Inflight entertainment system with selectively preloaded seat end video caches
US9043846B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 30, 2012 |
| Grant date | May 26, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 23, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N21/6543
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An inflight entertainment (IFE) system preloads from head end equipment onto seat end video caches subsets of prerecorded video entertainment programs from a library of prerecorded video entertainment programs stored on the head end equipment. Preloading is done independent of play requests made by passengers using the IFE system. The selected subsets are selected using selection metrics such as program popularity, passenger demographics and/or passenger preferences. The same or a different subset may be selected for different passengers. As a result of the selective preloading of the seat end video caches, if the head end equipment or the distribution system becomes inoperable during the flight, the IFE system is able to continue to deliver a limited offering of popular, demographically indicated and/or passenger preferred video entertainment from the seat end video caches, without requiring a large multiplier in storage capacity or loading time.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.