Panasonic Avionics Corporation

Nigel Blackwell

Philip S Watson

Cedric Rhoads

Steven Bates

Paul Anthony Margis

Changhwa Lin

Thong Pham

Neil Bedekar

Bradley Westerhoff

Attila Szilagyi

Methods and systems for a vehicle entertainment system are provided. One method includes receiving an input for a media file at a smart monitor on an aircraft, the aircraft having a plurality of smart monitors and a plurality of seat boxes communicating via a network that includes a first sub-network to connect a first group of the seat boxes, and a computing device that stores a plurality of media files, and a second sub-network to connect a second group of seat boxes and the computing device. The method further includes identifying by the smart monitor, a priority associated with the input for selecting a source for streaming the media file; streaming the media file from a first source located at the first data sub-network of the first sub-network, based on the priority, and if the media file is available from the first source; and streaming the media file from a second source coupled to the first source within the first sub-network, based on the priority, and if the media file is unavailable from the first source and available from the second source.

Vehicle entertainment system

Methods and systems for a transportation vehicle are provided. One method includes receiving a network packet at a network interface device of an information system of a transportation vehicle; identifying public announcement audio in a payload of the network packet by the network interface device; extracting the public announcement audio from the payload of the network packet by the network interface device; transferring the public announcement audio to an audio system by the network interface device; and playing the public announcement audio by the audio system.

Methods and systems for processing public announcements on a transportation vehicle

A vehicle entertainment system including a server storing media files, and smart monitors. The system includes a server disposed in the vehicle to store media files; smart monitors disposed in the vehicle to present media selections to passengers corresponding to the media files stored by the server and receive an input from a passenger for playing one of the selections; seat boxes disposed in the vehicle, each seat box including network-attached storage and storing a subset of the media files stored by the server in said network-attached storage. Program logic executed by each smart monitor in which after a smart monitor receives an input from a passenger for one of the selections, performs tasks including: determining if a media file corresponding to the passenger's input is available from a first source, and if available, requesting streaming of the media file from the first source that may be networked attached storage.

Methods and systems for a transportation vehicle are provided. For example, one method includes initializing a transaction mode for using a transaction card having a front portion and a rear portion from a seat device of a transportation vehicle; adjusting lighting from the seat device to capture an image of the transaction card; capturing the image of the transaction card using a camera of the seat device; and processing the image of the transaction card and extracting information from the image of the transaction card.

Methods and systems for using a transaction card on a transportation vehicle

A vehicle entertainment system including a server storing media files, and smart monitors. Each smart monitor presents media selections corresponding to the media files and receives an input from passengers for playing a selection. Each smart monitor includes local content storage storing a subset of the media files. A network connects the smart monitors and server. Program logic executed by each smart monitor performs tasks including determining if a media file corresponding to an input is available from a first source, and if available, playing the media file from the first source; if the media file is not available there, determining if the media file required is available from a second source and if available, playing the media file from the second source; and if the media file is not available from the second source, determining if the media file is available from a third source.

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Lake Forest, CA, United States of America

Nigel Blackwell