The present invention provides an entertainment and passenger service system for use in aircrafts and other passenger vehicles. Video monitors are provided at the passenger seats which are connected to entertainment sources located at an head end location via a direct, individual, point to point signal over a star network. A electronic switching unit is provided to connect the entertainment sources to the video monitors. A communications control unit provides communication connections between th...

An SHF-band receiving apparatus is used for demodulating a signal received by an antenna and input through a cable by using an indoor receiving unit which comprises: demodulation means for demodulating an input signal supplied thereto through the cable; detection means for detecting a detection signal representing the direction of the antenna from a demodulated signal output by the demodulation means; and output means for generating a modulated signal for displaying information on the direction ...

A position measuring apparatus includes a first position measuring device for position measuring a first position by receiving a first radio wave, a second position measuring device for position measuring a second position by receiving a second radio wave, an evaluating unit for evaluating uncertainty of data derived from the first position measuring device and/or the second position measuring device, and a selecting element for selecting data from the first position measuring device or the seco...

Music related information is transmitted to a user over a mobile telephone network, and the user can select a desired music program based on a display listing transmitted from the base station. The transmission speed of the transmitted data is checked and if the transmission speed is below a predetermined rate a data stream is generated every predetermined time with a portion of the music data being left out, so that a listenable audio signal can be produced based on this generated data stream.

A method and apparatus for automating the distribution of audio programming to passenger entertainment systems on-board carriers such as aircraft. Audio signals containing the audio programming are encoded to produce compressed digital audio data signals, and the compressed digital data from the encoded signals are stored and subsequently distributed from a central distribution facility to a plurality of local distribution facilities located at or in the vicinity of airports. The compressed digi...

Broadcast programs, e.g., for an audio information program, are divided into one or more segments and are broadcast to a receiver in packet format. The receiver captures the transmitted packets and reassembles the segments and the program for storage and subsequent output to the user. Segment quality of service is evaluated prior to output by ensuring that a minimum percent of packets per segment are usable, and by ensuring that no more than a maximum number of consecutive packets in the segment...

A method and system for identifying data locations or uniform resource locators associated with physical observations in the real world. The method and system includes selecting certain physical parameters based upon an observation of real world objects and events and associating such physical parameters with data locations on the Internet or other computer network. When the real world object is observed or a real world event occurs, physical parameters relating to the object or event are sensed...

A method and a system of interactive access on the telephone to information elements that have already been broadcast or are being broadcast from a set of sources. For this purpose, the system has a center for the digital recording and management of radio broadcast information elements, accessible through the switched telephone network by keying in a telephone number and the time at which the information to be listened to has been broadcast.

A vehicle computer system has a housing sized to be mounted in a vehicle dashboard or other appropriate location, a computer mounted within the housing, and an open platform operating system which executes on an open hardware architecture computer. The open platform operating system supports multiple different applications that can be supplied by a vehicle user. For instance, the operating system can support applications pertaining to entertainment, navigation, communications, security, diagnost...

A broadcast reception system with improved usability is disclosed. The system includes a broadcast receivable mobile terminal and a server capable of sending and receiving data to and from the mobile terminal. This terminal has a first broadcast receiver and a first communication unit for data communication with the server. The server has a second broadcast receiver, a second communication unit for data communication with the mobile terminal, and a storage unit for storing therein the data recei...