초록 ▼

An aircraft entertainment system employing a hybrid video distribution system that permits distribution of direct broadcast satellite television programming to passengers of the aircraft. The aircraft entertainment system has a video control center 11, a plurality of groups of seat display units 40,

An aircraft entertainment system employing a hybrid video distribution system that permits distribution of direct broadcast satellite television programming to passengers of the aircraft. The aircraft entertainment system has a video control center 11, a plurality of groups of seat display units 40, and a plurality of audio and video processors 20 that control routing of programming to each seat display unit. A plurality of seat junction boxes 30 may be interposed between the audio and video processors 20 and the groups of seat display units 40. An antenna 12 is receives programming from a satellite, and a splitter 13 generates a plurality of channels of programming received by the antenna 12. A decoder 14 decodes the channels to provide video and audio signals, and an RF modulator 16 modulates the decoded audio and video signals for distribution. Each seat display unit 40 has a keypad 44 for selecting channels and controlling audio volume, a logic circuit 45 for outputting channel addresses of the selected channels, an address decoder 47 for decoding the channel addresses, and a channel display 46 for displaying the number of the selected channel. A video display 53 displays the television programming, and an audio output device reproduces the audio signals. The audio and video processors 20 convert the modulated RF video signals to baseband video for distribution to the seat display units 40. Each processor comprises a plurality of tuners 25, and non-blocking audio crosspoint switches 26, 27 having a predetermined number of audio and video outputs that are a selected multiple of the number of inputs. A processor 28 is coupled to the audio and video crosspoint switches and to the address decoder of each seat display unit for processing the decoded channel addresses and selecting which channels are output to each seat display unit.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An in-flight aircraft entertainment video distribution system comprising:a video control center comprising:an antenna for receiving programming broadcast from a direct broadcast satellite;a splitter coupled to the antenna for splitting off a plurality of channels of progr

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An in-flight aircraft entertainment video distribution system comprising:a video control center comprising:an antenna for receiving programming broadcast from a direct broadcast satellite;a splitter coupled to the antenna for splitting off a plurality of channels of programming received by the antenna;a decoder for decoding the plurality of channels of programming and for providing video and audio signals for each of the channels;a system control unit which provides an operator and airframe interface to the video distribution system; andan RF modulator for modulating the audio and video signals of the decoded channels;a plurality of groups of seat display units, wherein each seat display unit comprises:a keypad having a plurality of switches for selecting the channels and controlling the volume of the audio signals for the selected channels;a logic circuit for outputting channel addresses corresponding to the selected channels;an address decoder coupled to the logic circuit for decoding the channel addresses:a channel display coupled to the logic circuit for displaying the number of the selected channel:a video display for processing the video signals to display the selected channel; andan audio output jack for providing the audio signals for each of the channels to passenger headphones; anda plurality of audio and video processors coupled between the RF modulator and respective ones of the seat display units, for converting the modulated RF video signals to baseband video for distribution to each of the seat display units, wherein each of said processors comprise:a plurality of tuners comprising one tuner for each channel decoded by the decoder;a non-blocking audio crosspoint switch having inputs that are coupled to each of the tuners and having a predetermined number of audio outputs that are a selected multiple of the number of inputs;a non-blocking video crosspoint switch having inputs that are coupled to each of the tuners and having a predetermined number of video outputs that are the selected multiple of the number of inputs; anda processor coupled to the non-blocking audio and video crosspoint switches and coupled to the address decoder of each of the seat display units for receiving the decoded channel addresses and for selecting which channels are output to each seat display unit in response thereto.