CN110996040A

CN110996040A - Method and system for selective media distribution to vehicle entertainment systems

Info

Publication number: CN110996040A
Application number: CN201910927265.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 彼得·布朗
Original assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corp
Current assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corp
Priority date: 2018-10-02
Filing date: 2019-09-27
Publication date: 2020-04-10
Also published as: DE102019126324A1

Abstract

A networking method and system for a vehicle, such as an aircraft, is provided. One method comprises the following steps: registering, with a switching device, a multicast network address assigned to each of a plurality of areas of the aircraft, each area including a plurality of seating devices configured to store media files of a media library of the in-flight entertainment system, the media files being assigned to one of a plurality of layers. Based on the location to which the media file is desired to be stored, a range of multicast network addresses is reserved for each layer and distributed over different areas of the aircraft. Based on the registered multicast network addresses, the switching device selectively forwards particular media files associated with particular multicast network addresses for storage at one or more seating devices located within an area associated with the particular multicast network addresses.

Description

Method and system for selective media distribution to vehicle entertainment systems

Cross-reference to related applications:this patent application is a partial continuation in the sun (CIP) co-pending patent application serial No. 16/003,995 entitled "vehicle environment management System" filed on 8.6.2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to entertainment systems for vehicles, and in particular to Virtual Local Storage (VLS) for onboard entertainment systems.

Background

Entertainment systems for vehicles used in commercial passenger transportation are typically server-based. In particular, the server stores content (e.g., media files) and provides the content via the network in accordance with demand from client devices operated by users or passengers on the vehicle. Typically, the content is in the form of video and audio files of a media library that are streamed over a network to a client device. Thus, in conventional systems, the server is paramount to the operation of the entertainment system. For this reason, server-based systems in the field of in-flight entertainment (IFE) are sometimes referred to as server-centric or centralized AVOD server systems. The disadvantages of server-centric systems are: if the server becomes inaccessible, the content stored on the server likewise becomes inaccessible to the passenger or user of the client device. Another disadvantage is that the cost of the media server may be prohibitive.

Other types of IFE systems store content in client devices. In particular, IFE systems typically have a client device installed at each seat for use by passengers. In the IFE field, these systems are sometimes referred to as seat-centric or distributed AVOD server systems. An advantage of the seat-centric system is that it does not rely on a server. However, the storage capacity of the client device for storing content is limited. Techniques are being developed for increasing the size of media libraries by configuring the storage media of a client device without having to increase the storage capacity or processor capability of the client device.

Increasing media library size (e.g., for IFE systems) presents certain bandwidth and network challenges with respect to distributing media files across various devices using existing networks. For example, network bandwidth on an aircraft may vary and may be limited. This limits the rate at which media files can be loaded into the seating device. There is an ongoing effort to develop network technology to efficiently load media files onto seating devices.

Disclosure of Invention

In one aspect, a method and system for a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes an Area Distribution Box (ADB) having ports, wherein each port provides a network connection to a seat box. Each seat box in turn provides a network connection to one or more smart monitors. In addition, the seat boxes are connected to each other, forming a daisy-chain of seat boxes leading back to the ports of the ADB. Each such daisy chain is defined herein as an area, or more specifically, as a network area on a vehicle.

One method comprises the following steps: the plurality of layers are used by the processor to store a plurality of media files of a media library of an entertainment system of the vehicle at a plurality of seating devices. The first tier includes a first set of media files, wherein each media file in the first set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by all passengers of the vehicle, the second tier is for a second set of media files, wherein each media file in the second set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by at most X% of all passengers, and the third tier is for a third set of media files, wherein each media file in the third set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by at most Y% of all passengers.

The method further comprises the following steps: assigning, by a processor, a multicast network address range to each of a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer; assigning, by a processor, the multicast network address range among different zones of the vehicle, wherein seat devices of each zone are configured to store media files belonging to a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer; registering a multicast network address assigned to each zone with a switching device of a vehicle that interfaces with one or more networks of the vehicle to transmit media files to a plurality of seating devices; and selectively routing, by the switching device, the particular media file associated with the particular multicast network address for storage at one or more seating devices located within the particular area associated with the particular multicast network address.

In yet another aspect, methods and systems for an aircraft are provided. One method comprises the following steps: registering, with a switching device, a multicast network address assigned to each of a plurality of areas of the aircraft, each area including a plurality of seating devices configured to store media files of a media library of the in-flight entertainment system, the media files being assigned to one of a plurality of layers. The first tier includes a first set of media files, wherein each media file in the first set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by all passengers of the vehicle, and the second tier is for a second set of media files, wherein each media file in the second set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by at most X% of all passengers. Based on the location to which the media file is desired to be stored, a range of multicast network addresses is reserved for each layer and distributed over different areas of the aircraft.

The method further comprises the following steps: a particular media file associated with a particular multicast network address is routed through the switching device for storage at one or more seating devices located within an area associated with the particular multicast network address. The switching device receives a plurality of media files and selectively routes particular media files based on the registered multicast network addresses.

This brief summary is provided so that the nature of the disclosure may be understood quickly. A more complete understanding of the present disclosure may be obtained by reference to the following detailed description of various aspects of the disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Various features of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings of the various aspects disclosed herein. In the drawings, like parts may be given like reference numerals. The illustrated aspects are intended to illustrate, but not to limit the disclosure. The drawings include the following figures:

FIG. 1A is a schematic illustration of a vehicle entertainment system of a vehicle according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B illustrates a portion of an economy class portion of a vehicle entertainment system;

FIG. 2A illustrates an example of a smart monitor used in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B illustrates an example of a Virtual Local Storage (VLS) configuration tool in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2C illustrates an example of a plurality of VLS mediasets configured in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2D illustrates an example of media distribution across multiple smart monitors in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A illustrates a process flow for configuring a VSL mediaset in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3B illustrates a process flow for managing media files on a vehicle in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3C illustrates a process flow for configuring a media library in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3D illustrates a process flow for configuring media files on an aircraft in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of example software or program logic executed by the smart monitor of FIG. 2D in response to input from a user or passenger for a media request in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of example software or program logic executed by the smart monitor of FIG. 2D in response to a request for streaming media from another smart monitor, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a computing system in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example of a content distribution system for a vehicle;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of example software or program logic executed by a smart monitor in determining from which source to play a media file;

FIG. 9A is a flowchart of example software or program logic executed to efficiently load media files to a smart monitor, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9B illustrates an example of assigning multicast group channel numbers (MCCGN) to subsets of VLS media;

9C-9D illustrate examples of implementing adaptive aspects of the present disclosure on an aircraft; and

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of software or program logic executed to efficiently load media files to a smart monitor according to another aspect of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

As a preliminary matter, the terms "component," "module," "system," and the like, as used herein are intended to refer to a computer-related entity, a general-purpose processor executing software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. For example, a component may be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a hardware processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer.

By way of illustration, both an application running on a computer device and the computer device itself can be a component. One or more components may reside within a process and/or thread of execution and a component may be localized on one computer device and/or distributed between two or more computing devices. In addition, these components can execute from various computer readable media having various data structures stored thereon. The components may communicate via a local process and/or a remote process such as in accordance with a signal having one or more data packets (e.g., data from one component interacting with another component in a local system, distributed system, and/or across a computing network with other systems via the signal).

In accordance with the claimed subject matter, the computer-executable components may be stored, for example, in a non-transitory computer/machine-readable medium including, but not limited to, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), a CD (compact disc), a DVD (digital video disc), a ROM (read only memory), a hard disk, an EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory), a solid state memory device, or any other storage device.

Described in the following paragraphs are various aspects of the present disclosure. The various aspects are implemented via a combination of hardware and software, including a computing or information processing device with one or more processors configured to execute program logic or software stored on a computer-readable tangible, non-transitory storage medium, such as a magnetic storage disk, RAM, ROM, flash memory, or a Solid State Drive (SSD). The program logic preferably configures the information processing apparatus to provide functionality as described herein.

System 100: FIG. 1A schematically illustrates a vehicle entertainment system 100 disposed in a vehicle 102. The type of vehicle 102 is not limited and may be any kind of vehicle for carrying passengers, such as an aircraft, a bus, a train, a boat, a submarine, or a spacecraft. In this example, the vehicle 102 includes two

seat rows

104 and 106 arranged symmetrically with respect to each other across an aisle as is typical in vehicles for passenger transport. Each

column

104 and 106 includes a row of seats 108-122 that extend generally orthogonally away from the aisle between the two columns. It should be understood that fig. 1A is a schematic illustration for illustrative purposes and for a passenger vehicle (e.g., an aircraft for commercial passenger transport) that may have hundreds of seats and, therefore, many more columns and rows than those shown in fig. 1A.

