Low cost hybrid video distribution system for aircraft in-flight entertainment systems

Abstract

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 set 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.

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; and  
       an 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:  channels; 
       a video display for processing the video signals to display the selected channel  channels; and  
       an audio output jack for providing the audio signals for each of the channels to passenger headphones; and  
       a 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; and  
       a 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.  
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  further comprising: 
       a plurality of seat junction boxes interposed between the plurality of audio and video processors and the plurality of groups of seat display units for receiving a predetermined plurality of sets of audio and video input signals and for outputting a first subset of the sets of audio and video output signals to a first group of seat display units, and for outputting a second subset of the sets of audio and video output signals to a second group of seat display units.  
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  wherein the keypad includes a channel up switch, a channel down switch, an on/off switch, a volume up switch, and a volume down switch. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3  further comprising a volume control circuit for controlling the volume of the audio signals provided by the audio output jack to a set of headphones. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4  further comprising a video enable key coupled to the volume control circuit and the video display for enabling them. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 4  wherein the volume up and volume down switches are coupled to the volume control circuit. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 4  wherein the on/off switch is coupled to the volume control circuit and to the video display to turn them on and off. 
     
     
       8. A video distribution system for use with an in-flight aircraft entertainment system that provides modulated audio and video signals corresponding to a plurality of video channels decoded by a direct broadcast satellite TV decoder, said video distribution system comprising: 
       a plurality of groups of seat display units, wherein each seat display unit comprises:  
       a keypad having a plurality of switches for selecting 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; and  channels; 
       a video display for processing the video signals to display the selected channel  channels; and  
       an audio output jack for providing the audio output signals for each of the channels; and  
       a plurality of audio and video processors coupled between an RF modulator and respective ones of the seat display units, for converting the modulated 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 direct broadcast satellite TV 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; and  
       a 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.  
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8  further comprising: 
       a plurality of seat junction boxes interposed between the plurality of audio and video processors and the plurality of groups of seat display units for receiving a predetermined plurality of sets of audio and video input signals and for outputting a first subset of the sets of audio and video output signals to a first group of seat display units, and for outputting a second subset of the sets of audio and video output signals to a second group of seat display units.  
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9  wherein the keypad includes a channel up switch, a channel down switch, an on/off switch, a volume up switch, and a volume down switch. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10  further comprising a volume control circuit for controlling the volume of the audio signals provided by the audio output jack to a set of headphones. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11  further comprising a video enable key coupled to the volume control circuit and the video display for enabling them. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11  wherein the volume up and volume down switches are coupled to the volume control circuit. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11  wherein the on/off switch is coupled to the volume control circuit and to the video display to turn them on and off. 
     
     
       15. A video distribution system for use with an in-flight aircraft entertainment system that provides modulated audio and video signals corresponding to a plurality of video channels decoded by a direct broadcast satellite TV decoder, said video distribution system comprising: 
       a plurality of groups of seat display units, wherein each seat display unit comprises:  
       a keypad having a plurality of switches for selecting 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  channels;  
       a video display for processing the video signals to display the selected channel  channels; and  
       an audio output jack for providing the audio output signals for each of the channels; and  
       a plurality of audio and video processors coupled between an RF modulator and respective ones of the seat display units, for converting the modulated 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; and  
       a 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; and  
       a plurality of seat junction boxes interposed between the plurality of audio and video processors and the plurality of groups of seat display units for receiving a predetermined plurality of sets of audio and video input signals and for outputting a first subset of the sets of audio and video output signals to a first group of seat display units, and for outputting a second subset of the sets of audio and video outputting signals to a second group of seat display units.  
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15  wherein the keypad includes a channel up switch, a channel down switch, an on/off switch, a volume up switch, and a volume down switch. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16  further comprising a volume control circuit for controlling the volume of the audio signals provided by the audio output jack to a set of headphones. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17  further comprising a video enable key coupled to the volume control circuit and the video display for enabling them. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17  wherein the volume up and volume down switches are coupled to the volume control circuit. 
     
