Abstract: A cup holder for connecting to a cup and holding the cup. The cup holder comprises a retractable coupling that moves between a retracted position in a housing and an extended position where the coupling projects from the housing. In the extended position, the coupling is configured to attach to a cup or to a receptor associated with the cup.

Abstract: An entertainment system that has improved failure recovery characteristics and reduces the connection components is disclosed.

Abstract: An entertainment system that has improved failure recovery characteristics and reduces the connection components is disclosed.

Abstract: An entertainment system that has improved failure recovery characteristics and reduces the connection components is disclosed.

Abstract: An entertainment system that has improved failure recovery characteristics and reduces the connection components is disclosed.

Abstract: An inflight entertainment (IFE) system preloads from head end equipment onto seat end video caches subsets of prerecorded video entertainment programs from a library of prerecorded video entertainment programs stored on the head end equipment. Preloading is done independent of play requests made by passengers using the IFE system. The selected subsets are selected using selection metrics such as program popularity, passenger demographics and/or passenger preferences. The same or a different subset may be selected for different passengers. As a result of the selective preloading of the seat end video caches, if the head end equipment or the distribution system becomes inoperable during the flight, the IFE system is able to continue to deliver a limited offering of popular, demographically indicated and/or passenger preferred video entertainment from the seat end video caches, without requiring a large multiplier in storage capacity or loading time.

Abstract: An inflight entertainment (IFE) system preloads from head end equipment onto seat end video caches subsets of prerecorded video entertainment programs from a library of prerecorded video entertainment programs stored on the head end equipment. Preloading is done independent of play requests made by passengers using the IFE system. The selected subsets are selected using selection metrics such as program popularity, passenger demographics and/or passenger preferences. The same or a different subset may be selected for different passengers. As a result of the selective preloading of the seat end video caches, if the head end equipment or the distribution system becomes inoperable during the flight, the IFE system is able to continue to deliver a limited offering of popular, demographically indicated and/or passenger preferred video entertainment from the seat end video caches, without requiring a large multiplier in storage capacity or loading time.

Abstract: An entertainment system that has improved failure recovery characteristics and reduces the connection components is disclosed.

Abstract: An entertainment system that exhibits advantages of fiber-to-the-seat systems, has improved failure recovery characteristics, and reduces the connection components is disclosed.

Abstract: An IFE system includes seatback VDUs having dedicated wireless access points to which airline passengers can connect using mobile client devices and access an IP network infrastructure. The seatback VDUs are configured to receive requests from passengers to access the IP network infrastructure via the dedicated wireless access points, activate the wireless access points and output access credentials, and the dedicated wireless access points are configured to receive from mobile client devices the access credentials and validate the access credentials whereupon the mobile client devices are authorized to access the IP network infrastructure via the wireless access points.

Abstract: An inflight entertainment (IFE) system preloads from head end equipment onto seat end video caches subsets of prerecorded video entertainment programs from a library of prerecorded video entertainment programs stored on the head end equipment. Preloading is done independent of play requests made by passengers using the IFE system. The selected subsets are selected using selection metrics such as program popularity, passenger demographics and/or passenger preferences. The same or a different subset may be selected for different passengers. As a result of the selective preloading of the seat end video caches, if the head end equipment or the distribution system becomes inoperable during the flight, the IFE system is able to continue to deliver a limited offering of popular, demographically indicated and/or passenger preferred video entertainment from the seat end video caches, without requiring a large multiplier in storage capacity or loading time.

Abstract: A modular, scalable, extensible, In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) data communication system is described. In one embodiment, the system comprises a hub providing connection between one or more server/switch line replaceable unit including at least one server and a plurality of passenger video display units. A server, such as, for example, an audio server, a video server, an audio/video server, a game server, an application server, a file server, etc., provides data (e.g., entertainment programming, internet file data, etc.) to the video display unit. In one embodiment, the connection between the plurality of server/switch line replacement units, the hub and the plurality of video display units is provided by passive fiber optic links.