The seat rows 108 through 122 may have different numbers of seats depending on the

seating classes

122 and 124. For example, the seat rows 108-112 closer to the front of the vehicle 102 may be premium class seats 122, such as business class or first class, with larger seats 128 and/or larger spaces between the seats 128. The more rearward rows of seats 114-122 in the vehicle 102 may be economy class 126 and have smaller seats 130 and/or less space between seats. Typically, bulkheads (not shown) separate one of the

seat classes

124 and 126 from the other.

FIG. 1B schematically illustrates a portion of a vehicle having multiple rows of seats. As shown in fig. 1B, the entertainment system for the vehicle includes a smart monitor 132(SM), which is sometimes referred to as a media player, a video monitor, a video display unit, or a seating device (for clarity of illustration, the smart monitor 132 is not shown in fig. 1A). Typically, a smart monitor 132 is mounted to the rear of each seat for viewing by a passenger or user in the seat immediately behind the seat in which the smart monitor 132 is mounted. For seats without a seat in front of them, the smart monitor 132 is often mounted to the bulkhead in front of the seat. Alternatively, such smart monitors 132 are mounted to the seat armrests 136 and can be retracted into the seat arms when not in use. The adaptive aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to any particular location/position of the smart monitor 132.

The hardware for the smart monitor 132 is preferably of conventional design for a vehicle. For example, a smart monitor sold by the panasonic avionics company of forest lake, california may be used. Other types and from other manufacturers of smart monitors may also be used. The adaptive aspects disclosed herein are not limited to any particular smart monitor type. The smart monitor 132 as described herein includes software or program logic that executes as described in connection with the flow diagrams shown in fig. 3-5. The smart monitor 132 is configured with software or program logic for presenting to a passenger or user media selections corresponding to media files stored at the smart monitor 132 using one or more Virtual Local Storage (VLS) media sets or subsets. In addition, the smart monitor 132 streams one or more files to another smart monitor via a request transmitted over a network.

Each smart monitor 132 may store a subset of the entire media library of the vehicle. For example, as shown in FIG. 1B, smart monitor 132 for the passenger/user in row 23 is loaded with media subset A. Since these smart monitors are in the first row, they are smart monitors 132 mounted to the seat armrests 136. Media subset B is loaded to the smart monitor 132 for the user/passenger in row 24. These smart monitors are smart monitors 132 mounted to the back of the seats in row 23. The smart monitor 132 for the user/passenger in row 25 is loaded with media subset C, and so on. In summary, five media subsets A, B, C, D and E are shown in FIG. 1B as an illustrative, non-limiting example. Media subsets A, B, C, D and E are part of a VLS set, which will be described in more detail below.

As an example, the media file is initially loaded into the vehicle's server 134 or other server using conventional techniques. Typically, this is performed by: the media is transferred from a portable media loader or an onboard media loader that stores the media in non-volatile memory (such as an SSD), and the media is copied to the server 134 through a media load port on the server via a wired ethernet connection. Wired connections currently provide the fastest load times compared to wireless connections. Alternatively, the media may be transmitted via a wireless connection such as a satellite connection, ground station to vehicle, bluetooth, cellular, or Wi-Fi.

Thereafter, as described in detail below, media is distributed from the server to the cabin seating network and loaded onto the smart monitor 132 in multiple parallel multicast streams using the Internet Group Multicast Protocol (IGMP), thereby loading each subset of media onto the smart monitor 132. Typically, each smart monitor 132 in a row will have a different media subset. In an alternative configuration, each media subset in each smart monitor 132 of a seat subnet or LAN may be the same, i.e., all smart monitors 132 for seats in row 23 have media subset a. This allows the seat box 140 for row 23 to load all of the same media files to the smart monitor 132 to which it is connected. Since multiple SMs employ the same (VLS) media subset, using multicast streams as described below minimizes loading time. For the LINUX system, multiple network block device channels are formed that operate simultaneously to transfer media files from the server 134 to the smart monitor 132.

Notably, in one aspect, the media file is first loaded into a headend server (e.g., server 134 in fig. 1A). In this regard, the portable media loader or onboard media loader will include a portable server for transferring media files to the headend server 134, but will not typically remain with the vehicle after the media files or content have been transferred. The adaptive aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to loading the server 134 first and then the smart monitor 132.

Returning to FIG. 1A, in one aspect, the system 100 includes one or more servers 134 for managing the overall operation of the entertainment system. The server 134 is of conventional hardware design and is commercially available from, for example, the panasonic avionics company of forest lake, california. Servers from other manufacturers may also be used. Fig. 1A illustrates an aspect having a single server 134, but other aspects may have multiple servers 134. The server 134 preferably uses the LINUX operating system, but other operating systems, such as WINDOWS, may be used (without detracting from any third party brand rights). In using LINUX or ANDROID (for smart monitor 132), a network block device is used to make a remote server on the network appear as a virtual drive for the device (e.g., smart monitor 132) to search for files stored thereon.

The server 134 preferably includes at least one Solid State Drive (SSD) (or any other type of storage medium) and one or more high performance processors to enable the server to communicate with the smart monitor 132 and other devices of the vehicle. SSDs enable media files to be quickly loaded or copied onto server 134 from various wired or wireless loaders. The media files are updated on the server 134 periodically (typically monthly or weekly) as newer content becomes available. Each server 134 is typically capable of storing a total of several terabytes of data, such as a server under the NEXT trademark available from Sony avionics, forest lake, Calif. The aspects disclosed herein are not limited to any particular server storage capacity.

The network 136 connects the smart monitor 132 and the server 134, which communicate, to each other. The network 136 is preferably a conventional Local Area Network (LAN) that uses Ethernet to communicate between the smart monitor 132 and the server 134. The network includes a higher speed sub-network 138 extending from the server 134 along the

columns

104 and 106. Preferably, the higher speed sub-network 138 provides at least Gigabit Ethernet throughput using conventional 2.5GBase-T, 1000BASE-T, Copper-Gigabit (Copper-Gigabit) cabling/cabling or CAT5 e. The higher speed subnet 138 is hereinafter referred to as the rank subnet 138.

The column subnet 138 is connected to a seat box 140 that includes a switch. A lower speed data subnet 142 may extend from each seat box 140 and along the row of seats closest thereto (

seat row

108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120 or 122). Lower speed subnets 142 may each provide a throughput of at least 100mbits/s via a conventional fast ethernet connection using 100BASE-TX wiring. In contrast to the column subnet 138 described earlier, the lower speed subnet 142 forms a seat LAN or seat subnet of at least two smart monitors 132. The various adaptive aspects described herein are not limited to any particular network protocol or network operating speed.

In one aspect, the seat box 140 provides both network connectivity and power to the smart monitor 132 connected thereto. Each seat box 140 includes a processor and memory, wherein the processor executes software or program logic. The seat box may have conventional hardware and is often referred to in the art of in-flight entertainment as a Power Network Box (PNB) because the seat box 140 provides both power and network connectivity. Alternatively, the seat box 140 may be referred to as a Seat Interface Box (SIB). If larger smart monitors are used, such as those sold by the panasonic avionics corporation under the trademarks NEXT, ELITE SERIES V2, and ALTUS, the seat box 140 may provide only network connectivity and power alone via the Seat Electrical Box (SEB) or the Seat Power Module (SPM). The power network box, the seat interface box, the seat electrical box, and the seat power module are all available from panasonic avionics. The term seat box as used herein includes switches that provide power and network connectivity to the smart monitor 132 as well as switches that provide only network connectivity.

Optionally, the network 138 may include one or more redundant communication connections 144 for use in the event of a communication path failure. In this regard, a path failure along either column subnet 138 will cut off communications between the server 134 and the smart monitors 132 for the

seats

128 and 130 in that

column

104 or 106 downstream of the failure. Thus, a redundant communication connection 144 may extend between the last seat box 140 in each

column

104 and 106 and the server 134. The redundant communication connections 144 provide alternative communication paths to prevent the disconnection of the smart monitor 132 from the server 134 in the event of a failure of the column subnet 138.

