Wireless Content Distribution with Synchronized Presentation

1 . An in-flight entertainment system for the delivery of synchronized content, comprising:

a content source comprising a processor, a memory, and a wireless communication interface, the content source programmed to:

transmit a common clock reference to a plurality of a line replaceable in-flight entertainment units (LRUs), the common clock reference comprising an indication of a current time of a master clock;

receive a command to initiate playback of a digital content item;

generate a command message, the command message comprising a content identifier associated with the digital content item, a playback state of the digital content item and a presentation start time of the digital content item;

transmit, via the wireless communication interface, the command message to the plurality of LRUs to cause the LRUs to initiate playback of a buffered portion of the audio component at the presentation start time; and

the plurality of LRUs, each LRU comprising a processor, a memory configured to store at least a portion of at least one digital content item, a wireless communication interface, and a display, and each LRU programmed to:

receive the command message from the content source;

retrieve the digital content item associated with the content identifier; and

initiate playback of the retrieved digital content item at the presentation start time.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of at least one digital content item comprises a cached portion of the at least one digital content item.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the content source is further programmed to transmit a content message to each of the plurality of LRUs, wherein the content message comprises a present playback state, the content identifier, and the current presentation time of the digital content item.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of LRUs is further configured to:

receive the content message; and

calculate a presentation drift based on a current media position less a local clock time of the LRU less the presentation start time.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of LRUs is further configured to adjust the playback of the digital content item if the presentation drift exceeds a predetermined threshold.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein adjustment of the playback of the digital content item comprises increasing or decreasing playback speed of the digital content item.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein adjustment of the playback of the digital content item comprises duplicating one or more frames of the digital content item.

8 . The system of claim 5 , wherein adjustment of the playback of the digital content item comprises deleting one or more frames of the digital content item.

9 . The system of claim 5 , wherein adjustment of the playback of the digital content item comprises adjusting the presentation rate by the LRU.

10 . A method for delivery of synchronized content in an in-flight entertainment system comprising a content source and a plurality of line replaceable in-flight entertainment units (LRUs), the method comprising:

transmitting a common clock reference to a plurality of LRUs, wherein the common clock reference comprising an indication of a current time of a master clock;

receiving a command to initiate playback of a digital content item;

generating a command message at the content source, wherein the command message comprises a content identifier associated with the digital content item, a playback state of the digital content item and a presentation start time of the digital content item;

transmitting, via a wireless communication interface of the content source, the command message to the plurality of LRUs to cause the LRUs to initiate playback of a buffered portion of the audio component at the presentation start time; and

each of the LRUs

receiving the command message from the content source;

retrieving the digital content item associated with the content identifier; and

initiating playback of the retrieved digital content item at the presentation start time.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least a portion of at least one digital content item comprises a cached portion of the at least one digital content item.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising transmitting, via the content source, a content message to each of the plurality of LRUs, wherein the content message comprises a present playback state, the content identifier, and the current presentation time of the digital content item.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving the content message at each of the LRUs;

calculating a presentation drift at each of the LRUs based on a current media position less a local clock time of the LRU less the presentation start time.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising each of the LRUs adjusting the playback of the digital content item if the presentation drift exceeds a predetermined threshold.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein adjustment of the playback of the digital content item comprises increasing or decreasing playback speed of the digital content item.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein adjustment of the playback of the digital content item comprises duplicating one or more frames of the digital content item.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein adjustment of the playback of the digital content item comprises deleting one or more frames of the digital content item.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein adjustment of the playback of the digital content item comprises adjusting the presentation rate by the LRU.