Abstract: This patent document describes techniques are related to an apparatus for an electronics box for an in-flight entertainment system. The electronics box comprises: a first module including a first group of electronic components for the in-flight entertainment system and having a housing accommodating a first board on which the first group of electronic components are disposed; and a second module detachably placed over the first module and having a second board on which a second group of electronic components for the in-flight entertainment system are disposed, the second board covered by a frame that forms a sealed enclosure with the housing, and wherein the first group of electronic components and the second group of electronic components are configured to provide power or data to at least one of the in-flight entertainment system that is located in a commercial passenger vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus for assisting a pairing operation is provided. The apparatus comprises: a processor included in an intermediate device in communication with a source device to which a wireless electronic device is to be wirelessly connected through the pairing operation; and a storage included in the intermediate device and in communication with the processor, the storage configured to store pairing information of the wireless electronic device, the pairing information including a profile of the wireless electronic device that enables to complete the pairing operation with the source device.

Abstract: A system for creating a localized wireless network zone for a passenger on a commercial passenger vehicle is provided. The system comprises: a first media playback device and a second media playback device that are respectively disposed on a first passenger seat and a second passenger seat in the commercial passenger vehicle, each of the first media playback device and the second media playback device operable as a seat hotspot by creating a localized wireless network zone covering passenger seats located in a vicinity of the first passenger seat and the second passenger seat, respectively; and an onboard server communicatively coupled to the first media playback device and the second media playback device and configured to monitor a number of requests for a wireless connection in the commercial passenger vehicle and control at least one of the first media playback device and the second media playback device to turn on the seat hotspot based on a result of the monitoring.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a transportation vehicle. One method includes determining ambient light baseline for the flight by measuring a first light intensity by a plurality of light sensors located within a plurality of physical zones of an aircraft cabin, before a flight and transforming the measured first light intensity based on sensor locations within each physical zone of the aircraft cabin; adjusting brightness level of seat display device at passenger seats located in the aircraft cabin based on the ambient light baseline; continuing to measure in-flight light intensity by the plurality of sensors; and automatically adjusting the brightness level of one or more seat display devices in response to the in-flight light intensity varying from the ambient light baseline by a first threshold value.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to providing path information of a vehicle to vehicle passengers, and the provided path information may be configured according to passenger-related constraints. In one embodiment, a method for providing passenger-oriented path information via an in-flight entertainment system is described. The method includes making a determination that a graphical display of an estimated first path of the commercial passenger vehicle traveling via a route between an origin and a destination intersects a constrained area. The estimated first path is estimated as a straight-line path between consecutive waypoints along the route. The method further includes, based on the determination that the estimated first path intersects the constrained area, determining a second path for display that does not intersect the constrained area. The method further includes causing a display of the second path on an IFE display associated with a passenger.

Abstract: Innovative peripheral bar assembly for a transportation vehicle is provided. The assembly includes a front bar housing with a front segment and a rear segment; a rear bar housing with a front segment coupled to the rear segment of the front bar housing; and an input/output (I/O) printed circuit board (“PCB”) having an I/O connector. The I/O PCB coupled to the rear segment of the front bar housing. The assembly is coupled to a chassis of a display system having a display module, and the I/O connector is coupled to a connector of the display module for enabling an electrical connection between the peripheral bar assembly and the display module.

Abstract: Innovative peripheral bar assembly for a transportation vehicle is provided. The assembly includes a front bar housing with a front segment and a rear segment, and a through slot aligned with a diffuser operationally coupled to a first surface of an I/O PCB having a plurality of light sources emitting light that is transmitted through the diffuser and the slot. The assembly further includes a rear bar housing having a front segment and a rear segment, the front segment of the rear bar housing coupled to the rear segment of the front bar housing. A top surface of the peripheral bar assembly is coupled to a bottom of a chassis of a display system having a display module. The assembly configured to provide accent lighting through the slot of the front bar housing.

Abstract: A testing and verification system for an equivalent physical configuration of an in-flight entertainment and communications system with one or more hardware components includes a virtual machine manager. One or more virtual machines each including a hardware abstraction layer is instantiated by the virtual machine manager according to simulated hardware component definitions corresponding to the equivalent physical configuration of the hardware components. The virtual machines are in communication with each other over virtual network connections. A test interface to the one or more virtual machines generate test inputs to target software applications installed on the virtual machines. A display interface is connected to the virtual machines, with results from the execution of the target software applications responsive to the test inputs are output thereto.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for current and/or power balancing. One method includes comparing a first input current of a first regulator in a first path between a power source and a power sink with a second input current of a second regulator in a second path between the power source and the power sink; lowering an output from the first regulator, in response to the first input current being higher than the second input current; and increasing an output from the second regulator, in response to the second input current being higher than the first input current.

Abstract: This patent document describes techniques are related to an apparatus for controlling wireless transmissions on a commercial passenger vehicle. The apparatus comprises a processor communicatively coupled to multiple wireless transceivers disposed on multiple seats in the commercial passenger vehicles. The processor is configured to: control a wireless transmission power of a first wireless transceiver at an initial time based on a pre-determined power level that is computed using a first feedback from a first set of the multiple wireless transceivers; and perform an ongoing control of the wireless transmission power of the first wireless transceiver based on a second feedback received from a second set of the multiple wireless transceivers.