In one aspect, redundant communication connection 144 provides full communication redundancy and provides gigabit Ethernet using conventional 2.5GBase-T, 1000BASE-T, or copper-gigabit cabling/cabling. To reduce costs, the redundant communication connection 144 may be a lower data rate connection and reserved only for announcements and map data from the server 134. In this regard, the entertainment system 100 includes an interface or staff terminal 146 for use by vehicle personnel in controlling the entertainment system 100 and delivering announcements to the smart monitor 132. The redundant communication connection 144 provides an alternative way to broadcast the announcement to the smart monitor 132 in case of a communication failure.

In an aspect, instead of a wired connection, the smart monitors 132 may be wirelessly connected to each other over a network, either directly or indirectly via a wireless access point. The communication standard may be according to the 802 series (Wi-Fi), bluetooth standard, or other communication standard. If a wireless access point is provided, the smart monitor may have a local content store and act as another media file source in the event of a connection failure. Streaming may provide different quality of service depending on the source, e.g., a lower quality of service for a lower speed connection (such as a wireless connection).

Smart monitor 132: fig. 2A illustrates a block diagram of an intelligent monitor 132 for use with a VLS in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure. The smart monitor 132 includes a display screen 202 for displaying content. The smart monitor 132 includes one or more processors 204 having access to a memory 206. The processor 204 may be or may include: one or more programmable general purpose or special purpose microprocessors, Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), programmable controllers, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), or the like, or a combination of such devices. Memory 206 represents any form of Random Access Memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memoryAnd the like or combinations of such devices.

Memory 206 includes executable instructions for managing the overall operation of smart monitor 206. In an aspect, the processor 204 executes an ANDROID-based operating system from the memory 206. However, other operating systems may also be used, such as LINUX or a proprietary operating system available from Microsoft corporation of Redmond, Washington or apple Inc. of Cuttinol, Calif., which respectively sell operating systems having WINDOWS and IOS trademarks (there is no detraction from any trademark rights).

In one aspect, program logic executed by processor 204 from memory 206 tracks the name of a media file accessed by a user, the frequency with which the media file is accessed during a flight/journey, the date and time at which the media file was accessed, and whether the passenger belongs to a premium class or a non-premium class. This information is stored in a data structure provided to the media selector module 218 described below with reference to fig. 2B.

The smart monitor 132 includes a smart monitor interface 212 that enables communication with other smart monitors. In one aspect, interface 212 includes logic and circuitry to support communication between smart monitors, i.e., from one smart monitor to another. The communication may use a wired network connection or a wireless connection. The smart monitor communication is not limited to any particular type of network communication, network protocol, or speed of operation.

When connected to the seat box 140, the smart monitor 132 includes a Seat Electronics Box (SEB) interface 210 having logic and circuitry to communicate with the seat box 140. The connection to the seat box 140 may be wired or wireless.

The smart monitor 132 also includes a local storage device 208 for storing media files, such as a non-volatile memory device, for example, a memory card according to the secure digital standard (i.e., an SD flash card). In particular, the ECO smart monitors currently available from panasonic (without loss of any trademark rights) have SD cards (i.e., SDXC flash memory cards) according to the expanded capacity standard.

A media library having a plurality of media files is used to present media content at a vehicle. The number of media files stored by smart monitor 132 is based on the storage capacity of storage device 208 and the size of the media files (note: media file size depends on movie resolution (e.g., 1080p versus 4k) and encoding type). The number of media files in the media library is based on the storage capacity of the storage device 208 and the number of AVOD streams that the SM can provide to other SMs, which is referred to as the VLS factor (VLSF). The VLSF factor depends on the processing power of the processor 204 and the available network bandwidth of the cabin seating network 138. For example, VSLF is affected by the number of streams that a smart monitor can stream to other smart monitors at an acceptable quality while playing video streams for passengers currently using the smart monitor at an acceptable quality and performing other functions for the passengers. In one aspect, the VLS media library size of the vehicle is based on: storage capacity of smart monitor VLSF. For example, if the VLSF is 15 and the storage capacity is 200GB (gigabytes), then the total VLS capacity to store the media file is 15 × 200 — 3TB (terabytes). If the average media file (e.g., movie) is 5GB, the VLS can only accommodate a total of 600 movies. In this model, all passengers can view any of the 600 movies simultaneously (i.e., 100% AVOD coverage). As described in detail below, the adaptive aspects of the present disclosure extend the media library size (i.e., the number of different media files) by classifying the media files into one of three (3) different AVOD overlay models or categories (i.e., 100%, 50%, and 25% AVOD overlay).

VLS configuration tool 214: in one aspect, computing techniques are provided for configuring VLS for vehicles and expanding media library sizes, thereby providing more options for more titles that may be selected by passengers. The computing technique may be implemented as the processor-executable VLS configuration tool 214 shown in fig. 2B. The VLS configuration tool 214 includes a VLS configuration module 216 and a media selector module (also referred to as a "media selector") 218. The media selector 218 receives a plurality of inputs 220A through 220N, and may assign/reassign particular categories to media files based on the plurality of inputs 220A through 220N, as described in detail below with respect to FIG. 2C.

The VLS configuration tool 214 may operate on-board the vehicle or off-board the vehicle, for example, at a media file processing center. Operation of the VLS configuration tool 214 outside of the vehicle (i.e., as a ground tool) provides the following advantages: usage data from all vehicles in the formation may be received and processed to determine the category (or layer) to which the media file is assigned, e.g., 100%, 50%, or 25%. Typically, media usage data from all vehicles in a fleet is more valuable than data from a single vehicle. Thus, for the VLS configuration 214 used outside of the vehicle, the inputs 220A-220N to the tool 214 come from each vehicle in a fleet operated by a transport carrier.

In an aspect, the VLS configuration module 216 defines a particular multicast channel group number (MCCGN) for different categories/layers. Specifically, the MCCGN range for each media layer is defined. As described in detail below, the MCCGN ranges correspond to different regions or zones of the aircraft IFE network. The VLS configuration module 216 assigns VLS media belonging to a layer to a specific region within the layer. More specifically, media is assigned to the MCCGN from within the range of MCCGNs for the layer and region. Thus, the seat and the smart monitor corresponding to the seat have a set of MCCGNs assigned to the smart monitor. Thus, media within the VLS media subset (e.g., movies) is essentially distributed to the seats/smart monitors. In this regard, there is only one seat/smart monitor within a seat set that carries one instance of a VLS media set with a specific combination of MCCGN per layer. This may alternatively be viewed as a particular smart monitor and a particular MCCGN being assigned to different regions or portions of the aircraft. As described in detail below, the layout of the different zones will vary based on the type of aircraft (e.g., narrow body aircraft, wide body aircraft, and other aircraft).

VLS mediasets 222A-222D: in one aspect, the on-vehicle media library includes a plurality of media files, such as movies, audio files, and other files. The product of the number of files and the size of the files determines the overall size of the VLS media library.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the media library size is increased by grouping media files (e.g., movies) into three (3) different categories or media layers. These categories indicate the likelihood that a particular number of passengers will access a particular media file more or less frequently. In an aspect, media files for a vehicle may be classified into multiple layers, X1, X2, X3, e.g., 100%, 50%, and 25%. The 100% layer indicates that any media file within the category is guaranteed to be viewable/playable by all onboard passengers simultaneously.

The 50% layer indicates that any media files within the category are guaranteed to be viewable/playable by at least half of all on-board passengers simultaneously. The 25% layer indicates that any media files within the category are guaranteed to be viewable by at least one-fourth of all on-board passengers simultaneously. This media file classification or media layer concept enables the system 100 to increase the overall media library size without having to increase the physical storage capacity of the smart monitor or upgrade the processor power of the smart monitor. It is noted that the adaptive aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the 100%, 50%, and 25% categories, and other categories may be used instead.

FIG. 2C illustrates an example of a VLS media collection configured for storing a media library on an aircraft. In an aspect, the VLS configuration module 218 creates four VLS media collections 222A-222D to store media files based on the media availability categories defined in column 224. The storage amount for each category is defined by a division ratio 226. For example, an airline may define that 50% of the total physical storage capacity should be used to store 100% of the categories of media files, 30% of the storage capacity should be used to store 50% of the categories of media files, and 20% of the storage capacity should be used to store 25% of the categories of media files (i.e., a division ratio of 50/30/20). Although the number of media layers and the specific guaranteed AVOD coverage for each media layer is fixed, the split ratio can be customized for different airlines.

