Aircraft IFE system cooperating with a personal electronic device (PED) operating as a commerce device and associated methods

摘要

A communications system for an aircraft includes an aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system and at least one personal electronic device (PED) carried by an aircraft passenger. The aircraft IFE system includes an IFE advertisement source, IFE passenger seat displays, an IFE wireless transceiver, an IFE controller, and a purchase acceptance controller. The PED includes a PED optical sensor, a PED wireless transceiver, and a PED controller for communicating with the IFE wireless transceiver via the PED wireless transceiver based upon the PED optical sensor sensing a selected advertisement token image. The purchase acceptance controller cooperates with the IFE controller to accept purchase of the selected advertisement token image.

主权项

1. A communications system for an aircraft comprising:
an aircraft in-flight entertainment (IFE) system comprising:
at least one IFE advertisement source,a plurality of IFE passenger seat displays,at least one IFE wireless transceiver to wirelessly communicate within the aircraft, andat least one IFE controller for generating a respective registration token image on each IFE passenger seat display, for selectively displaying advertisements from said at least one IFE advertisement source on said plurality of IFE passenger seat displays, each advertisement being displayed having a respective advertisement token image associated therewith, and for communicating within the aircraft via said at least one IFE wireless transceiver; and at least one personal electronic device (PED) carried by an aircraft passenger, the at least one PED comprising:
a PED optical sensor,a PED wireless transceiver, anda PED controller for directly communicating with said at least one IFE wireless transceiver via said PED wireless transceiver based upon said PED optical sensor sensing the respective registration token image being displayed, and for sensing a selected advertisement token image being displayed on one of said plurality of IFE passenger seat displays so as to initiate purchase of an advertisement that is also being displayed with the selected advertisement token image; said at least one PED being registered with said aircraft IFE system and assigned to the IFE passenger seat display that generated and displayed the respective registration token image that was sensed by said PED optical sensor, said PED wireless transceiver communicating directly with said at least one IFE wireless transceiver upon registration; and said aircraft IFE system comprising a purchase acceptance controller cooperating with said at least one IFE controller to accept purchase of the advertisement.