Patents by Inventor Philip Watson

Philip Watson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11824867
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation
    Inventor: Philip Watson
  • Publication number: 20230350787
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Philip WATSON, Steven BATES, Shankar SHASTRY, Samir LAD, Anand DESIKAN
  • Patent number: 11780604
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for electronic systems that manage an order in which an aircraft is boarded or deplaned are described. An exemplary method includes configuring an onboard computer to execute a script, wherein the script controls an order by which passengers on an airplane are prompted for deplaning, updating the script for a travel segment of the airplane using a first input comprising a passenger information for the travel segment or a second input comprising a travel configuration of the airplane during the travel segment or a third input from onboard crew of the airplane; and controlling onboard electronic equipment of the airplane by executing the script at an end of the travel segment by prompting passengers to deplane the airplane in the order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates
  • Patent number: 11698850
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates, Shankar L Shastry, Samir Lad, Anand Desikan
  • Publication number: 20230072149
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Philip WATSON, Steven BATES, Shankar L SHASTRY, Samir LAD, Anand DESIKAN
  • Patent number: 11528511
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a transportation vehicle are provided. One method includes initializing a first browser at an electronic device to communicate with a remote virtual loader having access to data for an in-flight entertainment (IFE) system of an aircraft; authenticating the first browser by the remote virtual loader; providing IFE data for the IFE system to the first browser by the remote virtual loader with an instruction to grant access to the IFE data by a second browser of the electronic device, the second browser authenticated by the IFE system to send information to the IFE system; and transferring the IFE data from the electronic device to the IFE system by the second browser that obtains access to the IFE data from the first browser in response to the instruction from the remote virtual loader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates, Dan Van Proyen
  • Patent number: 11526282
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for enhancing aircraft maintenance are disclosed. An exemplary method for improving dataloading in an airplane includes retrieving, from an in-flight entertainment connectivity (IFEC) system, at least one avionics software, the IFEC system comprising a mass storage device comprising a first storage segment and a second storage segment, the first storage segment being a secure storage segment configured to store the at least one avionics software, and the second storage segment being configured to store media content, and loading, using a wireless network converter coupled to a wired legacy port, the at least one avionics software onto a target avionics system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven Bates, Philip Watson
  • Patent number: 11518517
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for providing customized entertainment or productivity options to passengers on commercial passenger vehicles are disclosed. An exemplary method implemented by a computer on a commercial passenger vehicle includes receiving and storing from a server system communication on a memory and a display screen of a portable device of a passenger, prior to a start of a current travel segment of the commercial passenger vehicle, data for predictive preference selection during the current travel segment; determining, during the current travel segment, for the passenger, a personalized display menu of the passenger for one or more items or services from a plurality of items and services; and providing, during the travel segment, an interactive session having the personalized display menu based on the traveler profile and displayed on the display screen for the passenger on the portable device based on the determining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven Bates, Philip Watson, Samir Lad, Anand Desikan
  • Patent number: 11482056
    Abstract: Vehicle operations management systems can facilitate maintenance of commercial passenger vehicles. An operations management system includes a server and a maintenance computer. The server is configured to receive a message that indicates a maintenance performed on a device located in a commercial passenger vehicle or that indicates a performance status of the device located in the commercial passenger vehicle, generate, based on the message, a predictive maintenance list that recommends maintenance to be performed on one or more devices that belong to a category of devices that is the same as the category of devices to which the device indicated in the received message belongs, and send the predictive maintenance list to a maintenance computer. The maintenance computer is configured to receive and display the predictive maintenance list on a graphical user interface (GUI).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven Bates, Philip Watson, Samir Lad, Anand Desikan
  • Patent number: 11474929
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates, Shankar Shastry, Samir Lad, Anand Desikan
  • Patent number: 11451586
    Abstract: A network security attack misdirection line-replaceable unit for installation on an aircraft and connected to an onboard data network include a local network interface to the onboard data network. A local simulation server accepts incoming access requests accompanied by an access credential from an attacker client device, and is responsive thereto with either a simulated access denial response or a simulated access grant response. Delays between receipt of the access request and to the access denial response is progressively increased with each presentation of the access credential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates
  • Patent number: 11418956
    Abstract: Techniques are described to detect and/or prevent malicious wireless attacks and/or suspicious wireless activity related to a wireless network in a commercial passenger vehicle. For example, an access point located in the commercial passenger vehicle receives a set of wireless beacon frames from a first wireless device, makes a first determination of a first beacon frame rate of the set of wireless beacon frames, receives a second beacon frame after a first beacon frame, makes a second determination of a second beacon frame rate of the second beacon frame relative to the first beacon frame, makes a third determination that a second wireless device is impersonating the first wireless device upon comparing the first beacon frame rate to the second beacon frame rate, and sends, upon making the third determination, a security alert message to an external input/output (I/O) device in the commercial passenger vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Samuel Jester, Philip Watson, Steven Bates
  • Publication number: 20220242588