In one aspect, to achieve guaranteed AVOD coverage of 100%, 50%, and 25%, the VLS configuration tool 214 creates four (4) different sets of VLS media. The media files of the VLS library are distributed across four (4) VLS mediasets based on the desired AVOD coverage of each media file. Each set of VLS media is divided into separate subsets of VLS media. The number of VLS media subsets is based on the selected VLSF for a given aircraft configuration. Each VLS media subset includes media titles belonging to one of the three media layers. The VLS configuration tool 214 assigns a particular subset of VLS media to each smart monitor 132. For example, in a three (3) media layer configuration, if the VLSF is twenty (20), the exact number of VLS media subsets is four (4) by twenty (20) or eighty (80) VLS media subsets. In this example, each smart monitor 132 may provide a video stream to nineteen (19) other smart monitors while displaying video on its own display, so the VLSF is twenty (20). Thus, movies in one of the subsets of VLS media stored on a single smart monitor 132 can be viewed simultaneously on twenty (20) smart monitors 132.

FIG. 2D illustrates an example of storing a VLS media library on an aircraft. In this example, an aircraft may have 240 seats, and use a VLSF factor of twenty (20) to distribute media files across multiple smart monitors for 1080p media. The example of fig. 2D shows that eighty (80) seats are required to store all of the media files that make up the VLS media library. The first set of VLS media 222A is distributed across twenty (20) smart monitors on lines 1 through 5. The second set of VLS media 222B is stored across twenty (20) smart monitors on lines 6 through 10. The third set of VLS media 222C is distributed across twenty (20) smart monitors on lines 11 through 15, while the fourth set of VLS media 222D is stored across twenty smart monitors on lines 16 through 20. If the aircraft has 240 seats, the entire VLS media library is copied three (3) times, since each of the four media sets is copied three (3) times.

Assume that the media file (e.g., movie title) is 20GB and the physical storage at the smart monitor is 100 GB. In the conventional setting, twenty (20) VLSFs, only one hundred (100) movie titles can be stored on the smart monitor. However, by using the split ratio 50/30/20, fifty (50) movies may be stored for 100% category, sixty (60) movies may be stored for 50% category, and eighty (80) movies may be stored for 25% category. Thus, the total number of movies of the media library increases from 100 to 190. This effectively increases VLS storage to 3.8TB in three media layer configurations (100%/50%/25%) compared to storage of 2TB in a single media layer configuration (only 100% category) where all passengers can get any movie at the same time. If the split ratio 30/30/40 is used, thirty (30) movies are stored for 100% category, sixty (60) movies are stored for 50% category, and 160 movies are stored for 25% category. This increases the number of movie titles from 100 to 250, and so the VLS media library size for this configuration is effectively five (5) TBs with a total of 250 movie titles.

Notably, the foregoing example is provided to illustrate how media library size can be increased by sorting movie titles without changing the smart monitor storage capacity or processor capability. The adaptive aspects disclosed herein are not limited to any particular division ratio or class type.

Process 300: fig. 3A illustrates a process flow 300 for configuring one or more VSL mediasets for a passenger vehicle in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. The various processing blocks of process 300 are performed by program logic of a computing device executing VLS configuration tool 214 described above with respect to fig. 2B. The following example is described for an aircraft, but it is equally applicable to any type of vehicle.

After the multiple media layers or guaranteed AVOD coverage categories C1/C2/C3 for storing media files are determined, process 300 begins in block B302. As an example, as described above, C1 may be the 100% category, C2 may be the 50% category, and C3 may be the 25% category. The split ratio for the VLS, i.e., S1/S2/S3, is received from an entity operating the vehicle, such as an airline for an aircraft. For example, S1/S2/S3 may be 50/30/20, i.e., 50% of the available physical storage capacity of the smart monitor is allocated to the 100% category, 30% of the available physical storage capacity of the smart monitor is allocated to the 50% category and 20% of the available physical storage capacity of the smart monitor is allocated to the 25% category. VLSF for vehicles is also obtained. In one aspect, VLSF relies on the smart monitor processor capability and the smart monitor's ability to stream media files to other smart monitors and available network bandwidth.

Based on the foregoing, in block B304, a plurality of VLS media sets are generated. The number of VLS media collections that carry an entire VLS media library depends on the number of categories used to store the media files. For example, to accommodate the 100%/50%/25% category, four VLS mediasets are required, as shown in FIG. 2C and described above. Each VLS media set 222A-222D is configured with a plurality of VLS media subsets (e.g., 230). An example of a subset of VLS media is also shown in fig. 2C. The number of VLS media subsets is a function of the VLSF. For example, if the VLSF is twenty (20), each of the four VLS media sets is configured with twenty (20) VLS media subsets.

In block B308, the VLS media subset is distributed to one or more smart monitors. In block B310, each VLS media subset includes media files from a different category and is stored on the smart monitor. For example, to achieve the required guaranteed AVOD coverage, there are media files in each of the four (4) VLS media sets that are identified as belonging to the 100% category. The media files in the 50% category are stored in two (2) of the four (4) VLS media sets, while the media files in the 25% category are stored in only one (1) of the four (4) VLS media sets. This enables the system to extend the entire VLS media library size by storing more media files with various levels of guaranteed AVOD coverage without having to increase storage capacity or processor power at the smart monitor, as compared to a system where all passengers can obtain each media file simultaneously. Thereafter, in block B312, the VLS media set is initialized and the media library is ready for use by the passenger.

Process 314: fig. 3B illustrates a process 314 for modifying categories of media files of a media library of an IFE system in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. The processing blocks of fig. 3B are performed by media selector module 218, and media selector module 218 may be performed by a computing device. In one aspect, a media file may be placed in "100%" when the media file is initially uploaded to the smart monitor "In category, i.e., the media file can be viewed by 100% of the passengers simultaneously. However, it may be desirable to promote or demote media files from one category to another. When promoting a media file, the system needs to push a particular file to more smart monitors to meet the required AVOD coverage percentile for a particular class. When destaging the title, the system needs to remove some copies in the cabin smart monitor network because the required AVOD coverage for a particular domain is reduced.

When the media file is stored using the VLS media set described above, process 314 begins in block B316. In block B318, the media selector 218 receives a plurality of inputs 220A through 220N (see fig. 2B). For example, the plurality of inputs may include data from the aircraft identifying the frequency with which particular media files are simultaneously accessed and viewed in parallel by airline passengers, whether the passengers are in premium class or economy class; airline preferences, route information, aircraft type and configuration, flight time and season, third party media title ratings (e.g., rotten tomato or IMDB ratings (no detraction from any third party brand rights) and the current category assigned to the media file.

In block B320, the media selector 218 executing the instructions identifies any media files that need to be reclassified. In an aspect, the media selector 218 assigns a weight to each input 220A-220N and determines a score for each media file. The weighted score is compared to a threshold to identify that the media file needs to be reclassified. In block B322, the category of the media file is updated, and in block B324 the media file is relocated to a different media category/layer using the four (4) VLS media collections described above.

Process 326: fig. 3C illustrates another process 326 for a vehicle in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. The process begins in block B328 when the airline identifies a split ratio of three (3) media layers (e.g., 50/30/20) to be used in conjunction with four (4) VLS media sets. Media availability categories have been determined, for example, 100%, 50%, and 25%. In one aspect, the processing blocks of fig. 3C are performed by VLS configuration tool 214.

In block B330, a plurality of media collections (e.g., 222A-222D of fig. 2C) are generated for storing media files of a media library. Each media file is assigned a category based on a preference for a percentile of passengers who are guaranteed to be able to access the media file simultaneously. If a passenger attempts to access media files in a category other than 100% and the number of passengers attempting to access a particular title at the same time exceeds the guaranteed AVOD coverage value, a message may be displayed informing the passenger that the title is currently unavailable and may be tried again at a later time. Further, this may be used as a trigger mechanism to promote the media file to a layer with a greater percentage of availability. Alternatively, the passenger may be provided with the option to receive a notification when a media file becomes available.

In block B332, the media file is stored across the smart monitor. Each mediaset has a number of media subsets based on VLSF (e.g., 230 of fig. 2C). An example of storing various mediasets is shown in fig. 2D and described above.

In block B334, access to various media files is monitored. Access may be monitored by the program logic of each smart monitor and provided to the server 134. The access pattern is then provided to the media selector 218. The media file categories are modified by the media selector module 218 based on a number of factors, such as: data identifying a frequency with which the user accesses the media file, whether the user is in a premium class or an economy class; the duration of the trip, route information, vehicle type and configuration, season of the trip, third party ratings of the media files (e.g., rotten tomato and/or IMDB ratings (there is no detraction from any third party brand rights)), current category assignments for each media file, and/or the number of requests for access to the media file that cannot be immediately achieved due to too many passengers accessing the media file.