     
       20. An in- flight aircraft entertainment video distribution system comprising:    
       
         a video control center comprising:  
       
       
         an antenna for receiving programming broadcast from a 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; and  
       
       
         an 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 selector that selects the channels and that controls the volume of the audio signals for the selected channels;  
       
       
         a logic circuit that outputs channel addresses corresponding to the selected channels;  
       
       
         an address decoder coupled to the logic circuit and that decodes the channel addresses; and  
       
       
         a video display that processes the video signals to display the selected channels; and  
       
       
         a plurality of audio and video processors coupled between the RF modulator and respective ones of the seat display units, and that converts 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; and  
       
       
         a processor coupled to the address decoder of each of the seat display units, that receives the decoded channel addresses and that selects which channels are output to each seat display unit in response thereto. 
       
     
     
       21. An in- flight aircraft entertainment video distribution system comprising:    
       
         a video control center comprising:  
       
       
         an antenna that receives programming broadcast from a satellite;  
       
       
         a splitter coupled to the antenna and that splits off a plurality of channels of programming received by the antenna;  
       
       
         a decoder that decodes the plurality of channels of programming and that provides video and audio signals for each of the channels;  
       
       
         a system control unit that provides an operator and airframe interface to the video distribution system; and  
       
       
         an RF modulator that modulates the audio and video signals of the decoded channels;  
       
       
         a plurality of groups of seat display units, wherein each seat display unit comprises:  
       
       
         a selector that selects the channels and that controls the volume of the audio signals for the selected channels;  
       
       
         a logic circuit that outputs channel addresses corresponding to the selected channels;  
       
       
         an address decoder coupled to the logic circuit, and that decodes the channel addresses;  
       
       
         a channel display coupled to the logic circuit, and that displays the number of the selected channels;  
       
       
         a video display that processes the video signals to display the selected channels; and  
       
       
         an audio output that provides the audio signals for each of the channels to passenger in audible form; and  
       
       
         a plurality of audio and video processors coupled between the RF modulator and respective ones of the seat display units, that converts the modulated RF video signals to baseband video for distribution to each of the seat display units. 
       
     
     
       22. An in- flight aircraft entertainment video distribution system comprising:    
       
         a video control center comprising:  
       
       
         an distribution system that receives and distributes a plurality of programming channels that include video and audio signals;  
       
       
         an RF modulator that modulates the audio and video signals;  
       
       
         a plurality of groups of seat display units, wherein each seat display unit comprises:  
       
       
         a selector that selects the channels and that controls the volume of the audio signals for the selected channels;  
       
       
         a logic circuit that outputs channel addresses corresponding to the selected channels;  
       
       
         an address decoder coupled to the logic circuit, and that decodes the channel addresses;  
       
       
         a channel display coupled to the logic circuit, and that displays the number of the selected channels;  
       
       
         a video display that processes the video signals to display the selected channels; and  
       
       
         an audio output that provides the audio signals for each of the channels to passenger in audible form; and  
       
       
         a plurality of audio and video processors coupled between the RF modulator and respective ones of the seat display units, that converts the modulated RF video signals to baseband video for distribution to each of the seat display units. 
       
     
     
       23. A plurality of seat display units, comprising: 
       
         a first seat display unit that receives a first plurality of programming channels via a plurality of pairs of audio and video lines, respectively, the plurally of pairs of audio and video lines being received on a respective plurality of audio and video input ports, the first seat display unit including a plurality of pairs of audio and video output ports for respectively outputting a second plurality of audio and video signals; and  
       
       
         a second seat display unit that receives the second plurality of audio and video signals respectively output from the plurality of pairs of audio and video output ports of the first seat display unit, the second plurality of audio and video signals being received on a respective plurality of audio and video input ports equal in number to those of the first seat display unit;  
       
       
         wherein the first seat display unit includes a processing unit that processes one of the first plurality of pairs of audio and video lines for providing a plurality of programming channels to a passenger at a seat at which the first seat display unit is provided;  
       
       
         wherein the one of the first plurality of pairs of audio and video lines are not provided to the second seat display unit; and  
       
       
         wherein all others of the first plurality of pairs of audio and video lines are provided to the second seat display unit.