Entertainment system with network of docking stations
An entertainment system comprising a media server networked with a plurality of docking stations is presented. The media server and docking stations can be networked together into a looped daisy-chained network to provide for content distribution to docked media players. The looped daisy-chained network retains connectivity or continuity when media players are undocked or when a connection is broken. In preferred embodiments, the entertainment system can be deployed within an aircraft as an in-flight entertainment system.
1. A vehicular entertainment system, comprising:
a media server storing media content in a media database on computer readable media and having a first server port and a second server port;
a plurality of docking stations coupled to the media server, each of the docking stations having at least a first station port, a media player port, and a second station port, and each docking station configured to allow insertion of a media player into the docking station such that the media player port of the docking station couples with a connector of the media player when the media player is at least partially inserted into the docking station, wherein the media players comprises a display;
wherein at least some of the docking stations comprise a media player bypass configured to direct network data between a docking station's first station port and second station port when a media player is undocked, and wherein the media player bypass is configured to route network data among the media player port and at least one of the first and second station ports of the docking station when a media player is docked; and
wherein the media server and plurality of docking stations are disposed within an aircraft, and wherein the plurality of docking stations comprises at least ten docking stations.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of media players is configured to store at least some content locally.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the media server and plurality of docking stations comprises a packet-switched network.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the media server is configured to communicate with docked ones of the plurality of media players using a link layer protocol.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the media server comprises additional server ports coupled to a plurality of different networks of docking stations.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the media server comprises at least one of the plurality of media players that is docked in its corresponding docking station.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the docking stations are disposed in seatbacks within the aircraft.
8. A vehicular entertainment system, comprising:
a media server configured to store media content and having first and second server ports;
a first set of docking stations communicatively coupled to the first server port, and a second set of docking stations communicatively coupled to the second server port;
wherein each of the docking stations of the first and second sets have first and second stations ports, wherein the docking stations are each configured to allow a removable media player having a display to dock with the docking station, wherein the docking stations further include a media player port that couples with a connector of the media player when the media player is at least partially inserted into the docking station, and wherein at least some of the docking stations comprise a media player bypass configured to direct network data between a docking station's first station port and second station port when the removable media player is undocked, and wherein the media player bypass is configured to route network data among the media player port and at least one of the first and second station ports of the docking station when a media player is docked;
wherein each of the docking stations of the first set are coupled to form a first chain, and wherein each of the docking stations of the second set are coupled to form a second chain; and
wherein the media server and docking stations are disposed within an aircraft, and wherein the first and second sets collectively comprise at least ten docking stations.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of media players is configured to store at least some content locally.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the media server and plurality of docking stations comprises a packet-switched network.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the media server is configured to communicate with docked ones of the plurality of media players using a link layer protocol.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the media server comprises additional server ports coupled to a plurality of different networks of docking stations.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the media server comprises at least one of the plurality of media players that is docked in its corresponding docking station.