Notably, the media selector 218 performs a machine learning process based on which the media file categories are updated. This may be implemented as a neural network. Alternatively, other methods may be used to update the media file categories.

Process 338: FIG. 3D illustrates a process 338 according to yet another aspect of the disclosure. Upon receiving a split ratio, e.g., 50/30/20, from an airline or aircraft, process 338 begins in block B340. Media availability categories have been determined, for example, 100%, 50%, and 25%. In one aspect, the processing blocks of fig. 3C are performed by VLS configuration tool 214.

In block B342, the media files of the media library of the IFE system are assigned to a particular category, e.g., 100%/50%/30%. The total storage space for the media files at the smart monitor is based on the division ratio provided by the airline, e.g., 50/30/20 as shown in FIG. 2C and described above.

In block B344, the media file is stored on the smart monitor using a plurality of media collections having a plurality of media subsets. An example of such a situation is shown in fig. 2D, which has been described in detail above. Thereafter, in block B346, access to the media file is monitored. The media file categories are modified by the media selector module 218 based on a number of factors, such as: data identifying a frequency with which the user accesses the media file, whether the user is in a premium class or an economy class; duration of the flight, flight itinerary information, aircraft type and configuration, season of occurrence, third party ratings of the media files (e.g., rotten tomato and/or IMDB ratings (no detraction from any third party brand rights)) and current category assignment for each media file.

In one aspect, methods and systems for a vehicle entertainment system are provided. One method comprises the following steps: generating, by a processor, a plurality of mediasets of a media library to be stored at a vehicle as a plurality of media files, each mediaset of the plurality of mediasets configured to store a first set of media files that can be played simultaneously by all passengers, a second set of media files that can be played simultaneously by up to X% of the passengers, and a third set of media files that can be played simultaneously by Y% of the passengers; distributing, by a processor, a plurality of media files for storage across a plurality of smart monitors of a vehicle; monitoring user access to a plurality of media files on a vehicle; and modifying, by the processor, an allocation of the media files between the first set of media files, the second set of media files, and the third set of media files based on a plurality of factors.

In another aspect, a method for an aircraft is provided. The method comprises the following steps: assigning, by a processor, a first portion of a media library for an on-board entertainment system of an aircraft having a plurality of media files to a first set of media files and a second portion to a second set of media files, wherein each media file in the first set of media files can be played simultaneously by all passengers of the vehicle and each media file in the second set of media files can be played simultaneously by up to X% of the passengers; and storing, by the processor, the plurality of media files using the media collection for storage across the plurality of smart monitors of the aircraft. A plurality of media files are streamed from a plurality of smart monitors in response to a user request. The method further comprises the following steps: monitoring access to a plurality of media files based on a user request; and modifying, by the processor, an allocation of the media file between the first set of media files and the second set of media files based on a plurality of factors, the plurality of factors including at least two of: access patterns of media files, aircraft route information, airline preferences, aircraft type and configuration, third party ratings of media files, time of year, and airline preferences.

Process 400: fig. 4 illustrates a process 400 for streaming media from a smart monitor using configured VLS mediasets in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure. As described above, each smart monitor 132 includes software or program logic for displaying media selections as indicated by process block B402 of the flow diagram. In this state, as indicated by decision block B404, the program logic awaits input from the user or passenger to select one of the media selections. In decision block B406, the logic initially checks to determine whether the media file corresponding to the selection is available from the first source. The source includes the smart monitor 132 or another smart monitor 132 or a local content store of the AVOD-capable streaming server on the headend server.

In one aspect, the first source is a media file stored locally in a non-volatile memory (i.e., a local content storage device such as a memory card) of the smart monitor 132. If so, the logic plays the media file from the first source (i.e., from the local content storage device), as shown in processing block B408 of the example program logic shown in FIG. 4. Playing media from a local content store has the following advantages: network traffic is minimized and buffering of the stream is generally not required. The program logic of the smart monitor records access to the media files. This information is provided as input to the media selector 218.

If the media file corresponding to the media file selection is not available from the first source (i.e., in the local content store for this aspect), then program logic proceeds to decision block B410. In decision block B410, the program logic determines whether the media file corresponding to the selection is available from an alternate source. In this regard, an alternative source is another smart monitor 132 that may be accessed via the cabin network. That is, if the media file corresponding to the selection from the user/passenger is not available in the local content store, the smart monitor program logic searches or looks for media on the other smart monitor 132. If the media file is available from another smart monitor, the media file is streamed from the other smart monitor and played, as indicated by process block B412. This information is provided as input to the media selector 218.

The search for content providing resources is cabin wide and includes all smart monitors. In seeking a content providing source (e.g., another smart monitor in proximity to the requesting smart monitor), a smart search algorithm may be employed to reduce network traffic. If the file is not available, an indication of the unavailability is provided to the user or passenger, for example by displaying a message, as indicated by process block B418. Thereafter, the logic returns to display media selection in processing block B402 to await another input or a different passenger selection.

Once streaming has begun from one smart monitor 132 to another smart monitor 132, the smart monitor 132 receiving the stream includes program logic that monitors for acceptable packet loss. If it is determined that packet loss exceeds an acceptable level, program logic requests media from another source (i.e., a different smart monitor 132).

Preferences for whether the priority of the source in which the smart monitor is looking for the media file is first, second, or later may be read from the configuration file. The default configuration is that the Smart Monitor (SM) first looks for content in local storage, then can look for content from other SMs within the nacelle (network), and finally from the AVOD server on the head-end. The configuration information may be: data pre-stored in the smart monitor 132 when the smart monitor 132 is installed in the vehicle 102, a file downloaded from the server 134, or a simple message broadcast along the network 138.

Process 500: fig. 5 shows program logic on each smart monitor for operating a local media server to perform processing indicated generally by the reference numeral 500. In processing block B502, program logic waits or listens for a request to stream a media file over network 136. If no streaming request is received or detected in decision block B504, the logic continues to monitor for a streaming request in processing block B502.

In some aspects of system 100, if the network topology includes column subnets, it may be desirable to limit streaming from one smart monitor 132 to another to only on the same column subnet 138. If so, the logic proceeds to optional decision block B506, which decision block B506 determines whether the streaming request is from a smart monitor 132 on the same column subnet 138 as the smart monitor 132 that received the request. If not, the logic ignores the request as indicated by processing block B510, and the logic returns to waiting or listening for a streaming request in initial processing block B502. However, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular network topology and other types used, such as star or ring as non-limiting illustrative examples.

This optional decision block B506 is not necessary if streaming is allowed from the smart monitor 132 on one column subnet 138 to the smart monitor 138 on another column subnet 138. In this case, or if the request is from a smart monitor 132 on the same column of subnets 138 in the case of optional decision block B506, the logic queries whether a maximum number of flows are being serviced in decision block B510.

If the maximum number of flows is being serviced, the request is denied or ignored, as indicated by process block B512. Otherwise, as indicated by process block B514, the media file corresponding to the request is streamed. After accepting the request and streaming media or rejecting the request, the logic returns to its default state in processing block B502, monitoring for streaming requests. Additionally, for some aspects, the logic may prioritize requests from the smart monitors 132 in the premium class seats. For example, in addition to requests from the smart monitor 132 in the premium class, the logic may accept at most one less request than the maximum number of flows that can be serviced. In this way, a reservation will be established for the user or passenger in the premium class for the mass media file.

100% of the categories or layers are for such media files: where each media file in this category/layer can be played by all passengers simultaneously. That is, the media files are stored in the local memory of a sufficient number of smart monitors 132 that all passengers on the vehicle can select the same media file in that category and play it at the appropriate quality. However, with the exception of secure video, it is rare for all passengers to play any media file at the same time. Thus, a system with media files for entertainment may be provided without 100% of the categories of media files.

For example, a 50% category and a 25% category may be provided. In this system, media files in 50% of the categories are stored in a sufficient number of smart monitors' local content to only enable media files in the categories to be viewed by at most half of the passengers simultaneously. Media files in the 25% category may be viewed simultaneously by only one-fourth of the passengers. In some cases, it may be desirable to provide only 50% and 25% categories, and also to be able to extend the media library.

Accordingly, the present disclosure includes a system for providing on-board entertainment to passengers. The system includes smart monitors disposed in a vehicle, wherein each smart monitor includes a local content store storing media files, wherein each smart monitor is configured to present to a passenger a media selection corresponding to a media file stored in common by all of the smart monitors. The system includes a network connecting the smart monitors and program logic executed by each of the smart monitors.

