EP0631247A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Video game and communications system to be used on an airplane accessible via an onboared distributed processing system
Assignee: Nintendo Co Ltd
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Filing: 1994-06-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-06-03
Abstract
Abstract An airline-based video game system includes a multitasking master computer (2), which preferably stores video game and other application programs on its hard disk. The master computer is coupled to a set of airplane zone control computers ADBl to ADBN which also perform conventional cabin management tasks. The zone control computers receive data from the master control computer and couple data to identified seat controlling processing units (SEBs). Each SEB receives data from, and couples data to, a set of unique seat display units which are associated with each seat in the airplane. The system downloads application software to the seat display units from the master computer. After receipt of a downloading request, the master computer responds by setting up an application program transmission for generating the display menu which appears on each SDU. The initial applications program downloading results in a menu display at every passenger seat which initiated a request. The applications program is then coupled to each SDU for display on its liquid crystal display screen. The display menu advantageously permits each passenger to select between various operating modes including: movies, games, shopping, survey forms, language selection, communication/data processing services. Communication or data processing services permit selection of in-flight phone services, word processing services, and facsimile services. If a user opts for video game play, then the available game titles and/or descriptions thereof are displayed. The SDU includes interface processors and associated hardware and software which enable high speed downloading operations to be efficiently performed. The master computer initiates a high speed video game program downloading process to enable the user to play the selected video game.
Inventors
- 👤 David J. Mccarten
- 👤 Darren C. Smith
- 👤 Kenji Nishizawa
- 👤 Ramin Ravanpey
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 06:10
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/20; H04N21/21; H04N21/214; H04N21/2146; A; A63; A63F; A63F13/00; A63F13/30; A63F13/35; A63F13/70; A63F13/77; H04N21/2143; A63F2300/00; A63F2300/40; A63F2300/402; A63F2300/409; A63F2300/50; A63F2300/55; A63F2300/552
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 58
Claim 1
Independent Claim
119 words
In an airline-based communication system having a master control computer including a storage device for storing a plurality of computer programs, a passenger seat display unit comprising: a memory system for receiving at least one of said plurality of programs a first data processor, coupled to said memory system for executing at least one of said plurality of programs stored in said storage device; and a second processor, coupled to said first data processor, for performing interface tasks for said first processor and for receiving said at least one of said plurality of programs to be executed by said first data processor, whereby said at least one of said plurality of programs may be loaded into said memory system.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
25 words
A passenger seat display unit in accordance with claim 1, wherein said at least one of said plurality of programs is a video game program.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A passenger seat display unit in accordance with claim 1 further including a display for displaying videographics data resulting from the execution of said at least one of said plurality of programs.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A passenger seat display unit in accordance with claim 3, wherein said display is a liquid crystal display unit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A passenger seat display unit in accordance with claim 1, further including a display, and a display interface processor coupled to said second processor, and said display.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
A passenger seat display unit in accordance with claim 1, further including a tuner coupled to said second processor for receiving said at least one of said plurality of programs from said master control computer and for coupling said at least one of said plurality of programs to said second processor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A passenger seat display unit in accordance with claim 6, further including a display coupled to said tuner, and an interface processor coupled to said tuner and said second processor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A passenger seat display unit in accordance with claim 7, further including a card reader, coupled to said interface processor, for reading indicia embodied on a passenger's card.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
A passenger seat display unit in accordance with claim 1, further including a display screen and display processing unit coupled to said first data processor for generating a video signal for displaying on said display screen.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
A passenger seat display unit according to claim 1, further including an interface processor coupled to said second processor for providing data indicative of the type of program download operation which is to be attempted.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A passenger seat display unit according to claim 10, further including a display coupled to said interface processor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
81 words
An airplane based entertainment system comprising: a master control unit having a memory for storing a plurality of programs, a passenger seat based data processing unit associated with substantially every passenger seat on said airplane, each of said seat based data processor units being coupled to said master control unit and including a storage device for receiving at least one of said plurality of programs from said memory and a processor for executing at least one of said plurality of programs.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
An airplane based entertainment system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said at least one of said plurality of programs is a video game program.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
An airplane based entertainment system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said passenger seat based data processing unit further includes a display for displaying videographics data resulting from the execution of said at least one of said plurality of programs.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
An airplane based entertainment system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said display is a liquid crystal display unit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
An airplane based entertainment system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said passenger seat based data processing unit further includes a display interface processor coupled to said display.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
57 words
An airplane based entertainment system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said passenger seat based data processing unit further includes a tuner coupled to said processor for receiving said at least one of said plurality of programs from said master control unit and for coupling said at least one of said plurality of programs to said processor.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
An airplane based entertainment system in accordance with claim 17, further including a display coupled to said tuner, and an interface processor coupled to said tuner and said processor.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
An airplane based entertainment system in accordance with claim 18, wherein said passenger seat display unit further includes a card reader, coupled to said interface processor, for reading indicia embodied on a passenger's card.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
42 words
An airplane based entertainment system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said passenger seat based data processing unit further includes a display screen and display processing unit coupled to said processor for generating a video signal for display on said display screen.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
40 words
An airplane based entertainment system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said passenger seat based data processing unit further includes a boot read-only memory for storing a program to be executed by said processor upon the power being turned on.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
33 words
An airplane based entertainment system according to claim 12, wherein said passenger seat based data processing unit includes an interface control processor for receiving information to be coupled to said processor for processing.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
An airplane based entertainment system according to claim 22 further including a display interface processor coupled to said interface control processor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
41 words
