Abstract: An aircraft cabin management system that provides passengers and crew with a number of entertainment and productivity enhancing options. Such options include, without limitation, audio, video, control and status of aircraft data systems and electro-mechanical devices. Located proximate to each seat and in various other strategic locations throughout the cabin is a control unit that acts as the primary means of passenger and crew interaction with the cabin management system. Using a multi-cast distribution methodology, over wired or wireless distribution, allows for an unlimited number of clients to have access to each available audio/video program. This allows the system to be fully scalable from a small 4 seat mobile platform to a large 800+ seat mobile platform. While particularly drawn to aircraft, the cabin management system is also applicable to other venues that have identifiable seating locations such as buses, passenger ships, hotels and auditoriums.

Abstract: A system for capturing flight information such as altitude and airspeed and displaying it in textual format to passengers and crew. Aircraft data is received, parsed and sent over a data network to be received and displayed at passenger seats, galleys and other convenient locations.

Abstract: Methods and systems for data prioritization are described. In one example embodiment, the method includes the steps of assigning data an urgency and importance, and prioritizing the data using the assigned urgency and importance. In one specific example, such prioritization is then used in communicating, e.g., dispatching, the data. For example, such urgency and importance are used in prioritizing data to be communicated between an onboard aircraft system and a ground based system.