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for electronic systems that manage an order in which an aircraft is boarded or deplaned are described. An exemplary method includes configuring an onboard computer to execute a script, wherein the script controls an order by which passengers on an airplane are prompted for deplaning, updating the script for a travel segment of the airplane using a first input comprising a passenger information for the travel segment or a second input comprising a travel configuration of the airplane during the travel segment or a third input from onboard crew of the airplane; and controlling onboard electronic equipment of the airplane by executing the script at an end of the travel segment by prompting passengers to deplane the airplane in the order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates
  • Patent number: 11297461
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for geofencing in commercial transport vehicles are disclosed. An exemplary method includes establishing, based on a heat map of signal strength at frequencies used by a first wireless protocol in the commercial transport vehicle, a geofence for communication by a user, and controlling, based on the geofence, an availability or a level of one or more services to the user, wherein the geofence comprises one or more boundaries within the commercial transport vehicle, and wherein the one or more services are deactivated if a location of the user is outside the one or more boundaries of the geofence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates
  • Patent number: 11290258
    Abstract: A hybrid encryption method for securely transferring an electronic data package from a sender to a plurality of clients. The method comprises storing a shared symmetric key on each of the clients. The sender encrypts a private key of an asymmetric key pair using the shared symmetric key. The sender encrypts the data package with a temporary symmetric key to generate an encrypted data package. The sender encrypts the temporary symmetric key with the public key of the asymmetric key pair to generate an encrypted temporary symmetric key. The sender transmits the encrypted data package, the encrypted temporary symmetric key, and the encrypted private key to the clients. Each client decrypts the encrypted data package by: using the shared symmetric key to decrypt the encrypted private key; using the decrypted private key to decrypt the encrypted temporary symmetric key, and using the decrypted temporary symmetric key to decrypt the encrypted data package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Philip Watson
  • Patent number: 11259193
    Abstract: Systems and methods for obtaining data for Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) events caused by interfering signals, such as radar signals, in mobile WiFi wireless communication networks on airplanes. The systems and methods utilize wireless access points (WAPs) on in-flight entertainment systems on airplanes to detect DFS events, and obtain DFS event data. The DFS event data is transmitted to a ground system which is configured to utilize the DFS event data to generate DFS messages which allow a WAP on another airplane to avoid the interfering signals that caused the DFS event. The ground system transmits the DFS messages to other airplanes which use the information in the DFS message to configure a WAP to avoid DFS events. The ground system may also be configured to analyze and generate a 3D DFS map which can be used to generate radio channel plans to avoid DFS events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates
  • Patent number: 11228789
    Abstract: This patent document describes techniques are related to providing an entertainment to passengers on a commercial passenger vehicle. In one aspect, a method for providing an entertainment to passengers on a commercial passenger vehicle comprises: receiving a request, from a first passenger on the commercial passenger vehicle, to allow the first passenger to provide a live video, the live video obtained by capturing, in real time, an activity associated with the first passenger on the commercial passenger vehicle; receiving one or more requests, from one or more additional passengers on the commercial passenger vehicle, to view the live video; receiving the live video from the first passenger; and distributing the live video to the additional passengers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates, Sarvamangala Hendi
  • Patent number: 11210592
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for communicating an announcement to passengers on a transportation vehicle. One method includes receiving by a first device, an input from a passenger of a transportation vehicle, the input reporting a problem at the transportation vehicle; transmitting the input by the first device to a second device; evaluating by the second device whether the problem identified by the input is to be resolved at the transportation vehicle; generating a response by the second device to address the problem, when the evaluation indicates that the problem can be resolved at the transportation vehicle; and updating a data structure by the second device for addressing the problem after the transportation vehicle has reached a destination, when the evaluation indicates that the problem cannot be resolved at the transportation vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates
  • Patent number: 11202106
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a vehicle entertainment system are provided. One method includes generating by a processor, a plurality of media sets for storing a plurality of media files at a transportation vehicle, each of the plurality of media set configured to store a first set of media files playable at the same time by all passengers, a second set of media files playable at the same time by up to X percentage of the passengers and a third set of media files playable at the same time by up to Y percentage of the passengers; distributing by the processor, the plurality of media files for storage across a plurality of smart monitors of the transportation vehicle; monitoring user access of the plurality of media files on the transportation vehicle; and modifying by the processor, an assignment of a media file between the first set, the second set and the third set based on a plurality of factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter Braun, Philip Watson
  • Publication number: 20210352335
    Abstract: This patent document describes techniques are related to providing an entertainment to passengers on a commercial passenger vehicle. In one aspect, a method for providing an entertainment to passengers on a commercial passenger vehicle comprises: receiving a request, from a first passenger on the commercial passenger vehicle, to allow the first passenger to provide a live video, the live video obtained by capturing, in real time, an activity associated with the first passenger on the commercial passenger vehicle; receiving one or more requests, from one or more additional passengers on the commercial passenger vehicle, to view the live video; receiving the live video from the first passenger; and distributing the live video to the additional passengers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates, Sarvamangala Hendi