collectively, these digital networks support the broadcast of audio and/or video in real-time as well as actual 'video on demand' services.

System and method for distributing information throughout an aircraft

An IEEE 1394 cable includes two individually shielded twisted data pairs of wires, carrying differential signals TPA and TPB, and two power conductors, carrying power signals VP and VG. The two twisted data pairs of wires are each individually shielded by a braided shield. The cable also includes an overall braided shield and a no smoke, no halogen, flame retardant jacket. Preferably, the cable has a length of 4.5 meters and includes 26 gauge wire for the two twisted data pairs. Longer, alternate embodiments of the cable incorporate heavier gauge wire for the two twisted data pairs. Preferably, the gauge wire used for the two power conductors is constant for the different lengths of cable. An active disconnect is used to provide an active repeater between IEEE 1394 cables. The active disconnect provides ports, into which cables are connected, and a physical connection including electronics necessary to form an active node on the IEEE 1394 serial bus. The active disconnect receives signals from one port and resynchronizes, encodes and transmits those signals out of the other ports. The active disconnect draws power from the power conductors of the IEEE 1394 cables which are coupled to it.

IEEE 1394 active wall disconnect and aircraft qualified cable

An IEEE 1394 serial bus network data capture and analyzer device is coupled within an IEEE 1394 serial bus network for monitoring, capturing and analyzing data communications transmitted over the IEEE 1394 serial bus network. The data capture and analyzer device is preferably implemented within a computer system and includes an IEEE 1394 serial bus network interface card for communicating over the IEEE 1394 serial bus. The data capture and analyzer device also includes a user interface which is displayed on a display device coupled to the computer system. Through the user interface and input devices coupled to the computer system, a user selects a function to be performed by the data capture and analyzer device. Preferably, the functions allow a user, through the data capture and analyzer device, to at least trigger on a specific packet header, field or data pattern, trigger on an error and capture a specific time or cycle event. Captured data is stored within an internal memory of the computer system. From the internal memory, data is stored on a mass storage device, floppy disk or tape media. Captured data is also displayed for the user through the user interface and printed on a printer thereby allowing a user to analyze and record the data communications for testing and monitoring of the communications over the IEEE 1394 serial bus.

Growing community of inventors

Brea, CA, United States of America

Gregory K Henrikson