After the smart monitor receives input from the passenger for one of these selections, the program logic performs tasks that include determining whether media files corresponding to the passenger input are available from the smart monitor's local content storage and, if so, playing the media files from the smart monitor's local content storage. If a media file corresponding to the passenger's input is not available from the smart monitor's local content storage, a determination is made as to whether the media file corresponding to the input is available from another smart monitor, and if so, the media file from the other smart monitor is played. In this system, media files that are predicted to be selected by the passenger less frequently are stored in a smaller number of local content storage devices of the smart monitor than other media files. Alternatively, of the media files distributed across the smart monitors in the vehicle bay, media files predicted to be selected more frequently appear more frequently, i.e., a greater number of smart monitors include media files in their local content storage that are predicted to be selected more frequently relative to other media files.

Processing system: fig. 6 is a high-level block diagram illustrating an example of an architecture of a processing system 600 that may be used in accordance with an aspect. Processing system 600 may represent server 134 or a computing device executing VLS configuration tool 214. Note that certain standard and well-known components not germane to the present aspect are not shown in fig. 6.

The processing system 600 includes one or more processors 602 and memory 604 coupled to a bus system 605. The bus system 605 shown in FIG. 6 is an abstraction that represents any one or more separate physical buses and/or point-to-point connections connected by appropriate bridges, adapters, and/or controllers. Thus, the bus system 605 may include, for example, a system bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, an ultra-transport or Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) bus, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) or Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 1394 bus (sometimes referred to as a "Firewire"), or any other type of interconnect.

The processor 602 is a Central Processing Unit (CPU) of the processing system 600 and, thus, controls the overall operation of the processing system 600. In certain aspects, the processor 602 accomplishes this by executing software instructions stored in the memory 604. The processor 602 may be or include one or more programmable general purpose or special purpose microprocessors, Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), programmable controllers, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), or the like, or a combination of such devices.

Memory 604 represents any form of Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), flash memory, etc., or combination of such devices. The memory 604 comprises the main memory of the processing system 600. The instructions 606 may be used to implement the process steps of fig. 3-5 described above.

Also connected to the processor 602 through the bus system 605 are one or more internal mass storage devices 610 and a network interface 612. The internal mass storage device 610 may be or include any conventional medium for storing large amounts of data in a non-volatile manner, such as one or more magnetic, optical, or semiconductor-based disks.

The network interface 612 provides the processing system 600 with the ability to communicate with remote devices (e.g., over a network), and may be, for example, an ethernet adapter or the like.

The processing system 600 also includes one or more input/output (I/O) devices 608 coupled to the bus system 606. The I/O devices 608 may include, for example, a display device, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like.

Content distribution system: fig. 7 shows an example of a content distribution system 704 for a commercial mass transit vehicle 700 (e.g., aircraft, ship, train, bus, ferry other vehicle). Content distribution system 704 andcontent server system 711 is coupled to and supports communication between content server system 711 and the plurality of smart monitors 132. Content server system 711 may be referred to simply as a content server.

As previously described, the content distribution system 704 may be provided, for example, as a conventional wired and/or wireless communication network. The distribution system 704 may be provided as a plurality of Area Distribution Boxes (ADBs) 706, a plurality of Floor Disconnect Boxes (FDBs) 708, and a plurality of seat boxes (SEBs) 140 as previously described, and configured to communicate in real-time via a plurality of wired and/or wireless communication connections 712. The distribution system 704 includes a switching system 702 for providing an interface between the distribution system 704 and a server system 711. The switching system 702 may comprise a conventional switching system, such as an ethernet switching system, and is configured to couple the server system 711 with the regional distribution box 706. Each area distribution box 706 is coupled to and in communication with the switching system 702. The switching system 702 is commonly referred to as a Network Controller (NC). On some vehicles, such as narrow body aircraft, the exchange system 702 may be integrated with a content server system 711, which is commonly referred to as an integrated server system, or simply an integrated server.

Each area distribution box 702 is coupled to and in communication with at least one floor disconnect box 708. Although the area distribution box 706 and the associated floor disconnect boxes 708 may be coupled in any conventional configuration, the associated floor disconnect boxes 708 are preferably arranged in a star network topology around the central area distribution box 706. Each floor disconnect box 708 is coupled to and provides service to multiple daisy-chains of seat boxes 140. The seat electronics box 140 is, in turn, configured to communicate with the smart monitor 132. Each seat box 140 may support one or more of the smart monitors 132.

The distribution system 704 may include at least one FDB internal port bypass connection 714 and/or at least one SEB loopback connection 716. Each FDB internal port bypass connection 714 is a communication connection 712 that allows the floor disconnect boxes 708 associated with the different area distribution boxes 706 to communicate directly. Each SEB loopback connection 716 is a communication connection 712 that directly couples the last seat electronics box 140 in each daisy chain of seat electronics boxes 140 for the selected floor disconnect box 708. Thus, each SEB loopback connection 716 forms a loopback path between daisy-chain seat boxes 140 coupled with the associated floor disconnect box 708.

The content distribution system 704 includes an antenna system 710 and a transceiver system 707 for communicating with a source external to the vehicle (e.g., a ground station or satellite) to provide an internet connection. The switching system 702, the area distribution box 706, the floor disconnect box 708, the seat box 140, the antenna system 710, the transceiver system 707, the server system 712, and other system sources are provided as line replaceable units, hereinafter referred to as "LRUs". The use of LRUs facilitates maintenance of the vehicle information system because a defective LRU can simply be removed and replaced with a new (or different) LRU. The defective LRU can thereafter be repaired for subsequent installation. Advantageously, the use of LRUs may increase the flexibility of configuring the content distribution system 704 by allowing for preparatory modifications to the number, arrangement, and/or configuration of system resources of the content distribution system 704. The content distribution system 704 can also be easily upgraded by replacing any obsolete LRUs with new LRUs.

In the content distribution system 704, the smart monitor 132 has content (media files) stored thereon, as previously described in its local content storage. In particular, the system 704 includes smart monitors 132 disposed in the vehicle, wherein each smart monitor includes a local content store storing media files, wherein each smart monitor is configured to present to passengers a media selection corresponding to the media files collectively stored by the smart monitors. The system 704 includes a network of connected smart monitors 132 in communication and program logic executed by each smart monitor.

After the smart monitor receives input from the passenger for selecting one of the selections, the program logic performs tasks that include determining whether media files corresponding to the passenger input are available from the smart monitor's local content storage and, if so, playing the media files from the smart monitor's 132 local content storage. If the media file corresponding to the passenger input is not available from the local content storage of the smart monitor, the logic determines if the media file corresponding to the selection is available from another smart monitor and, if so, plays the media file from the other smart monitor.

In the system 100, when another smart monitor 132 from which a media file is streamed is selected, the logic selects the first another smart monitor connected to the same column 104 or 106 (see FIG. 1A). In the system 704 (see fig. 7), the logic selects the first other smart monitor connected to the same floor distribution box 708 and, if not available, selects the next monitor connected to the same ADB 706. In a system with multiple switching systems 702, the next preference is a smart monitor communicating with the same switching system. If there are multiple options available that meet the aforementioned criteria, then the smart monitor 132 selected is the smart monitor with the fewest number of active clients. This minimizes the distance that network traffic travels while minimizing stress on the smart monitor. In the event that a media file cannot be located on another smart monitor or there is no response to a request for a media file, the logic requests the media submitted from the server system 711 (which is sometimes referred to as a headend server).

Fig. 8 shows a flow diagram of logic 800 for the aforementioned selection process. After startup, in block 802, logic 800 waits for input from the passenger for content selection. If an input for a selection of content is received, the logic 800 determines whether a media file corresponding to the selection is available locally, i.e., in the local content store of the smart monitor 132, in block 804. If so, logic 800 plays the content from the local storage in block 806. Thereafter, the logic returns to block 802 to await another input for content selection.

If the media file corresponding to the selected content is not locally available, the logic determines whether the media file corresponding to the selected content is available from other smart monitors 132 in block 808. First preferably smart monitors on the same column 104 or 106 (see fig. 1), then those connected to the same floor distribution box 708, then those connected to the same area distribution box 706 (see fig. 7), and then those on the same switching system if there are multiple switching systems 702. If it is available from other smart monitors, logic 800 requests streaming of the media file from smart monitor 132 with the fewest number of active clients and plays/renders the stream in block 810. Thereafter, the logic returns to block 802 to await another input corresponding to the content selection.

