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).

  • Publication number: 20210133678
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for redirecting luggage while in the midst of travel on a vehicle. An example system, carried by the vehicle, includes a distribution system for providing a vehicle communication network and a processor coupled to the vehicle communication network. The processor executes instructions to receive luggage identifying information and delivery parameters representative of passenger preferences from a user interface system carried by the vehicle and coupled to the vehicle communication network and generate one or more luggage redirection offers based on the received delivery parameters, receive a selection of a luggage redirection offer from the user interface system, and send messages representative of the selected redirection offer to a delivery service provider system, either automatically or queued for later delivery once communications with external systems are available.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Steven BATES, Philip WATSON
  • Publication number: 20210135746
    Abstract: Vehicle entertainment systems in commercial passenger vehicles can provide passengers with entertainment options that are based at least in part on geolocation information selected by the passengers. For example, based on a passenger's selection of a home country to which the passenger belongs, the vehicle entertainment system may route data traffic comprising the passenger's entertainment selections via a point of presence (PoP) device located in the selected home country. The vehicle entertainment system may also group data traffic for passengers that have selected the same home country so that the vehicle entertainment system can more efficiently use network resources as the commercial passenger vehicle travels to its destination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventor: Philip Watson
  • Publication number: 20210112625
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for automated detection of relative position among a plurality of wireless access points (WAPs) deployed in service area. An exemplary service area is the passenger cabin of a commercial airplane. The method can include transmitting a signal on a wireless channel at a fixed power level across the service area. Each WAP can measure a signal strength of the signal received from all other WAPs of the plurality of WAPs. The plurality of WAPs can share reports including signal strengths of the signal transmitted from all of the other WAPs. Each WAP can then form a matrix of measured signal strengths and measuring WAPs including the signal strength of signals transmitted by each WAP as received by all other WAPs as the measuring WAPs. The matrix can be used to determine a relative position of the plurality of WAPs based on the first matrix.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Samuel JESTER, Philip WATSON, Steven BATES
  • Patent number: 10951922
    Abstract: Vehicle entertainment systems can obtain and use a list of predicted entertainment preferences for passengers located in or expected to be in commercial passenger vehicles. A first server can obtain the predicted entertainment preferences and can identify a multimedia content for at least one passenger based on a predicted entertainment preference. A second server located in the commercial passenger vehicle can receive and send the multimedia content to a media playback device associated with the at least one passenger. The second server can receive, from the media playback device, an indication of a preference of the at least one passenger for watching or listening to the multimedia content; update, based on the received indication of the preference, the entertainment preference for the at least one passenger to obtain an updated entertainment preference; and transmit the updated entertainment preference for the at least one passenger to the first server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven Bates, Philip Watson, Samir Lad, Anand Desikan
  • Publication number: 20210074082
    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: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Steven Bates, Philip Watson, Samir Lad, Anand Desikan
  • Patent number: 10945106
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a transportation vehicle. One method includes detecting a location of a personal electronic device (PED) on a transportation vehicle based on a signal transmitted by a wireless beacon to the PED; using sensor data to automatically determine usage of a resource on the transportation vehicle, the resource including on the transportation vehicle at least one of a lavatory, a passenger seat, a luggage bin, and a cart; indicating a status of the resource to the PED based on the determined usage; and updating a data store for tracking the usage, after an action is taken associated with the resource, in response to receiving the status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Bates, Philip Watson
  • Publication number: 20210067811
    Abstract: Vehicle entertainment systems can obtain and use a list of predicted entertainment preferences for passengers located in or expected to be in commercial passenger vehicles. A first server can obtain the predicted entertainment preferences and can identify a multimedia content for at least one passenger based on a predicted entertainment preference. A second server located in the commercial passenger vehicle can receive and send the multimedia content to a media playback device associated with the at least one passenger. The second server can receive, from the media playback device, an indication of a preference of the at least one passenger for watching or listening to the multimedia content; update, based on the received indication of the preference, the entertainment preference for the at least one passenger to obtain an updated entertainment preference; and transmit the updated entertainment preference for the at least one passenger to the first server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Steven Bates, Philip Watson, Samir Lad, Anand Desikan
  • Publication number: 20210061471
    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: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Steven Bates, Philip Watson, Samir Lad, Anand Desikan
  • Publication number: 20210058751
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a transportation vehicle. One method includes detecting a location of a personal electronic device (PED) on a transportation vehicle based on a signal transmitted by a wireless beacon to the PED; using sensor data to automatically determine usage of a resource on the transportation vehicle, the resource including on the transportation vehicle at least one of a lavatory, a passenger seat, a luggage bin, and a cart; indicating a status of the resource to the PED based on the determined usage; and updating a data store for tracking the usage, after an action is taken associated with the resource, in response to receiving the status.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Steven Bates, Philip Watson
  • Publication number: 20210019380
    Abstract: A system for providing entertainment on a vehicle for passengers is described. The system includes (a) a server storing media files and corresponding media keys and (b) monitors storing subsets of the media files and the corresponding media keys. The system includes a server disposed on the vehicle to store the media files and the media keys for the vehicle; monitors disposed on the vehicle to present media selections to passengers corresponding to the media files stored by the server, locally, or on other monitors disposed on the vehicle, and receive an input from a passenger for playing one of the selections. The system also includes selectively revoking the media keys on the server or the monitors. Program logic executed by the server and the monitors implements secure, digital rights management processes as they pertain to the media files presented on the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Aihua Helen Song, Philip Watson, Kwok Liang Poo
