Abstract: An entertainment system includes video display units that can establish Bluetooth connections with user terminals. A central Bluetooth controller is connected to control establishment of Bluetooth connections between the user terminals and the video display units. The central Bluetooth controller receives connection authorization requests from the video display units, and generates connection authorization decisions based on application of a Bluetooth connection rule to characteristics of the user terminals which are identified from the connection authorization requests. The connection authorization decisions are then used to control whether Bluetooth connections are established between the user terminals and the video display units, and to control what security mode levels are used when establishing and using the Bluetooth connections for signaling therebetween.

Abstract: An entertainment system includes a docking station having a wired interface, a display unit, and a wireless controller. The display unit includes a video display device and a processor that communicates through a Bluetooth transceiver and the wired interface of the docking station. The wireless controller includes a processor that communicates through a wired interface and a Bluetooth transceiver. The wireless controller is releasably docked in the docking station to communicatively connect the wired interfaces of the wireless controller and the docking station. While docked in the docking station the processors of the wireless controller and the display unit communicate through the wired interfaces of the wireless controller and the docking station to establish a Bluetooth connection between the Bluetooth transceivers of the wireless controller and the display unit.

Abstract: An inflight entertainment system includes video display units that communicate with user terminals through Bluetooth signaling and include a network interface communicating with a content server and a satellite network interface and/or a ground network interface. A time reference message is received which contains a master time reference from the satellite network interface and/or the ground network interface. A local time generator is updated based on the master time reference. Rate request messages are received from the user terminals containing indications of time broadcast rates requested by the user terminals. A scheduled time broadcast rate is determined based on the indications of the time broadcast rates requested by the user terminals. The video display unit transmits, through a Bluetooth transceiver at time instances which are determined based on the scheduled time broadcast rate, broadcast time messages that each contain an indication of a present local time of the video display unit.

Abstract: An entertainment system includes video display units that can establish Bluetooth connections with user terminals. A central Bluetooth controller is connected to control establishment of Bluetooth connections between the user terminals and the video display units. The central Bluetooth controller receives connection authorization requests from the video display units, and generates connection authorization decisions based on application of a Bluetooth connection rule to characteristics of the user terminals which are identified from the connection authorization requests. The connection authorization decisions are then used to control whether Bluetooth connections are established between the user terminals and the video display units, and to control what security mode levels are used when establishing and using the Bluetooth connections for signaling therebetween.