Hughes Electronics Corporation

Hughes Aircraft Company

Lawrence E Girard

Richard E Sklar

Ralph P Phillipp

Jim C Williams

Dickey J Berry

David C Frankenbach

Systems that distribute live television programs to passengers of an aircraft by way of satellites of a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) system when the aircraft is in range of the satellites and distributes time-delayed television programs when the aircraft is out of range of the satellites. The present invention provides for real-time reception and storage of live television programs in a storage medium (in compressed digital format) and presentation to passengers during that time when the aircraft is within the coverage area of satellites. The stored programming is distributed to the passengers later in the flight, when the aircraft is out of range of the satellites. The stored programming includes all channels transmitted by the satellites. Thus, a large number of programs are made available to the passengers on a time-delay basis. A low-cost system is disclosed that distributes a single television channel to overhead monitors and headphones. A method of providing delayed distribution of television programs from satellites of a direct broadcast satellite system to passengers on an aircraft is also disclosed.

Distribution of satellite television programs to passengers in an

A system that provides live television programming to passengers by integrating direct broadcast satellite services into an in-flight aircraft entertainment system. The present invention is a satellite television system that has an antenna disposed on the aircraft that is pointed at a plurality of satellites that are part of a direct broadcast satellite system. The antenna is controlled by an antenna controller and antenna interface unit that send control signals and process status signals to steer the antenna. The antenna is steered to lock it onto RF signals transmitted by the satellites. The antenna interface unit downconverts the received RF signals to provide left hand circularly polarized RF signals and right hand circularly polarized RF signals that contain different sets of television channels. The downconverted RF signals are processed by a receiver/decoder that decodes them to provide video signals corresponding to different television channels. The video signals for the different channels are routed to an video and audio distribution system on the aircraft which distributes live television programming to the passengers. A low-cost single channel receiver/decoder version of the system is also disclosed that provides a single channel of television programming to overhead monitors in an aircraft.

Aircraft satellite television system for distributing television

A satellite television system that provides live television programming to passengers by integrating direct broadcast satellite services into an in-flight aircraft entertainment system. The system has an antenna disposed on the aircraft that is pointed at a plurality of satellites that are part of a direct broadcast satellite system. The antenna is controlled by an antenna controller and antenna interface unit that send control signals and process status signals to steer the antenna. The antenna is steered to lock it onto RF signals transmitted by the satellites. The antenna interface unit downconverts the received encoded RF signals to provide encoded left hand circularly polarized RF signals and right hand circularly polarized RF signals that contain different sets of television channels. The downconverted encoded RF signals are processed by a receiver to provide encoded video and audio signals of different television channels. The receiver does not decode or D/A convert the downconverted signals. The encoded video and audio signals containing the plurality of channels are modulated in a modulator, which also is used as a combiner to modulate signals derived from other video and audio sources. The modulated and encoded video and audio signals are routed to a video and audio distribution system which distributes the encoded video and audio signals to each passenger's seat. Seat electronics circuitry is located at each passenger's seat that contains a demodulator, decoder, digital to analog converters, and an optional tuner. The seat electronics circuitry demodulates, decodes and D/A converts the modulated and encoded video and audio signals into signals that may be viewed and heard by the passenger at that seat.

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Westminster, CA, United States of America

Lawrence E Girard