If there is no response to the request to stream the media file and the system includes a head-end server, the logic determines whether the media file is available from the head-end server. If so, logic 800 requests streaming of the streaming media file from the head-end server and plays/renders the stream in block 814. Logic 800 then returns to block 802 to await another request corresponding to the content selection request.

If the logic determines that the media file corresponding to the input content selection request is not available from any other smart monitor 132, i.e., the media file is not stored on any smart monitor, or the smart monitors storing the media file are each serving the maximum number of allowed clients and the media file is not available from the headend server, the logic proceeds to block 820. In block 820, the logic displays a message indicating that the requested content is not currently available. The logic may also provide an option to receive notifications when content is not available. Thereafter, the logic 800 returns to block 802 to await another input corresponding to the content selection request.

Selective VLS media distribution: loading media files from the headend server to the smart monitor in a fast and efficient manner is challenging and complex because the network on the vehicle includes segments that all have different maximum network speeds and available bandwidth. For example, a network connection using fiber optics to download media files from a hub server (not shown) to server 711 (FIG. 7) may be 10G (gigabits per second). The connection speed using optical fiber from the server 711 to the cabin distribution network with ADB706 may also be 10G. However, the connection speed from ADB706 to SEB140 may be 2.5G, andand the connection speed from the SEB140 to the smart monitor 132 may be 1G using copper wire. A

Conventional systems for downloading media files are inefficient because all multicast data streams must reach all columns and intelligent monitors. The present disclosure provides selective media distribution in which only certain multicast channels must enter a given column, allowing for greater media distribution rates between the headend server and the items entering the column. (column is the segment between the network controller or server 711 and the ADB 706). This may limit network bandwidth to operating at a lower rate (e.g., SEB140 to smart monitor 132), and thus loading the media file may take an undesirable amount of time. The selective VLS media distribution technique described in detail below provides an efficient network solution for loading media files on the smart monitor 132 of a vehicle entertainment system.

In an aspect, a VLS media library is first divided into a plurality of VLS media sets (e.g., fig. 2D, 222A-222D). As mentioned above, the number of VLS media subsets per VLS media set is defined by the VLSF. Each subset of VLS media is assigned to the smart monitor 132. Media files for each subset of VLS media are selectively distributed from a server (e.g., fig. 7, 711) to the smart monitor by maximizing the available bandwidth of the cabin distribution network (fig. 7, 704).

To reduce VLS media distribution time from the server 711 to the smart monitor 132, the adaptive process and system described herein uses a multicast channel group number (MCCGN) assigned to the media file. In one aspect, the aircraft is subdivided into multiple zones, where each zone may have one or more columns, where the smart monitors 132 of each column belong to the same zone. Each column is assigned a media file that is assigned a particular MCCGN. Each column registers its MCCGN with the upstream switch (e.g., ADB706, fig. 7). This can be done using IGMP "join" operations. A join operation is a request from the SEB140 to the ADB706 to incorporate a multicast group into a particular MCCGN. ADB706 stores the MCCGN in a routing table at a switch memory (not shown).

When a switch (e.g., ADB706) receives a media file, the switch forwards the received packet including the media file to an egress (port). Since the packets are received from the multicast data stream, only packets of the multicast channel number downstream of the intelligent monitor 132 are destined to be forwarded by the switch to that particular port, effectively separating the multicast data stream from the server 711. In this regard, the switch uses the table to direct the registered traffic of the MCCGN to a particular port. This enables the multicast data stream from the server 711 to be distributed to the smart monitors 132 at a high rate, as described in more detail below.

In an aspect, the VLS configuration module 216 (fig. 2B) distributes the VLS media subset to the smart monitors based on the aircraft configuration and layout. In the event that a media file is promoted or demoted between media layers, the media file is assigned a different MCCGN and the media file is stored on the smart monitor using the newly assigned MCCGN.

Fig. 9A illustrates a process 900 for selectively distributing media files on a vehicle in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure. The processing steps are performed by the VLS configuration module 216 and various hardware devices including the server 711, ADB706, and SEB 140. Some processing steps are not performed on the vehicle but are performed on the ground side or in the operating facility when preparing the medium or configuring the aircraft. The various processing blocks of FIG. 9A are described for an aircraft, but the innovative techniques disclosed herein are also applicable to any vehicle that deploys an entertainment system using smart monitors.

Process 900 begins at block B902. In block B904, a set of VLS media having a plurality of VLS media subsets is generated. Each media subset has a plurality of media files, such as movies and videos. In block B906, each media file is assigned to a particular tier, as previously described, e.g., 100% tier (tier 1), 50% tier (tier 2), and 25% tier (tier 3). The number of VLS media subsets is based on the value of the VLSF. For example, when the VLSF of the aircraft configuration is 20, at least 80 smart monitors are used to store one instance of the VLS media library.

In block B908, the MCCGN for each media layer is reserved or allocated. For example, an MCCGN of 100 to 499 may be reserved as follows: :

media layer # 1: MCCGN #100 to #199

Media layer # 2: MCCGN #200 to #299

Media layer # 3: MCCGN #300 to #499

The MCCGN #1 to #99 may be reserved for other functions, the details of which are not necessary for understanding the present disclosure.

In an aspect, a VLC media set is cut or divided into separate VLC media subsets. The number of subsets is equal to the number of smart monitors required to store the entire set of VLS media (e.g., 80 slices in the case of a VLSF of 20). Each smart monitor is assigned a specific media subset with three mccgnns for each layer. This is shown in FIG. 9B, where there are 80 VLS media subsets for four VLS media sets. For example, VLS media set #1 has 20 VLS media subsets. The MCCGN for each layer is shown within the respective circle. For example, for a VLS media subset, the MCCGN for layer 1 is 100, the MCCGN for layer 2 is 200, and the MCCGN for layer 3 is 300. MCCGN for other VLS media subsets is self-explanatory.

In block B910, the VLS configuration tool 216 assigns the MCCGN to each region of the aircraft. For example, an aircraft may be divided into four regions, north, south, east, and west, each region having one or more columns. A column is assigned a particular MCCGN based on the assigned media subset of each layer. An example of per-region MCCGN allocation is provided below in table I:

table 1: per-region MCCGN allocation

In block B912, the MCCGN for each aircraft region is registered with the switch that receives the multicast data stream from the server system 711. This enables the switch to separate the data streams and forward the data streams to a particular port based on the defined multicast channel number for that port. The downstream smart monitors 132 within the column define the port multicast channel number as part of an IGMP (internet group management protocol) join operation for the multicast channel number assigned to each smart monitor.

In block B914, the switch receives the media file from the server 711. The MCCGN for layer 1 is provided first, followed by the MCCGN for layer 2 and then the MCCGN for layer 3. There are two main reasons to provide layer 1 first, layer 2 subsequently and layer 3 then. First, to ensure that the most valuable content is transferred first. Second, the connection from the seat box 140 to the smart monitor 132 is only 700 Mbps. Each smart monitor 132 is receiving media for all defined layers. Providing layers at the same time may result in the connection between the seat box 140 and the smart monitor 132 being potentially over-subscribed and thus providing layers in sequence from most valuable to least valuable based on the anticipated demand for content.

In block B916, the switch identifies a port number associated with the registered MCCGN.

In block B918, the media file is forwarded to the particular zone and the smart monitor based on the swap table.

In one aspect, the techniques described above with respect to fig. 9A may be used for different aircraft configurations. For example, fig. 9C shows a layout example 920 for a narrow body aircraft. Layout 920 includes four columns 922A through 922D. Each column has a plurality of SEBs 140 and smart monitors 132. Server 711A/711B injects the multicast data stream at a transmission rate that matches the column bandwidth, e.g., 2.5G (gigabits per second). The adaptive aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to any particular bandwidth rate.

Fig. 9D shows a simplified layout of a wide body aircraft with multiple ADBs 706. The aircraft is divided into a plurality of zones, for example, zones 926A to 926D. The seating apparatuses 132 of each zone have one or more SEBs 140. The ground system provides the multimedia file to the server 711. The server system 711 connects to the ADB706 via a fiber optic connection that is faster than the bandwidth of each zone/column (which is typically copper-based). The server system 711 may send data 924A-924D via fiber optic medium at 10G rate, while data from the ADB706 to each zone may be transmitted at 2.5G rate. As previously described, the ADB706 separates the data streams 924A-924D based on the assigned MCCGN for each region. The ADB706 then sends data to each SEB based on the registered MCCGN. Thus, in contrast to conventional systems where an SEB may receive an entire media library, the SEB only receives data that the smart monitor must store in a particular column.

