Vehicle Entertainment System with Distributed Smart Monitor Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing in-flight entertainment systems face challenges with server-centric systems, where content accessibility is hindered by server unavailability, and seat-centric systems lack storage capacity and efficient content management, making them time-consuming to update across multiple seats.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid system with a server storing media files and smart monitors equipped with local content storage, program logic that prioritizes media file availability from multiple sources, including the server, other smart monitors, and local storage, ensuring continuous content access even with communication path failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a server-centric system is used to store and provide media files, then content management and storage capacity are improved, but content accessibility deteriorates when the server becomes inaccessible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized server storage into distributed storage across multiple smart monitors. Each smart monitor stores a subset of media files locally, creating a segmented storage architecture that maintains both the storage capacity benefits of server-centric systems and the accessibility benefits of having local copies, thereby resolving the contradiction between centralized management and distributed availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements copying by creating multiple copies of media files across different smart monitors. Instead of relying on a single server copy, the system distributes copies of media files to multiple client devices, ensuring that if one server becomes inaccessible, content can still be accessed from other sources.
2Reliability
If a seat-centric system with local content storage is used, then content accessibility is improved, but storage capacity and content management capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes smart monitors multi-functional by enabling them to serve both as client devices for local content playback and as distributed storage nodes. Each smart monitor can function independently with local content or connect to the network to access additional content from the server or other smart monitors, thereby achieving both local accessibility and expanded storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the advantages of server-centric and seat-centric systems by combining centralized server storage with distributed local storage on smart monitors. This hybrid approach integrates the content management capability of servers with the accessibility benefits of local storage, creating a unified system that leverages both architectures.
3Reliability
If multiple servers and redundant communication pathways are provided, then content accessibility is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling smart monitors to autonomously determine and switch between content sources. The program logic on each smart monitor automatically checks for local content availability and switches to alternative sources (other smart monitors or server) without requiring complex centralized control or manual intervention, thereby achieving redundancy with minimal added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic source selection where the system adaptively chooses the optimal content source based on real-time availability. The smart monitors dynamically switch between local storage, network streaming from other monitors, and server access, creating a flexible and adaptive system that maintains simplicity while ensuring content accessibility.
4Reliability
If content is loaded on each client device in seat-centric systems, then content accessibility is improved, but content update time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-loading a subset of media files onto smart monitors during system initialization or maintenance periods. This allows content to be available locally for immediate playback without requiring real-time server connectivity, while updates can be performed systematically across the distributed network rather than individually on each device.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle entertainment system including a server storing media files, and smart monitors. Each smart monitor presents media selections corresponding to the media files and receives an input from passengers for playing a selection. Each smart monitor includes local content storage storing a subset of the media files. A network connects the smart monitors and server. Program logic executed by each smart monitor performs tasks including determining if a media file corresponding to an input is available from a first source, and if available, playing the media file from the first source; if the media file is not available there, determining if the media file required is available from a second source and if available, playing the media file from the second source; and if the media file is not available from the second source, determining if the media file is available from a third source.