Patent ID: 7280134
Filing Date: 2007-10-09
Classification: B64D,H04N,Y02T

Abstract:
1. In combination, a closed circuit television system mounted to an aircraft for an in flight entertainment system for the aircraft, comprising: said aircraft having a centerline and a surface and including an in flight entertainment local area network providing audio and video output; a video camera providing a field of view directed forwardly and downwardly of the aircraft's centerline and a plurality of separate video images, the video camera being mounted to the aircraft and having a wide angle lens with an aspect ratio rotatable 90° about a mounting axis directed forwardly and downwardly of the aircraft's centerline and that is perpendicular to a tangent to the surface of the aircraft to provide said field of view directed forwardly and downwardly of the aircraft's centerline with a view domain from horizon to horizon left to right relative to the aircraft, and forward and aft relative to the aircraft; a first plurality of video display modules for a corresponding first portion of a plurality of passengers, and a second plurality of video display modules for a corresponding second portion of said plurality of passengers, said first plurality of display modules and said second plurality of display modules being connected to said in flight entertainment local area network; a video camera control module connected to said video camera for receiving said plurality of separate video images, and connected to said in flight entertainment local area network for providing a forward view image, a downward view image, and an omniview frame image, based upon said plurality of separate video images; a first plurality of interactive personal control units corresponding to said first portion of said plurality of passengers, said first plurality of interactive personal control units being connected to said in flight entertainment local area network and interfacing between said first portion of said plurality of passengers and said video camera control module, each of said first plurality of interactive personal control units corresponding to respective ones of said first plurality of video display modules and connected to said video camera control module for receiving said forward view image and said downward view image to permit each of said first portion of said plurality of passengers to independently select between said forward view image and said downward view image for each of said first plurality video display modules for said corresponding first portion of said plurality of passengers; and a second plurality of interactive personal control units corresponding to said second portion of said plurality of passengers, said second plurality of interactive personal control units being connected to said in flight entertainment local area network and interfacing between said plurality of passengers and said video camera control module, each of said second plurality of interactive personal control units corresponding to respective ones of said second plurality of video display modules and connected to said video camera control module for receiving said omniview frame image to permit each of said second portion of said plurality of passengers to independently select a desired field of view for each of said second plurality video display modules for said corresponding second portion of said plurality of passengers from said omniview frame image.