FIG. 10 illustrates another example of software or program logic that may be executed to efficiently store media files on a smart monitor in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure. This example is for a configuration with three media layers of 100%, 50%, and 25%. The processing steps are performed by the VLS configuration module 216 and various hardware devices including the server 711, ADB706, and SEB 140. Some processing steps are not performed on the vehicle but are performed on the ground side or in the operating facility when preparing the medium or configuring the aircraft. The various processing blocks of fig. 10 are described for an aircraft, but the innovative techniques disclosed herein are applicable to any vehicle that deploys an entertainment system using smart monitors.

Process 1000 begins at block B1002. In block B1004, the process 1000 defines a multicast group number range for each media layer. For convenience, layer 1 (100% coverage) is assigned an MCCGN from 100 to 199. The first "1" in MCCGN represents layer 1. Layer 2 (50% coverage) was assigned an MCCGN of 200 to 299. The first "2" in MCCGN represents layer 2. Layer 3 (25% coverage) was assigned an MCCGN from 300 to 399. The first "3" in MCCGN represents layer 3.

Thereafter, process 1000 proceeds to block B1006. In block B1006, process 1000 defines the number of seats (smart monitors 132) carrying VLS media libraries on the vehicle network. For a VLSF of twenty (20), eighty (80) smart monitors 132 are required to hold one instance of a VLS media library available for storage. Depending on the number of smart monitors 132 in the vehicle, multiple instances of the VLS media library may be stored.

Process 1000 then proceeds to block B1008. In block B1006, process 1000 divides the seat (smart monitor 132) carrying the VLS media library into various zones. This defines the multicast group number (MCCGN) range for each region. For example, the previous example divided the smart monitor 132 into four regions, north, south, east, and west. Therefore, the MCCGN range for each layer is divided by the number of regions.

In block B1010, process 1000 assigns each seat a multicast channel group number (MCCGN) to which it needs to subscribe to store media within its local storage of smart monitor 132. Thereafter, in block B1012, the chair (smart monitor 132) registers its multicast channel group number (MCCGN) with the intra-column switch 706.

In block B1014, process 1000 assigns media to layers based on predefined criteria/preferences. For example, media may be assigned to a tier based on ratings from websites/organizations (e.g., Internet Movie Databases (IMDBs), rotten tomatoes, or other sources) that specifically aggregate reviews from commentators or consumers of the media. In block B1016, the media is uploaded to the vehicle. After uploading the media to the vehicle, in block B1018, process 1000 distributes the media from the head-end server 711 to the seats (smart monitors 132) using the multicast channel.

In block B1020, the switch 706 separates the multicast traffic and forwards the packet to a particular port (egress) based on the registered multicast channel group number for that port (see block B1012 of fig. 10). In a final block B1022, the media is stored at the seats of the smart monitors 132 according to the specified multicast channel group number for each smart monitor (see table 1).

The networking techniques disclosed herein are advantageously used to efficiently load media files to a smart monitor. The entire media library is not sent to the SEB, but rather the media files are selectively sent to the SEB and the smart monitor based on the region in which the MCCGN and the smart monitor assigned to the media files are located.

In one aspect, a method and system for a vehicle is provided. One method comprises the following steps: the plurality of layers are used by the processor to store a plurality of media files of a media library of an entertainment system of the vehicle at a plurality of seating devices. The first tier includes a first set of media files, wherein each media file in the first set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by all passengers of the vehicle, the second tier is for a second set of media files, wherein each media file in the second set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by at most X% of all passengers, and the third tier is for a third set of media files, wherein each media file in the third set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by at most Y% of all passengers.

In yet another aspect, methods and systems for an aircraft are provided. A method includes registering with a switching device a multicast network address assigned to each of a plurality of areas of an aircraft, each area including a plurality of seating devices configured to store media files of a media library of an in-flight entertainment system, the media files assigned to one of a plurality of layers. The first tier includes a first set of media files, wherein each media file in the first set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by all passengers of the vehicle, and the second tier is for a second set of media files, wherein each media file in the second set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by at most X% of all passengers. Based on the location to which the media file is desired to be stored, a range of multicast network addresses is reserved for each layer and distributed over different areas of the aircraft.

The method also includes forwarding, by the switching device, the particular media file associated with the particular multicast network address for storage at one or more seating devices located within the area associated with the particular multicast network address. The switching device receives a plurality of media files and selectively routes particular media files based on the registered multicast network addresses.

Innovative techniques for an in-vehicle entertainment system are described in the preceding paragraphs. It is noted that reference throughout this specification to "an aspect" (or "an embodiment") or "an aspect" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the aspect is included in at least one aspect of the present disclosure. Thus, it is emphasized and should be appreciated that two or more references to "an aspect" or "an alternative aspect" in various portions of this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same aspect. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics referred to may be combined as suitable in one or more aspects of the disclosure, as will be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

While the present disclosure has been described above with respect to what is presently considered to be the preferred aspects thereof, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the foregoing. On the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

using, by a processor, a plurality of layers to store a plurality of media files of a media library of an entertainment system of a vehicle at a plurality of seating devices; wherein a first tier comprises a first set of media files, wherein each media file in the first set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by all passengers of the vehicle, a second tier is for a second set of media files, wherein each media file in the second set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by at most X% of all passengers, and a third tier is for a third set of media files, wherein each media file in the third set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by at most Y% of all passengers;

assigning, by the processor, a multicast network address range to each of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer;

assigning, by the processor, the multicast network address range among different zones of the vehicle, wherein seat equipment of each zone is configured to store media files belonging to the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer;

registering a multicast network address assigned to each zone with a switching device of the vehicle that interfaces with one or more networks of the vehicle to transmit media files to the plurality of seating devices; and

selectively forwarding, by the switching device, a particular media file associated with a particular multicast network address for storage at one or more seating devices located within a particular area associated with the particular multicast network address; wherein the switching device receives the plurality of media files and selectively forwards the particular media file based on the registered multicast network address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multicast network address is a multicast channel group number (MCCGN).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the MCCGN is registered with the switching device using a join operation of the internet group multicast protocol IGMP.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a server transmits the plurality of media files to the switching device via a first network connection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, based on the registered MCCGN, the seating device selectively receives the particular media file via a second network connection that is slower than the first network connection.

6. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein in the event of a media file category change, a new MCCGN is assigned to selectively forward the media file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is one of an aircraft, a train, a ship, and a bus.

8. A method, comprising:

registering, with a switching device, a multicast network address assigned to each of a plurality of areas of an aircraft, each area including a plurality of seating devices configured to store media files of a media library of an in-flight entertainment system, the media files being assigned to one of a plurality of layers;

wherein a first tier comprises a first set of media files, wherein each media file in the first set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by all passengers of the vehicle, and a second tier is for a second set of media files, wherein each media file in the second set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by at most X% of all passengers;

wherein a range of the multicast network addresses is reserved for each layer and distributed over different areas of the aircraft based on the location to which a media file is desired to be stored; and

forwarding, by the switching device, a particular media file associated with a particular multicast network address for storage at one or more seating devices located within an area associated with the particular multicast network address; wherein the switching device receives the plurality of media files and selectively forwards the particular media file based on the registered multicast network address.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a third tier is used for a third set of media files, wherein each media file in the third set of media files is capable of being played simultaneously by at most Y% of all passengers, wherein Y is different from X.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the multicast network address is a multicast channel group number (MCCGN).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the MCCGN is registered with the switching device using a join operation of the internet group multicast protocol IGMP.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the server transmits the plurality of media files to the switching device via a first network connection.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the seating device selectively receives the particular media file via a second network connection that is slower than the first network connection.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein in the event of a media file category change between the plurality of layers, a new MCCGN is assigned to selectively forward the media file.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions comprising machine-executable code, which when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

assigning, by the processor, the multicast network address range among different zones of the vehicle, wherein seat devices of each zone are configured to store media files belonging to the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer;

16. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, wherein the multicast network address is a multicast channel group number (MCCGN).

17. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 16, wherein the MCCGN is registered with the switching device using a join operation of an internet group multicast protocol IGMP.

18. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, wherein server transmits the plurality of media files to the switching device via a first network connection.

19. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 18, wherein the seating device selectively receives the particular media file via a second network connection that is slower than the first network connection based on the registered MCCGN.

20. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 16, wherein in the event of a media file category change, a new MCCGN is assigned to selectively forward the media file.