Remote NFC device with aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) seatback

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11077945-B2
Application number	US-201916673632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2019
Priority date	Nov 4, 2019
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments are directed at devices, methods, and systems for association of reader devices to IFE monitors in a commercial passenger vehicle. An example method includes determining at a client computing system included in an IFE monitor that at least one reader device is remotely located from the client computing system; using a wired Ethernet connection to a server, the client computing system requesting the server to discover an electronic tag information; and upon the client computing system receiving the electronic tag information from the server over the wired Ethernet connection, the client computing system processing the electronic tag information, wherein another IFE monitor supplies electrical power to the at least one reader device, wherein the client computing system is unaware of a physical location of the at least one reader device, and wherein the server is included in the another IFE monitor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system of communicating with a reader device in a commercial passenger vehicle comprising:
an in-flight entertainment (IFE) client configured to run on a first IFE monitor located at a first seat, the IFE client including instructions to:
determine at the IFE client that at least one reader device is remotely located from the IFE client;
using a wired Ethernet connection to a server, requesting the server to discover an electronic tag information; and
upon the IFE client receiving the electronic tag information from the server over the wired Ethernet connection, the IFE client processing the electronic tag information, and wherein the IFE client is unaware of a physical location of the at least one reader device; and

a second IFE monitor located at a second seat for supplying electrical power to the at least one reader device, where the second IFE monitor includes the server communicably coupled to the at least one reader device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second seat is located immediately behind the first seat, and the reader device is removably coupled to a hand rest of the second seat.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to determine that the at least one reader device is remotely located from the IFE client includes a self-identification by the IFE client as being a part of the first IFE monitor.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to determine that the at least one reader device is remotely located from the IFE client includes reading a configuration information available to the IFE client.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein using the wired Ethernet connection includes a use of an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the IFE client.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the IP address is a dynamically-configurable network address.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the IFE client includes further instructions to:
upon processing the electronic tag information, launch an application program associated with the electronic tag information.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the electronic tag information corresponds to user transaction data received from a mobile device wirelessly coupled to the at least one reader device.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the mobile device is wirelessly coupled to the at least one reader device using near field communications (NFC).

10. A computer-implemented method of communicating with a reader device in a commercial passenger vehicle, comprising:
determining, at a client computing system associated with an inflight entertainment (IFE) monitor that at least one reader device is remotely located from the client computing system;
using a wired Ethernet connection to a server, the client computing system requesting the server to discover an electronic tag information, wherein the server is associated with another IFE monitor; and
upon the client computing system receiving the electronic tag information from the server over the wired Ethernet connection, the client computing system processing the electronic tag information,
wherein the another IFE monitor supplies electrical power to the at least one reader device, where the another IFE monitor includes the server communicably coupled to the at least one reader device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining that the at least one reader device is remotely located from the client computing system client includes a self-identification by the client computing system as being a part of the IFE monitor, further comprising:
identifying that the at least one reader device is connected to the server, wherein the IFE monitor is located at a back portion of a passenger seat, and wherein the another IFE monitor is located immediately behind the passenger seat associated with the IFE monitor.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining that the at least one reader device is remotely located from the client computing system client includes a self-identification by the client computing system as being a part of the IFE monitor, further comprising:
identifying that the at least one reader device is connected to the server, wherein the IFE monitor is located at a bulk head portion of the commercial passenger vehicle, and wherein the another IFE monitor is located immediately behind the bulk head portion associated with the IFE monitor.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining that the at least one reader device is remotely located from the client computing system includes reading a configuration information available to the client computing system.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining that the at least one reader device is remotely located from the client computing system corresponds to the at least one reader device removably attached to a hand rest of a seat that is located immediately behind a seat associated with the IFE monitor.

15. A system of communicating with a reader device in an commercial passenger vehicle comprising:
an IFE client configured to run on an IFE monitor placed at a back of a passenger seat, the IFE client including instructions to:
determine at the IFE client that at least one reader device is remotely located from the IFE client;
using a wired Ethernet connection to a server, requesting the server to discover an electronic tag information; and
upon the IFE client receiving the electronic tag information from the server over the wired Ethernet connection, the IFE client processing the electronic tag information, and wherein the IFE client is unaware of a physical location of the at least one reader device; and
a line replacement unit located behind the seat, the line replacement unit supplying electrical power to the at least one reader device using a USB connection, where the line replacement unit includes the server communicatively coupled to the at least one reader device.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the line replacement unit is located immediately behind the seat, and the at least one reader device is removably coupled to a hand rest of the seat.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the instructions to determine that the at least one reader device is remotely located from the IFE client includes a self-identification by the IFE client as being a part of the IFE monitor.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the instructions to determine that the at least one reader device is remotely located from the IFE client includes reading a configuration information available to the IFE client.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein using the wired Ethernet connection includes a use of an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the IFE client.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one reader device is a near field communications (NFC) device, and wherein, a user transaction data received at the NFC device is sent to the IFE client by the server over the wired Ethernet connection.

Assignees

• Panasonic Avionics Corp

Inventors

• Kim Sang Hyup
• Zheng He
• Patel Nirav
• Miller Shawn

Classifications

• H04L61/5007

  Internet protocol [IP] addresses · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title

• B64D11/00155 Primary

  Individual entertainment or communication system remote controls therefor, located in or connected to seat components, e.g. to seat back or arm rest · CPC title

• B64D11/00151

  Permanently mounted seat back monitors · CPC title

• G06F1/3203

  Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode · CPC title