Serial networking fiber-to-the-seat inflight entertainment system
View Patent ↗An entertainment system that has improved failure recovery characteristics and reduces the connection components is disclosed. In one aspect, an inflight entertainment system comprises a plurality of physically interconnected head end line replaceable units and a plurality of serially-connected networking line replaceable units physically interconnected in a serial configuration, wherein two of the serially-connected networking line replaceable units at the edge of the serial configuration are physically interconnected with two of the head end line replaceable units, respectively, wherein a loop-free head end data path is maintained between active head end line replaceable units by regulating link participation in the head end data path, and wherein one or more loop-free serially-connected networking data paths are maintained between at least one of the two head end line replaceable units and active serially-connected networking line replaceable units by regulating link participation in the serially-connected networking data paths.
1. An inflight entertainment system comprising:
a first head end line replaceable unit (HE-LRU);
a second HE-LRU;
a third HE-LRU;
the first, second, and third HE-LRUs each comprising:
a first fiber optic transceiver;
a second fiber optic transceiver; and
a processor communicatively coupled with the first and second fiber optic transceivers;
the first, second, and third HE-LRUs configured to communicate via a head-end data-path comprising:
a first link connecting the first fiber optic transceiver of the first HE-LRU with the second fiber optic transceiver of the second LRU;
a second link connecting the second fiber optic transceiver of the first HE-LRU with the first fiber optic transceiver of the third LRU; and
a third link connecting the first fiber optic transceiver of the second HE-LRU with the second fiber optic transceiver of the third LRU;
wherein, in response to determining that the head-end data-path forms a closed system, the first HE-LRU, under control of its processor, deactivates communication via the second link, thereby forming a loop-free head-end data-path; and
wherein, in response to a failure of the first link, the first HE-LRU, under control of its processor, activates communication via the second link, thereby restoring the loop-free head-end data-path.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the third link comprises one or more additional HE-LRUs.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first HE-LRU further comprises a video server configured to store video data and to provide, in response to a request, the video data to one or more serially-connected line replaceable units (SN-LRUs).
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first HE-LRU is directly connected, via a fourth link and without an intervening area distribution box, with a first serially-connected line replaceable unit (SN-LRU).
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first SN-LRU comprises a video display unit positioned at a passenger seat.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the second HE-LRU is directly connected, via a fifth link and without an intervening area distribution box, with a second SN-LRU.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second SN-LRU comprises a video display unit positioned at another passenger seat.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first and second SN-LRUs are connected via a SN-LRU data path, and wherein the first SN-LRU is configured:
to determine that the SN-LRU data path comprises a closed loop; and
in response, to break the closed loop.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the third HE-LRU is directly connected, via a fourth link and without an intervening area distribution box, with a first serially-connected line replaceable unit (SN-LRU); and
the first HE-LRU is directly connected, via a fifth link and without an intervening area distribution box, with a second SN-LRU.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first SN-LRU comprises a cabin management terminal.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first and second SN-LRUs are connected with a sixth link, the sixth link comprising one or more additional SN-LRUs.
12. An inflight entertainment system comprising:
a first head end line replaceable unit (HE-LRU) comprising:
a first transceiver;
a second transceiver;
a third transceiver; and
a processor operatively coupled with the first, second, and third transceivers;
the first transceiver being configured to communicate directly, via a first link and without an intervening area distribution box, with a serially-connected line replaceable unit (SN-LRU);
the second transceiver being configured to communicate with a second HE-LRU via a second link; and
the first HE-LRU configured such that, under control of the processor and in response to a failure of the second link, the first HE-LRU activates a third link that enables the third transceiver to communicate with a third HE-LRU.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein, under control of the processor, in response to a failure of the second HE-LRU, the first HE-LRU activates the third link.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first HE-LRU further comprises a video server configured to store video data and to provide, in response to a request, the video data to the SN-LRU.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first, second, and third transceivers comprise fiber optic transceivers, and the first, second, and third links comprise fiber optic cables.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first HE-LRU is directly connected with the second and third HE-LRUs.
17. The system of claim 12 , further comprising the second and third HE-LRUs.
18. The system of claim 12 , further comprising the SN-LRU.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the SN-LRU comprises a video display unit positioned at a passenger seat.
20. A method of installing an inflight entertainment system, the method comprising:
obtaining a first head end line replaceable unit (HE-LRU) comprising:
a first transceiver;
a second transceiver;
a third transceiver; and
a processor operatively coupled with the first, second, and third transceivers;
directly connecting, via a first link and without an intervening area distribution box, the first transceiver with a serially-connected line replaceable unit (SN-LRU);
directly connecting, via a second link and without an intervening area distribution box, the second transceiver with a second HE-LRU;
directly connecting, via a third link and without an intervening area distribution box, the third transceiver with a third HE-LRU;
programming the first HE-LRU to determine whether the first, second, and third HE-LRUs are connected in a closed-loop data path and, in response to the closed-loop data path being found, to cease communicating on the third link; and
programming the first HE-LRU such that, in response to a failure of the second link, the first HE-LRU begins communicating on the third link.