Live Tv, Inc.

Thales

Ge Harris Railway Electronics, Inc.

Scott Easterling

Robert M Keen

Jason Funderburk

Jeffrey A Frisco

R Michael Keen

Charles L Zahm

Leonard Ross Reinhart

Ernest L Peek

Anthony J Guarino

Joseph W Logan

Eric Gross

Michael S Gottfried

Glenn S Latta

An aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system includes an entertainment source, passenger seatback displays coupled to the entertainment source, and passenger control units. Each PCU is associated with a respective seatback display and includes a touchpad configured to recognize multiple simultaneous touch points.

Aircraft in-flight entertainment system with enhanced passenger control units and associated methods

An aircraft communications system includes a satellite video receiver, a ground video receiver, wireless local area network (WLAN) circuitry to provide a WLAN within the aircraft, a processor and memory coupled to the processor. The processor is configured to supply video content from the satellite video receiver to the PEDs via the WLAN circuitry, store video content from the ground video receiver in the memory based upon a popularity rating of the video content, and supply stored video content to personal electronic devices (PEDs) within the aircraft via the WLAN.

Aircraft communications system storing video content while on the ground and associated methods

A communications system for an aircraft carrying personal electronic devices (PEDs) for wireless data communications includes a satellite video receiver, wireless local area network (WLAN) circuitry configured to provide a WLAN within the aircraft, and a processor and memory coupled thereto. The processor is configured to store video content from the satellite video receiver in the memory based upon a popularity rating of the video content, and supply stored video content to the PEDs via the WLAN.

Aircraft communications system storing video content while airborne and associated methods

An aircraft communications system includes a satellite video receiver, a video signal transcoder coupled to the satellite video receiver to convert live video signals therefrom from one video format to another, and an adaptive streaming video processor coupled to the video signal transcoder. The adaptive streaming video processor creates video data files at different data rates, and divides the video data files into shorter chunks of video data along with associated index files. An access point is coupled to the adaptive streaming video processor for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) within the aircraft to distribute the shorter chunks of video data and associated index files to personal electronic devices (PEDs) within the aircraft as requested by the PEDs based on communication conditions within the aircraft.

Aircraft communications system with adaptive streaming video and associated methods

An aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system includes a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft. Each SEB comprises a memory including a shared memory portion for storing entertainment related data and an unshared memory portion. The SEBs cooperate with one another so that the entertainment related data in the shared memory portion of each SEB is available for at least one other SEB.

Aircraft in-flight entertainment system with a distributed memory and associated methods

An aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system includes an entertainment source, passenger seatback displays coupled to the entertainment source, and passenger control units (PCUs). Each PCU is associated with a respective seatback display. Each PCU includes an underside PCU input device carried by an underside of a seatback tray to be accessible by a user from the underside of the seatback tray when the seatback tray is in a stored position, and a topside PCU input device carried by a topside of the seatback tray to be accessible by the user from a topside of the seatback tray when the seatback tray is in a down position.

Aircraft in-flight entertainment system with enhanced seatback tray passenger control units and associated methods

An aircraft system includes an entertainment source, and passenger displays for displaying images from the entertainment source. A signal distribution network connects the entertainment source to the passenger displays. The aircraft system further includes cameras spaced throughout the aircraft for aircraft surveillance, and a pilot display for displaying images from the cameras. The signal distribution network also connects the cameras to the pilot display. The cameras may provide images of internal the aircraft, such as in the cabin area, or external the aircraft. The aircraft system further includes a pilot control unit connected to the pilot display for control thereof.

Aircraft system providing passenger entertainment and surveillance features, and associated methods

An aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system includes an antenna for receiving digital satellite radio signals, and an intermediate frequency (IF) down converter is connected to the antenna for down converting the digital satellite radio signals. A plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) are spaced throughout the aircraft. Each SEB includes at least one IF tuner in communications with the IF down converter.

Aircraft in-flight entertainment system including a distributed digital radio service and associated methods

An area entertainment system includes an antenna for receiving digital satellite radio signals, and an intermediate frequency (IF) down converter connected to the antenna for down converting the digital satellite radio signals. Electronic boxes are spaced throughout the area, and each electronic box includes at least one IF tuner in communications with the IF down converter.

Area entertainment system including digital radio service and associated methods

An area entertainment system includes a headend unit, and electronic boxes spaced throughout the area. The headend unit includes a digital satellite radio receiver. A local area network (LAN) connects the digital satellite radio receiver for providing digital satellite radio signals to the electronic boxes. The entertainment system further includes user control units connected to the electronic boxes, with each user control unit permitting user selection of the digital satellite radio signals.

An aircraft in-flight entertainment system includes a satellite weather information receiver receiving a weather related programming channel from a satellite, and at least one passenger display connected to the satellite weather information receiver for displaying weather related information corresponding to a selected geographic area. A passenger control unit is associated with each passenger display for selecting the geographic area.

Aircraft in-flight entertainment system providing weather information and associated methods

An aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system includes a headend unit, and a plurality of seat electronic boxes (SEBs) spaced throughout the aircraft. The headend unit includes a digital satellite radio receiver. A local area network (LAN) connects the digital satellite radio receiver for providing digital satellite radio signals to the SEBs. The IFE system further includes a plurality of passenger control units (PCUs) connected to the plurality of SEBs, with each PCU permitting passenger selection of the digital satellite radio signals.

Aircraft in-flight entertainment system including digital radio service and associated methods

A system and method for preventing collisions between vehicles, such as railway vehicles, by exchanging data regarding track position of the vehicles. By use of an on-board track database, the system provides an indication of the distance between vehicles based not on line-of-sight but on track distance. Additionally, a system and method for accurately determining location of railway vehicles without the use of a network of trackside indicators. The disclosed system uses a gyro, position indicator, and a satellite position determination along with a track database to maintain highly accurate estimates of measurement errors and track position.

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Malabar, FL, United States of America

Scott Easterling