Abstract: An inflight entertainment (IFE) system provides screen configurable video display unit (VDU) roles. Screen configurable VDU roles allow a role for each VDU in the system to be specified in the field through user inputs on the VDU and advertised to the head end system to create awareness of the specified role. Screen configurable VDU roles can reduce the number of discrete VDU line replaceable unit (LRU) types deployed on a single aircraft and across a fleet of aircraft, reducing hardware and software upgrade and sparing costs, while adding substantial flexibility to the system by removing cabin positioning restrictions on certain VDU types and facilitating system reconfiguration.

Abstract: An entertainment system that exhibits advantages of fiber-to-the-seat systems, has improved failure recovery characteristics, and reduces the connection components is disclosed.

Abstract: A marine ship tracking system automatically and accurately monitors ship movements utilizing a limited number of reports from a marine ship and is easily installed and operated. Ships utilizing the marine ship tracking system periodically transmit reports to a remote tracking center. A ship sends a report to the remote tracking center when there is a significant change in the ship's movement or position, or if a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the ship last sent a report to the remote tracking center. The report includes current ship information, such as current position and current movement information. Because the ship sends a report each time a significant change in movement occurs, the remote tracking center may accurately extrapolate the position of the ship between the transmissions of the reports. In this manner, the remote tracking center may retain an accurate history of the ship's position and movements at all times.

Abstract: A marine ship tracking system automatically and accurately monitors ship movements utilizing a limited number of reports from a marine ship and is easily installed and operated. Ships utilizing the marine ship tracking system periodically transmit reports to a remote tracking center. A ship sends a report to the remote tracking center when there is a significant change in the ship's movement or position, or if a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the ship last sent a report to the remote tracking center. The report includes current ship information, such as current position and current movement information. Because the ship sends a report each time a significant change in movement occurs, the remote tracking center may accurately extrapolate the position of the ship between the transmissions of the reports. In this manner, the remote tracking center may retain an accurate history of the ship's position and movements at all times.

Abstract: A marine ship tracking system automatically and accurately monitors ship movements utilizing a limited number of reports from a marine ship and is easily installed and operated. Ships utilizing the marine ship tracking system periodically transmit reports to a remote tracking center. A ship sends a report to the remote tracking center when there is a significant change in the ship's movement or position, or if a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the ship last sent a report to the remote tracking center. The report includes current ship information, such as current position and current movement information. Because the ship sends a report each time a significant change in movement occurs, the remote tracking center may accurately extrapolate the position of the ship between the transmissions of the reports. In this manner, the remote tracking center may retain an accurate history of the ship's position and movements at all times.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing electroluminescent lamps using a laser beam to remove a material layer of a multi-layer material structure, in which the laser beam has a first energy level directed at a first material layer, e.g., a conductor, laid over a second material layer, e.g., an insulator/substrate. The laser beam is moved in an overlapping fashion such as spiral pattern motion across the first material layer. A part of the first material layer is sublimed exposing a region of the second material under the area where the spiral pattern was applied. Additionally, a second laser beam having a second energy level, e.g., higher than the first energy level, is moved along a path over the exposed second material layer subliming the remaining underlying layers to form the final lamp shape.

Abstract: A flight planning system for obtaining flight plans and/or weather information is provided with a portable computer having a display unit, keyboard, memory, built in modem and a built in disk drive that can be connected via telephone lines to a ground based data center. The basic flight planning data and/or weather request data is input in response to menu driven prompts and reviewed on the display by the pilot. The portable computer is then connected to the data center which generates a series of optimized flight plans and provides desired weather information. After the desired flight plan and/or weather information has been selected by the pilot, it is loaded onto a floppy disk in the disk drive. The aircraft is provided with a data transfer unit which accepts the floppy disk and downloads the flight plan and requested weather information into the onboard computerized navigation system.