In-Flight Entertainment Device Location Sequencing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In fully wireless in-flight entertainment systems, determining the physical location of devices is challenging due to their appearance as peers on the network, making it difficult for accurate system status reporting and targeted service delivery based on aircraft cabin-class or location.
Innovation Solution
A method involving storing electronic representations of potential device locations and sequentially actuating devices to associate them with unique locations, either through direct sequencing by activating input controls or indirect sequencing by manually recording device identifiers, ensures accurate location determination and minimizes operator error.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wireless devices are used in IFE systems, then device mobility and installation flexibility are improved, but the ability to determine physical device locations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by sequentially actuating devices in a predetermined order before full system operation. Each device is assigned a location based on its actuation sequence, establishing location information before the device needs to report status or receive services. This preliminary location registration resolves the contradiction by proactively assigning locations rather than attempting to determine them during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary location registration process that mediates between the wireless device and the system's location determination needs. A server maintains an electronic representation of potential device locations, and devices are assigned to these locations through the sequential actuation process. This intermediary mechanism enables location tracking in wireless systems without requiring physical wired connections for location determination.
2Measurement precision
If manual location registration is used, then location accuracy is improved, but time consumption and operator error increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service location registration through automatic sequential actuation of devices. Instead of requiring manual operator intervention to record each device's location, the system automatically assigns locations based on the predetermined sequence in which devices are actuated. This eliminates operator error and significantly reduces registration time while maintaining accurate location assignment, directly resolving the contradiction between accuracy and time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of location registration with an automated electronic system. The sequential actuation of devices triggers automatic location assignment through electronic communication between devices, the server, and the system controller. This substitution of manual operations with automated electronic processes eliminates the time loss and potential errors associated with manual registration while preserving location accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If devices are actuated in sequence, then location assignment accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves location assignment accuracy without increasing device complexity by implementing a universal actuation sequence that applies to all devices regardless of type or location. The predetermined sequencing order provides a simple, consistent rule that can be implemented across diverse wireless devices in the IFE system. This universal approach maintains accuracy while avoiding the need for complex device-specific sequencing logic.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of determining locations, types, and quantities of devices within a vehicle, in particular for in flight entertainment systems. Methods of the inventive subject matter include general sequencing, indirect sequencing, and direct sequencing. In indirect sequencing, each device connected to the in flight entertainment system's wireless network is actuated in a predetermined sequence such that the in flight entertainment system can record locations of the different devices connected to it and then correlate the device locations to a set of potential device locations. In direct sequencing, information from each device is manually collected in sequence and then correlated to potential device locations.