Thales Avionics, Inc.

Kevin Judd

John J Daly

Ton Do

Bipin Bopaliya

Brian Johnson

Sam Yoon

Raghunath Gunti

Ethan Trokie

A seat entertainment system includes a display unit, a handheld controller, and an entertainment system controller. The handheld controller includes an input interface with a grid of touch sensitive elements spaced apart on the input interface, and an interchangeable user input pad which overlays and covers the grid of touch sensitive elements and has indicia indicating locations of user selectable functions. The entertainment system controller includes a set of operational functions and a mapping of the operations functions to corresponding different user touch locations in the grid of touch sensitive elements. The entertainment system controller is operative to: receive signaling from the handheld controller indicating where a user has touch selected the interchangeable user input pad; identify one of the operational functions corresponding to the user touch location based on the mapping; and perform the operational function to control an operation of the seat entertainment system.

Software definable controllers in vehicle reconfigurable for different seating groups

In flight entertainment remote control handset

A docking station for storing a handset. A storage tray has a first recessed area for storing the handset and a second recessed area for a passenger to grip a top surface of the stored handset. The docking station includes a second latch extended into the second recessed area to engage an indent in the bottom surface of the handset. The docking station includes a first latch extended into the second recessed area to engage an indent located in the front surface of the handset. Depression of a release actuator retracts the first latch to release the top surface of the handset. The release actuator extends through an opening in the first recessed area, which has a length sufficient to allow a finger to actuate the release actuator and grip the top surface of the remote control handset while the remote control handset is stored in the storage tray.

Docking station storing remote control for inflight entertainment systems

A handset device controls a vehicle entertainment system. The handset device includes an interface configured to communicate control signaling to the entertainment system, user selectable interface elements, light devices arranged to form light zones providing backlighting to corresponding groups of one or more of the user selectable interface elements, and controller circuitry. The controller circuitry is configured to respond to user selections among the user selectable interface elements by triggering corresponding control signaling to be communicated through the interface. The controller circuitry determines a lighting setting to select one of the light zones to activate to backlight the corresponding group of the one or more of the user selectable interface elements, and controls power flow to at least one light device in the selected light zone based on the light setting to backlight the corresponding group of the one or more of the user selectable interface elements.

Handsets for controlling inflight entertainment systems

A display apparatus receptacle configured to be mounted to a passenger seat. The display apparatus receptacle includes a pair of main latch assemblies releasably connectable to a striker of a display apparatus. The pair of main latch assemblies include an activation rod having an end with sloped teeth. The pair of main latch assemblies also include a lock rod with an end having sloped teeth and attached to a pair of latch plates. The pair of main latch assemblies also include a pair of lock pawls rotatable by movement of the latch plates. The pair of main latch assemblies also include a lock rod spring having a spiral shape about a rod extending axially through the lock rod to connect to the activation rod, the lock rod spring resiliently urging the sloped teeth of the lock rod to engage the sloped teeth of the activation rod.

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Kevin Judd