Abstract: This patent document describes techniques related to providing a method for providing a wireless access zone to passengers on a commercial passenger. In one aspect, the method comprises: configuring a number of wireless access zones in the commercial passenger vehicle by distributing radio frequency (RF) shielding structures in the commercial passenger vehicle, the RF shielding structures configured to attenuate a radio signal originating in an RF band from one wireless access zone to be below a threshold prior to reaching other wireless access zones; receiving a request, from an electronic device on the commercial passenger vehicle, to connect the electronic device to a communication network; and establishing a connection of the electronic device to the communication network through radio signals in a corresponding wireless access zone.

Abstract: Innovative peripheral bar assembly for a transportation vehicle is provided. One method includes retrieving, by a processor of a seat device of an aircraft coupled to a removable, peripheral bar assembly having a plurality of programmable, light emitting diodes (LEDs), configuration information to operate the LEDs; transmitting, by the processor, one or more commands to the peripheral bar assembly to operate one or more of the LEDs; and operating, by the peripheral bar assembly, the one or more LEDs, in response to the one or more commands to indicate non-verbal communication based on one or more pre-defined communication protocols indicating a seat-by-seat status.

Abstract: A display in a commercial passenger vehicle can an option to be locked or unlock to enhance security. An example system for securing an in-vehicle entertainment (IVE) display in a commercial passenger vehicle comprises a mobile device and a computer. The mobile device comprises a first processor configured to secure a display located in the commercial passenger vehicle, where the first processor is configured to: obtain a payload; generate a first digitally signed payload as a first output of a first mathematical computation performed on the payload with a secret key; and send a first message comprising the first digitally signed payload and a lock command to instruct the display to lock the display. The computer is communicably coupled with the display and comprises a second processor configured to send a first instruction to cause the display to lock in response to a reception of the lock command.

Abstract: A data storage system for providing entertainment content to terminal devices in a passenger vehicle is provided to comprise: a first group of terminal devices configured to operate as storage nodes of a storage cluster configured to provide the entertainment content to media playback devices disposed in the passenger vehicle, the entertainment content including one or more entertainment programs and the storage nodes configured to store blocks of the one or more entertainment programs; a second group of terminal devices configured to operate as monitor nodes in the storage cluster, the monitor nodes configured to monitor status of the storage nodes; and a host in communication with the first group and the second group of the terminal devices via an in-vehicle network and configured to store metadata for the storage cluster and facilitate delivery of the entertainment content from the first group of terminal devices to the media playback devices.

Abstract: A vehicle communication system includes a network adaptor that communicates with a communication network, a communication interface that communicates with multiple vehicles via multiple satellites, each vehicle comprising an antenna system for coupling to the satellites. The vehicle communication system is configured receive route data of the vehicles, and, for each vehicle, determine a future position of the vehicle based on the route data; identify a satellite available for communications with the vehicle at the future position; predict whether an antenna blockage event will occur between the identified satellite and the antenna system of the vehicle at the future position; designate the identified satellite as having the antenna blockage event; and transmit instructions to the vehicle to not use the identified satellite.

Abstract: A system for tracking passenger behaviors of passengers on a commercial passenger vehicle is provided. The system comprises: media playback devices located on the commercial passenger vehicle, the media playback devices being associated with passenger seats and configured to operate in an onboard check-in mode, and an onboard server in communication with the media playback devices and configured to receive, from a media playback device associated with a passenger seat of a passenger, passenger identification information of the passenger and update passenger boarding information to indicate a completion of a boarding process of the passenger. The onboard server is further configured to provide, to at least one of a ground terminal or a crew terminal, passenger boarding information that enables determination of a time interval between a start of the boarding process by each passenger and an end of the boarding process as indicated from the media playback devices.

Abstract: A system for data collection in a commercial travel setting is described. The system includes a plurality of sensor circuits that collect a plurality of sensor data values from in-flight entertainment (IFE) network. The system includes a sensor data processor that interprets the plurality of sensor data values. The system includes a passenger profile management controller configured that filters the plurality of sensor data values by processing a plurality of passenger profiles that are related to at least some of the plurality of sensor data values. The system generates a measurement index that is normalized with respect to the plurality of sensor data values or the plurality of passenger profiles.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a transportation vehicle. One method includes detecting, by a first system on chip (“SOC”) of a seat box on a transportation vehicle that a first seat device is operational and usage of a second SOC of the seat box by a second seat device is below a first threshold level, the first SOC operationally coupled to the second SOC by a peripheral link, the seat box providing a network connection to the first seat device and the second device; allocating resources of the first SOC and the second SOC to the first seat device; and modifying usage of the second SOC by the first seat device, in response to a change in resource usage of the second SOC.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a transportation vehicle are provided. One method includes generating a packet by an application executed by a processor of a first seat device of an in-flight entertainment system having a plurality of seat devices on an aircraft; dropping the packet by the seat device when the application is not authorized for Internet communication; dropping the packet by the seat device when the packet is one of a broadcast packet, multicast packet or destined to a second seat device of the in-flight entertainment system; determining that the seat device Internet traffic is below a threshold value; and transmitting the packet to a network device when the application is authorized, and the packet is not a broadcast packet, multicast packet or destined for a second seat device.