US5959596A — Airline-based video game and communications system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 147 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 one or more of said plurality of programs and data downloaded from said master control computer, said plurality of programs including at least an application program and a game program; downloading initiating and control circuitry detecting whether information to be downloaded is an application program, a game program, or data and configuring at least one memory in said memory system differently depending on whether the information being downloaded is detected as an application program, a game program, or data, and storing the downloaded information in the configured one memory; and a first data processor, coupled to said memory system, for executing at least one of said plurality of programs downloaded from said master control computer.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 147 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 one or more of said plurality of programs and data downloaded from said master control computer, said plurality of programs including at least an application program and a game program; downloading initiating and control circuitry detecting whether information to be downloaded is an application program, a game program, or data and configuring at least one memory in said memory system differently depending on whether the information being downloaded is detected as an application program, a game program, or data, and storing the downloaded information in the configured one memory; and a first data processor, coupled to said memory system, for executing at least one of said plurality of programs downloaded from said master control computer.

Claim 3

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 4

Dependent Claim 104 words

A passenger seat display unit in accordance with claim 1, wherein the memory system is included on a memory system circuit board and the first data processor is included on a computer circuit board, the passenger seat display unit further including; a display, and a second processor included on the memory system circuit board, coupled to said first data processor on the computer circuit board, for performing interfacing tasks for said first processor including interfacing with the memory system and the master control computer and for receiving said at least one of said plurality of programs to be executed by said first data processor.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 39 words

A passenger seat display unit in accordance with claim 3, further including a display processing unit included on the computer circuit board coupled to said first data processor for generating a video signal for displaying on said display screen.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 28 words

A passenger seat display unit according to claim 3, wherein the second processor provides data indicative of the type of program download operation which is to be attempted.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 37 words

The passenger seat display unit in claim 1, wherein the downloading initiating and control circuitry configures a number of memory banks in the memory system based on whether an application program, game program, or data is detected.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 43 words

The passenger seat display unit in claim 4, wherein the downloading initiating and control circuitry configures a memory bank number corresponding to one of plural memory banks in the memory system based on whether an application program, game program, or data is detected.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 36 words

The passenger seat display unit in claim 7, wherein the downloading initiating and control circuitry configures a starting address for the one memory bank based on whether an application program, game program, or data is detected.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 37 words

The passenger seat display unit in claim 7, wherein the downloading initiating and control circuitry configures a number of bytes in the one memory bank based on whether an application program, game program, or data is detected.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 35 words

The passenger seat display unit in claim 1, wherein the memory system includes: a pseudo-static RAM for storing either a downloaded game program or a downloaded applications program, and another RAM for storing download data.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 45 words

The passenger seat display unit in claim 1, wherein the memory system includes plural memory mapped modes, and wherein the downloading initiating and control circuitry includes one or more registers for configuring the memory system in accordance with one of the plural memory mapped modes.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 31 words

The passenger seat display unit in claim 1, wherein the downloading initiating and control circuitry includes one or more registers for controlling a speed at which a downloaded program is executed.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 35 words

The passenger seat display unit in claim 1, wherein the downloading initiating and control circuitry includes a boot ROM program that when executed initiates and controls the downloading of information from the master control computer.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 35 words

The passenger seat display unit in claim 13, wherein the downloading initiating and control circuitry includes one or more registers for determining whether the boot ROM program or the downloaded program is to be executed.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 152 words

In a passenger entertainment system having a master control unit and at least one seat display unit, a method of operating said passenger entertainment system comprising the steps of: initiating a program download request in response to the execution of a program at said at least one seat display unit including requesting information as to the type of download operation; requesting the program to be downloaded by file number; downloading from said master control unit the requested program having the requested file number to said at least one seat display unit along with information specifying the type of download operation; and storing said requested program in a memory configurable in a number of predetermined different memory configurations in said at least one seat display unit requesting said file number, said requested program being stored in one of the number of predetermined different memory configurations in accordance with the type of download operation.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 152 words

In a passenger entertainment system having a master control unit and at least one seat display unit, a method of operating said passenger entertainment system comprising the steps of: initiating a program download request in response to the execution of a program at said at least one seat display unit including requesting information as to the type of download operation; requesting the program to be downloaded by file number; downloading from said master control unit the requested program having the requested file number to said at least one seat display unit along with information specifying the type of download operation; and storing said requested program in a memory configurable in a number of predetermined different memory configurations in said at least one seat display unit requesting said file number, said requested program being stored in one of the number of predetermined different memory configurations in accordance with the type of download operation.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 167 words

In a passenger entertainment system having a master control unit and at least one seat display unit, a method of operating said passenger entertainment system comprising the steps of: initiating a program download request in response to the execution of a program at said at least one seat display unit; requesting the program to be downloaded by file number; downloading from said master control unit to said at least one seat display unit the requested program having the requested file number and configuration information indicating how the requested program should be stored in a memory; and storing said requested program in the memory in said at least one seat display unit requesting said file number in accordance with the configuration information indicating how the requested program should be stored in the memory; wherein said downloading step includes the step of monitoring the downloaded program and configuration information and aborting the downloading operation if the downloaded program and configuration information being monitored are not in a predetermined format.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 167 words

