Onboard OTT Caching and Credential Management for Aircraft
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Solution Overview
Problem
It is challenging to present over-the-top (OTT) content on aircraft and other transportation vehicles due to lack of network connectivity and the unique operating environment, which hinders the secure availability of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Inc., Disney+, Hulu, and Paramount+.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a ground caching device and an on-board OTT cache that pre-cache OTT content based on user preferences and viewing history, along with methods for managing OTT credentials through wireless connections or seat device cameras, enables secure access to OTT content even without internet connectivity, using passenger data for authentication and caching high-resolution content for smoother playback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If OTT content is streamed directly during flight, then network connectivity is required, but network connectivity is unavailable during most flights
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-loads OTT content onto the aircraft before departure using ground-based caching devices and onboard storage systems. This preliminary action ensures content is available offline during flight, eliminating the need for network connectivity during streaming.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate caching layers including ground-based caching devices that transfer content to onboard servers, and onboard storage systems that distribute content to seat devices. These intermediaries bridge the gap between offline aircraft operations and OTT content delivery.
2Ease of operation
If OTT credentials are stored on multiple devices, then user convenience is improved, but security and privacy are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces trusted intermediaries including the airline's authentication server and encrypted transmission channels that mediate between the user's personal device and the seat device. Credentials are never stored on the seat device itself but are transmitted through encrypted channels and validated by trusted servers, maintaining security while enabling convenient access.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of storing actual credentials on multiple devices, the system creates secure temporary copies or tokens that are validated by the authentication server. Each seat device receives a temporary access token that is validated without storing the actual credentials, thus enabling multi-device access while preserving security.
3Manufacturing precision
If high-resolution OTT content is cached onboard, then playback quality is improved, but storage requirements and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The caching system is segmented into multiple distributed storage locations throughout the aircraft, including onboard servers at the aircraft level and local storage at each seat device. This segmentation allows high-resolution content to be cached in distributed fashion, reducing the complexity burden on any single component while maintaining overall system capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to content delivery by implementing pre-loading mechanisms that transfer content during ground operations before departure. This shifts the storage and transfer burden from the flight period to the ground period, allowing high-resolution content to be cached without compromising in-flight system simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for a transportation vehicle. One method includes linking, by a processor of an electronic device of a user, a frequent flyer (“FF”) account credential with a streaming service account credential of a streaming service; storing, by an aircraft, an FF token with user data; pre-fetching, by an aircraft, media content from the streaming service based on user viewing history; receiving, by a seat device of the aircraft, the FF token from the electronic device for authentication during a first flight to access the media content, the seat device paired with the electronic device; authenticating, by the seat device, the FF token using the stored user data; presenting, by the seat device, the media content; and updating, by the seat device, the FF token with user viewing history of the media content indicating when presentation of the media content on the seat device was stopped.