Aircraft Audio Multiplexer Reducing Hardware Complexity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft cabin systems require multiple hardware devices and complex cabling for transmitting audio data between cabin management and inflight entertainment systems, leading to increased weight, cost, and maintenance expenses.
Innovation Solution
The system multiplexes audio channels before encoding into the AES-3 format, using a single AES-3 interface per transmission direction, with a multiplexer interlinking audio signals from multiple sources into a single data stream and a demultiplexer depacketing the stream for playback devices, avoiding the need for additional hardware and reducing data conversion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple individual analogue interfaces and discrete control lines are used for audio channel transmission, then audio data can be transmitted between CID and IFE systems, but the hardware requirements increase, weight increases, and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple audio channels and their associated control information into a single digital data stream using time-division multiplexing. Instead of using separate analogue interfaces and control lines for each channel, all audio channels are merged into one digital interface that transmits multiple channels sequentially in time-multiplexed fashion, thereby reducing hardware requirements while maintaining full audio transmission capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical separation of multiple analogue interfaces and discrete control lines with a digital signal processing approach. By converting analogue audio signals to digital format and transmitting them as time-multiplexed data packets over a single digital interface, the system eliminates the need for multiple physical connections while preserving all audio channels
2Measurement precision
If multiple AES-3 interfaces are used to transmit multiple audio channels, then high-quality digital audio transmission is achieved, but the number of hardware devices increases and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple AES-3 audio channels into a single time-division multiplexed digital stream. Instead of requiring separate AES-3 interfaces for each audio channel, the system combines all channels into one multiplexed interface that transmits them sequentially, maintaining digital audio quality while reducing the number of physical interfaces and associated hardware weight
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic time-division multiplexing where audio channels are transmitted in periodic time slots. Each audio channel is assigned specific time intervals for transmission, allowing multiple high-quality digital audio channels to share a single interface through periodic time-multiplexed transmission, thereby reducing hardware while preserving audio fidelity
3Loss of information
If separate control lines are used for each audio channel, then channel information can be transmitted accurately, but the cabling complexity increases and maintenance expenses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges separate control lines for each audio channel into a single digital data stream. Control information such as channel activation status and priority levels is packaged together with audio data in time-multiplexed data packets, allowing all control information for multiple channels to be transmitted through one interface rather than requiring separate control lines for each channel
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of separate control lines with a digital information packaging approach. Control information is encoded as data packets that travel alongside audio data in the time-division multiplexed stream, eliminating the need for separate physical control connections while maintaining accurate transmission of channel information
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a system and method for transmitting audio data in a combined cabin management system in an aircraft with the steps: playing back entertainment programs and providing communications possibilities with an entertainment system (1), which is connected to several first audio data sources (3) and to several first audio playback devices (4), setting and displaying cabin parameters with a control system (2), which is connected to several second audio data sources (8) and to several second audio playback devices (9), transmitting audio data between the control system (2) and the entertainment system (1) with several audio channels (6) each with a coding device (5) and a decoding device (7) respectively. In order to be able to carry out the transmission of audio data and associated information by using commercially available coding chips with the lowest possible expense, the steps are provided: interlinking the audio signals from the several audio data sources (3; 8) into one data stream through a multiplexer (12), via which the coding device (5) is connected to several audio data sources (3; 8), and depacketing the data stream into audio signals for the several audio playback devices (4; 9) through a demultiplexer (15) via which the decoding device (7) is connected to several audio playback devices (4; 9), wherein the audio data are transmitted between the coding device (5) and the decoding device (7) with a predetermined resolution.