An airplane based entertainment system according to claim 12 wherein said seat based data processing unit includes a display interface processor coupled to said processor to provide data indicative of the type of program download operation which is to be attempted.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
85 words
In an airplane based entertainment system having a master control unit and at least one seat display unit, a method of operating said airplane based entertainment system comprising the steps of: downloading display menu generating software to said at least one seat display unit, executing said display menu generating software at said seat display unit, displaying a display menu at said seat display unit to permit the selection of a plurality of entertainment options; and providing the selected entertainment in response to a passenger selection.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 25, wherein said downloading step includes the step of requesting information as to the type of download operation.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 26, further including the step of responding to the request for information about the type of download operation by an interface processor embodied within the seat display unit.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 25, wherein said downloading step includes the step of monitoring information that is downloaded and aborting the downloading operation if the information being monitored is not in a predetermined format.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 28, wherein said monitoring step includes the step of checking to determine whether the number of expected memory banks has been transmitted.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 28, wherein said monitoring step includes the step of checking to determine whether the expected starting address has been transmitted.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
76 words
In an airplane based entertainment system having a plurality of seat display units, each having a data processor unit and a display, a method of operating said airplane based entertainment system comprising the steps of: displaying at each of said seat display units a display menu identifying a plurality of entertainment options, and providing to each of said plurality of seat display units the entertainment option selected by a passenger associated with said seat display unit.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 31 wherein said displaying step includes the step of displaying indicia indicative of different video games which may be selected for play at a seat display unit.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 32 further including the step of downloading a selected video game to a seat display unit at which said selected video game was selected.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 33, further including the step of executing said selected video game at the seat display unit at which the video game was selected.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 31, further including the step of providing a movie selection option for selecting movies to be viewed at said seat display unit.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 31 further including the step of providing a shopping option which may be selected.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 31 further including the step of providing a communications option which may be selected via said seat display unit.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 37 including the step of providing a facsimile option whcih may be selected.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 31 further including the step of providing a data processing option which may be selected.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 31 further including the step of providing a language option for selection.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
88 words
In a data processing system having a memory system including at least one program memory and processing unit having a predetermined address space for executing programs stored in said at least one program memory, a memory system comprising: a main program memory, a plurality of address mapping registers, a memory control circuit coupled to said plurality of address mapping registers for controlling the location of said main program memory in the address space of said processing unit dependent upon the contents of said plurality of address mapping registers.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
62 words
A memory system according to claim 41, further including a scratch pad memory and a scratch pad memory control circuit coupled to at least one of said plurality of address mapping registers for controlling the location of said scratch pad memory in the address space of said processing unit dependent upon the contents of at least one of said plurality of registers.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
59 words
A memory system according to claim 41, further including a nonvolatile memory and a nonvolatile memory control circuit coupled to at least one of said plurality of address mapping registers for controlling the location of said nonvolatile memory in the address space of said processing unit dependent upon the contents of at least one of said plurality of registers.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
62 words
A memory system according to claim 41, further including a additional program memory and a additional program memory control circuit coupled to at least one of said plurality of address mapping registers for controlling the location of said additional program memory in the address space of said processing unit dependent upon the contents of at least one of said plurality of registers.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
17 words
A memory system according to claim 44, wherein said additional program memory is a boot read-only memory.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
40 words
A memory system according to claim 41, further including decoding logic coupled to each of said plurality of address mapping registers for receiving digital signals and for changing the contents of at least one said plurality of address mapping registers.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
28 words
A memory system according to claim 46, wherein said processing unit includes an address bus and wherein said decoding logic receives said digital signals on said address bus.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
39 words
A memory system according to claim 41, further including an interface processing device for coupling information to said processor unit, and for receiving program information to be loaded into said main program memory for execution by said processor unit.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
40 words
A memory system according to claim 48, further including at least one data bus coupled to said processor unit, at least one one buffer memory coupled to said interface processing device and coupled to said at least one data bus.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
52 words
A memory system according to claim 48, further including an address bus coupled to said processor unit and control logic coupled to said address bus and said interface processing device said control logic controlling in part input/output operations of said interface processing device in response to signals received on said address bus.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
44 words
A memory system according to claim 50, wherein said processor unit includes at least one data bus and control logic includes a plurality latches coupled to said interface processing device for receiving information for or coupling information to said at least one data bus.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
43 words
A memory system according to claim 48, further including halt signal generating logic coupled to said interface processing device and said processor unit for coupling a halt control signal to said processor unit in response to a signal from said interface processing device.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
90 words
In a distributed processing multiprocessor system having a control computer and at least one user interactive processing system, coupled to said control computer, a method of downloading information to said user interactive processing system comprising the step of: requesting by the user interactive processing system a download operation from the control computer, receiving at least one byte of downloaded data, interpreting said at least one byte of data as defining predetermined configuration data; and aborting said downloading operation if said predetermined configuration data is not received in the manner expected.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 53, wherein said predetermined configuration data is the number of memory banks expected.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 53, wherein said configuration data is the starting address expected.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 53, wherein said configuration data is the number of bytes expected.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 53, wherein said step of requesting includes the step of requesting a predetermined type of download.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 57, wherein said request is responded to by an interface processor embodied in said user interactive processing system.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5327158A
Cited
US5291189A
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