Michael Christopher Keen

US Patent:

6748597, Jun 8, 2004

Filed:

Apr 7, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/544883

Inventors:

Jeffrey A. Frisco - Palm Bay FL
Michael Keen - Malabar FL

Assignee:

Live TV, Inc. - Melbourne FL

International Classification:

H04N 718

US Classification:

725 76, 725 74, 725 75, 725 77, 725 63

Abstract:

A method for installing and operating an aircraft in-flight entertainment system preferably includes installing an entertainment source on the aircraft; installing spaced apart signal distribution devices, each generating audio signals for at least one passenger in an audio-only mode, and generating audio and video signals to at least one passenger in an audio/video mode; installing a cable network connecting the entertainment source to the signal distribution devices; and operating the aircraft in-flight entertainment system with at least one predetermined signal distribution device in the audio-only mode. In addition, the method preferably includes later upgrading the aircraft in-flight entertainment system by connecting at least one passenger video display to the at least one predetermined signal distribution device to operate in the audio/video mode and while leaving the cable network unchanged. Accordingly, the downtime experienced by air carrier is greatly reduced over other systems which require significant recabling and other difficult equipment installation operations for upgrading.

US Patent:

6751801, Jun 15, 2004

Filed:

Apr 7, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/545265

Inventors:

Jeffrey A. Frisco - Palm Bay FL
Michael Keen - Malabar FL

Assignee:

Live TV, Inc. - Melbourne FL

International Classification:

H04N 718

US Classification:

725 76, 725 68, 725 69, 725 72, 343705, 343708, 343757, 455 302

Abstract:

An aircraft in-flight entertainment system includes a satellite TV receiver, at least one video display connected to the receiver, and a multi-beam antenna on the aircraft for receiving signals from a plurality of satellite TV transponders. The multi-beam antenna may have right-hand circularly polarized (RHCP) and left-hand circularly polarized (LHCP) beams offset from one another by a beam offset angle. The beam offset angle may be less than an angle defined by the spacing of the DBS transponders. The system may also include an antenna steering positioner connected to the multi-beam antenna, and an antenna steering controller for steering the multi-beam antenna based upon received signals from at least one of the RHCP and LHCP beams. The antenna steering controller may comprise a processor for steering the multi-beam antenna based on a selected master one of the RHCP and LHCP beams and slaving the other beam therefrom. Alternately, the processor may steer the multi-beam antenna based on a predetermined contribution from each of the RHCP and LHCP beams.

US Patent:

7707612, Apr 27, 2010

Filed:

Nov 19, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/716987

Inventors:

Jeffrey A. Frisco - Palm Bay FL, US
Michael Keen - Malabar FL, US

Assignee:

Live TV, Inc. - Melbourne FL

International Classification:

H04N 7/18
G06F 11/00
H04N 7/20

US Classification:

725 76, 725 71, 714 57

Abstract:

An aircraft in-flight entertainment system preferably includes, in one embodiment, a satellite TV receiver, at least one passenger video display connected to the receiver, and a processor connected to the receiver for determining an undesired condition and for generating a substitute image on the passenger video display rather than permit display of an undesired image which would otherwise be produced. The undesired condition may relate to a weak signal or component malfunction. Accordingly, the undesired image may be an undesired default text message or a degraded picture image. Other embodiments of the in-flight entertainment system are directed to providing a moving map image flight information channel integrated with the programming channels of the system.

US Patent:

62083074, Mar 27, 2001

Filed:

Apr 7, 2000

Appl. No.:

9/544959

Inventors:

Jeffrey A. Frisco - Palm Bay FL
Michael Keen - Malabar FL

Assignee:

Live TV, Inc. - Melbourne FL

International Classification:

H01Q3/00

US Classification:

343757

Abstract:

An aircraft in-flight entertainment system includes an antenna, a satellite TV receiver connected to the antenna, at least one video display connected to the satellite TV receiver, and wherein the antenna is steered using received signals from the relatively wide bandwidth from at least one satellite TV transponder, such as a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) transponder. The system may include an antenna steering positioner connected to the antenna, and an antenna steering controller comprising the received signal detector for generating a received signal strength feedback signal based upon signals from the at least one satellite TV transponder. A processor may be connected to the detector for controlling the antenna steering positioner during aircraft flight and based upon the received signal strength feedback signal. The antenna steering controller may further comprise at least one inertial rate sensor, and the processor may calibrate the sensor based upon the received signal strength feedback signal. The antenna steering controller may also include a global positioning system (GPS) receiver connected to the processor, and the processor may further calibrate the rate sensor based upon the GPS receiver.