  • Patent number: 10897478
    Abstract: A system for identifying a wireless security threat on a vehicle. The system includes a broadband controller including a data processor and memory in which the broadband controller provides a network within the vehicle. The system includes a vehicle WAP in communication with the broadband controller in which the WAP broadcasts an SSID for use by a PED to establish a wireless communication link and transmit and receive data wirelessly over the network via the WAP. An SSID scanner periodically scans for SSIDs broadcast in the vehicle in which SSIDs detected during scans are communicated to the broadband controller. For a detected SSID corresponding to the vehicles WAP SSID, logic executed by the data processor compares the BSSID of the vehicle WAP with the BSSID from the detected SSID and if the BSSIDs do not match, the logic identifies a security threat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Changhwa Lin, Michael Dierickx
  • Patent number: 10897515
    Abstract: A system for establishing persistent communications links between a plurality of terminals and a primary server includes one or more message brokers each publishing messages to one or more topics. A plurality of message clients each on a corresponding one of the plurality of terminals are subscribed to selected topics. The message clients are receptive to those messages published by the message brokers to the topics to which the respective one of the message clients is subscribed. A plurality of application clients, each of which are on a corresponding one of the plurality of terminals and linked with the respective one of the message clients thereon, initiate a request to the primary server in response to a published message to at least one of the topics to which the linked message client is subscribed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Faizal Sheriff, Philip Watson
  • Patent number: 10881357
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring the health of vehicle passengers using images of the passengers taken by onboard imaging devices (e.g., digital cameras), determining health data (e.g., vital signs) on-board the passenger vehicle using the images, and communicating (in one or more instances) with a remote telemedical monitoring system to determine medical information regarding the passengers and/or enable communication with a medical caregiver for diagnosis and treatment. The system may be especially useful in larger passenger vehicles, such as commercial aircraft, to monitor the health of all or most of the passengers but may also be used in other passenger vehicles including passenger trains, buses, ships, boats and automobiles. In one or more instances, the systems and methods primarily utilize images to determine health data (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates
  • Publication number: 20200401906
    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: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates
  • Patent number: 10862934
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a vehicle entertainment system are provided. One method includes receiving an input for a media file at a smart monitor on an aircraft, the aircraft having a plurality of smart monitors and a plurality of seat boxes communicating via a network that includes a first sub-network to connect a first group of the seat boxes, and a computing device that stores a plurality of media files, and a second sub-network to connect a second group of seat boxes and the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Cedric Rhoads, Nigel Blackwell, Steven Bates
  • Publication number: 20200366476
    Abstract: Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for transient key negotiations for passenger accessible peripherals are disclosed. Embodiments of the disclosed technology advantageously mitigate the threat of hacking an in-flight entertainment system on an aircraft by ensuring that a peripheral device establishes an encryption key with the host systems upon powering up, using it only for the duration of that power cycle. An exemplary method for secure data communication includes generating, by a host device upon determining a power-up sequence has been performed, a random key, generating, using a static pre-shared key, an encrypted version of the random key, transmitting, to a peripheral device, the encrypted version of the random key, receiving, from the peripheral device, a message encrypted using the random key, and performing, using the random key and subsequent to the receiving, one or more communications with the peripheral device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventor: Philip Watson
  • Patent number: 10838681
    Abstract: An entertainment system for a vehicle for a vehicle accommodating a passenger with a personal electronic device executing a screen sharing application. The system information processing devices, with each information processing device including a data processor, and one or more of the information processing devices including a display monitor. The system includes a WLAN access point configured to establish a wireless data communications link with the personal electronic device. A screen sharing server executed by the data processor of one of the information processing devices is receptive to a display data stream generated on the portable electronic device based upon a redirected display output and transmitted to the screen sharing server over the wireless data communications link. The display data stream is transmitted following pairing of the screen sharing application with the information processing device including a display monitor, and the received display data stream rendered thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates
  • Patent number: 10834168
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a transportation vehicle are provided. For example, one method includes providing a seat identifier and/or a transportation vehicle identifier in a request to access a webpage via an Internet connection from a seatback device of a transportation vehicle; selecting a server that is not located on the transportation vehicle for providing content to the seatback device; executing a remote browser at the server for retrieving content from the Internet for the seatback device, without having to execute a browser at the seatback device; and rendering content at the seatback device as an image of the content retrieved by the remote browser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation
    Inventors: Sarvamangala Hendi, Philip Watson, Paul Margis
  • Publication number: 20200349880
    Abstract: A wallpaper-like audio/visual system includes a display array of display pixels to emit an image, an array of speakers to emit audio, and driver circuitry coupled to the display array and the array of speakers to drive the display pixels and the speakers with the first and second signals, respectively, in response to receiving audio and visual input signals. The speakers are interspersed amongst the display pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Raj B. Apte
  • Patent number: 10817675
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for communicating an announcement to passengers on a transportation vehicle. For example, one method includes providing an information system on the vehicle having at least one of a wireless access point and a plurality of seat display devices and operating the information system to communicate with the wireless access point or the seat display devices. The method includes playing audio corresponding to the announcement over a public address system of the vehicle, and causing text corresponding to the audio to display on the seat display devices or personal electronic devices in communication with the wireless access point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation
    Inventors: Philip Watson, Steven Bates