In a passenger entertainment system having a master control unit and at least one seat display unit, a method of operating said passenger entertainment system comprising the steps of: initiating a program download request in response to the execution of a program at said at least one seat display unit; requesting the program to be downloaded by file number; downloading from said master control unit to said at least one seat display unit the requested program having the requested file number and configuration information indicating how the requested program should be stored in a memory; and storing said requested program in the memory in said at least one seat display unit requesting said file number in accordance with the configuration information indicating how the requested program should be stored in the memory; wherein said downloading step includes the step of monitoring the downloaded program and configuration information and aborting the downloading operation if the downloaded program and configuration information being monitored are not in a predetermined format.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 27 words

A method according to claim 16, wherein said monitoring step includes the step of checking to determine whether a number of expected memory banks has been transmitted.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 38 words

A method according to claim 16, wherein said monitoring step includes the step of checking to determine whether a starting address identifying the memory location at which a downloaded program is expected to be stored has been transmitted.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 183 words

A passenger entertainment system for generating a videographics display on a plurality of passenger seat display units, comprising: a host computer having a memory for storing a plurality of programs, wherein said at least one of said plurality of programs is a video game program, and an array of videographics processing systems, each videographics processing system having a video game processor subsystem including: a central processing unit, and a picture processing unit coupled to the central processing unit for generating a video signal which is coupled to the passenger seat display unit, and a memory subsystem including: memory system for receiving at least one of said plurality of computer programs downloaded from said host computer, and an interface control processor for receiving information to be processed by the central processing unit; wherein each memory subsystem stores program information and moving object and background character data, and wherein each videographics processor executes a program stored in an associated memory subsystem, generates a videographics display at a passenger seat display unit, and processes moving object and background character data stored in the associated memory subsystem.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 183 words

A passenger entertainment system for generating a videographics display on a plurality of passenger seat display units, comprising: a host computer having a memory for storing a plurality of programs, wherein said at least one of said plurality of programs is a video game program, and an array of videographics processing systems, each videographics processing system having a video game processor subsystem including: a central processing unit, and a picture processing unit coupled to the central processing unit for generating a video signal which is coupled to the passenger seat display unit, and a memory subsystem including: memory system for receiving at least one of said plurality of computer programs downloaded from said host computer, and an interface control processor for receiving information to be processed by the central processing unit; wherein each memory subsystem stores program information and moving object and background character data, and wherein each videographics processor executes a program stored in an associated memory subsystem, generates a videographics display at a passenger seat display unit, and processes moving object and background character data stored in the associated memory subsystem.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 24 words

A passenger entertainment system in accordance with claim 19, wherein said at least one of said plurality of programs is a video game program.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 44 words

A passenger entertainment system in accordance with claim 19, wherein each of said videographics processing systems includes a central processing unit and a boot read-only memory for storing a program to be executed by said central processing unit upon the power being turned off.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 141 words

In a passenger entertainment system having a host computer, an array of videographics processing systems, and a plurality of passenger seat display devices, a method of operating said passenger entertainment system comprising the steps of: displaying a display menu at one or more of said passenger seat display devices to permit the selection of one of a plurality of videographics program options; modifying the configuration of memory space in said videographics processing system using configuration control circuitry depending upon the program to be downloaded; downloading a program in response to a passenger selection from said host computer to a videographics processing system associated with said one or more of said passenger seat display devices; checking information that is downloaded to determine whether a predetermined number indicative of the expected number of memory banks has been transmitted; and executing the downloaded program.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 141 words

In a passenger entertainment system having a host computer, an array of videographics processing systems, and a plurality of passenger seat display devices, a method of operating said passenger entertainment system comprising the steps of: displaying a display menu at one or more of said passenger seat display devices to permit the selection of one of a plurality of videographics program options; modifying the configuration of memory space in said videographics processing system using configuration control circuitry depending upon the program to be downloaded; downloading a program in response to a passenger selection from said host computer to a videographics processing system associated with said one or more of said passenger seat display devices; checking information that is downloaded to determine whether a predetermined number indicative of the expected number of memory banks has been transmitted; and executing the downloaded program.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 132 words

In a passenger entertainment system having a host computer, an array of videographics processing systems, and a plurality of passenger seat display devices, a method of operating said passenger entertainment system comprising the steps of: displaying a display menu at one or more of said passenger seat display devices to permit the selection of one of a plurality of videographics program options; modifying the configuration of said videographics processing system using configuration control circuitry including changing the speed at which a program is to be executed depending upon the program to be downloaded; downloading a program in response to a passenger selection from said host computer to a videographics processing system associated with said one or more of said passenger seat display devices; and executing the downloaded program at the modified speed.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 132 words

In a passenger entertainment system having a host computer, an array of videographics processing systems, and a plurality of passenger seat display devices, a method of operating said passenger entertainment system comprising the steps of: displaying a display menu at one or more of said passenger seat display devices to permit the selection of one of a plurality of videographics program options; modifying the configuration of said videographics processing system using configuration control circuitry including changing the speed at which a program is to be executed depending upon the program to be downloaded; downloading a program in response to a passenger selection from said host computer to a videographics processing system associated with said one or more of said passenger seat display devices; and executing the downloaded program at the modified speed.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2002-09-27	2003-03-29	2003-09-28	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2006-09-27	2007-03-29	2007-09-28	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2010-09-27	2011-03-29	2011-09-28	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Airline-based video game and communications system

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