Abstract:
An infotainment system for delivering media content to passengers of a multi-passenger vehicle, preferably a train, includes a plurality of personal computing devices having sufficient memory to accommodate a desired media volume. Media content files are stored on multiple supply servers and downloaded and stored directly on the personal computing devices via an at least one server located on board the vehicle. By storing the content on the personal computing devices themselves, vehicle passengers may view individually-selected media files according to the passenger&#39;s own preferences and timetable, without need for streaming from a central server. External servers located in close proximity to the vehicle, and in communication with the at least one on board server aid in facilitating and turnover of media files on the passenger devices and enhancing the overall efficiency of the system.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/533,969 filed on Sep. 13, 2011. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to content delivery systems, and in particular to systems for delivering multimedia content to users via a wireless communication network. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Information and entertainment (i.e. infotainment) systems for delivering multimedia content to users of both public and private transportation, including multi-passenger vehicles, such as airplanes, cars, vans, or buses, or to persons present in waiting areas of transportation facilities, such as airports and railway stations, are known in the art. For example, in-flight infotainment systems are found on many airlines for use on their domestic and international routes. Generally, multimedia content is stored on on-board servers, and users access such content via seat-back mounted, touch screen-based devices. Different content will be updated at different time-points. For example, news content may be updated almost daily or hourly, whereas movies may be updated less frequently, such as monthly. While these sorts of content delivery systems are readily employed in the airline industry, the infotainment concept is relatively new for train travelers. 
         [0004]    On-demand ITES (in-train entertainment system) systems of the prior art variety include an ITES system for providing on-demand TV service via seat-back screens of train passengers. Passengers can watch the latest TV shows, sports, and documentaries on screens similar in size to those found on commercial airplanes and multimedia contents are streamed to individual passenger devices on an on-demand basis from an on-board central server. 
         [0005]    The most common use of infotainment in trains comes in the form of passenger information systems, wherein each train car is fitted with a digital display that shows passengers their current location and trip information, breaking news, local weather, and sports highlights. 
         [0006]    Certain rail companies have installed, or are in the process of installing, wireless access points along railway tracks, for the purpose of facilitating complimentary WiFi service on-board trains and select train stations to allow passengers to remain productive while travelling. However, the use of such wireless access points as a means to deliver multimedia content to train passengers is unreliable as passengers are known to experience occasional connection outages on rail routes and data transmission speed can vary. This Wi-Fi service typically runs on a shared Internet connection that works best when browsing basic Internet content or e-mailing, and users may be asked to refrain from uploading or downloading large files. In addition, access to some websites may be restricted with a view to conserving bandwidth over certain peak periods for the purpose of ensuring a fair level of service to all users. 
         [0007]    Existing passenger train infotainment systems generally fall into one of the following categories: 
         [0000]    a. (C1) On-board server based systems: In these systems, content is stored on on-board severs on each train. User devices mounted on seat-backs do not store content. Rather, content is downloaded on an on-demand basis from the on-board server. The on-board server takes up space and requires significant operator attention, for example, for the purpose of performing system updates, uploading content, and providing system monitoring, and/or maintenance;
 
b. (C2) On-board Internet access systems: In these systems, users can connect their own wireless devices, namely laptops, smartphones and tablet computers, to the Internet via a shared WiFi connection. The WiFi connection from each user device to the Internet constitutes a bottleneck to performance. Accordingly, these systems cannot, for example, guarantee performance of multimedia applications requiring downloads of a large amount of data; and
 
c. (C3) Overhead information display systems: In this category of infotainment systems, information about local weather, sports highlights, and breaking news are shown in each car on wall mounted displays. Passengers have no control over the content presented on such displays.
 
         [0008]    As aforedescribed, existing train infotainment systems suffer from at least the following deficiencies: From a design perspective, owing to the nature of multimedia applications within the given operational environment: (i) these infotainment systems are required to handle tens of gigabytes of data; (ii) hundreds of users will be simultaneously accessing the infotainment system; (iii) the users are mobile; and (iv) the system is required to meet real-time constraints of the infotainment applications to provide a high quality experience to users. Therefore, it is a challenging task to design and deploy a low cost system that meets the real-time requirements of multimedia infotainment applications for users such as train passengers. From a management perspective, transportation operators generally do not employ sufficient resources for use in operating the infotainment system, and, particularly, to minimize the hardware needed onboard the train, monitoring the operational status (e.g. failed or functioning) of the various hardware elements of the system, and collecting data about the quantitative usage of multimedia contents and data about the satisfaction level of users, in order to deliver a better quality of experience to the users (for example, if certain content is determined to be rarely used, then that content should be substituted with different content, with a view to enhancing the user experience). 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention generally relates to an infotainment system for use by a user in a vehicle, such as a train, comprising a plurality of individual computing devices, each computing device having sufficient memory to accommodate a desired media volume, and further comprising, an at least one server for downloading media to the individual computing devices, whereby the user at each computer device may view individually-selected media according to the user&#39;s own desires and timetable, without need for streaming from a central server. 
         [0010]    In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection of multiple media servers and a train infotainment server to the Internet in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing an organization of passenger devices and an on-board server (OBS) in each train car in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram showing an organization of passenger devices and OBS on a multi-car train on a platform with train-side servers (TSS) in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram displaying communication between passenger devices and a Train Infotainment Server (TIS) by means of TSS and OBS in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram illustrating the main interactions among TIS and other media servers in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram illustrating the main interactions among TIS, TSS, OBS, and passenger devices in a car in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram showing the status management of passenger devices in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram displaying the organization of passenger devices and OBS on a multi-car train with track-side access points (TSAP) in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0019]    In the drawings, preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and as an aid to understanding, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    All terms used herein are used in accordance with their ordinary meanings unless the context or definition clearly indicates otherwise. Also, unless indicated otherwise except within the claims the use of “or” includes “and” and vice-versa. Non-limiting terms are not to be construed as limiting unless expressly stated or the context clearly indicates otherwise (for example, “including”, “having”, “characterized by” and “comprising” typically indicate “including without limitation”). Singular forms included in the claims such as “a”, “an” and “the” include the plural reference unless expressly stated or the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other variations of the preferred embodiments described below may also be practiced without departing from the scope of the invention. 
         [0021]    The system of the present invention is particularly intended for use by train passengers, but can be readily adapted to use in other multi-passenger vehicles, such as aircraft, buses, or in waiting areas of facilities such as airports and railway stations. For convenience, trains will be referred to throughout this description, but it should be understood that the principles of the invention can be readily adapted to other environments. 
         [0022]    The system of the present invention involves the storage of select media content on a device associated with each passenger (or user), such that the content can be accessed at the time of playing from the local storage on the device, rather than from a source outside the device. The system of the present invention takes advantage of the fact that certain media content is relatively static on hosted servers and it can take significant time (e.g. days or weeks) for this content to be changed over at its source (for example, some magazines are weekly and some are monthly, and a new movie release may be made available for a number of weeks). The infotainment system of the present invention takes advantage of the relatively static and slow change-over of the third party media content by including capabilities for storing this content on individual passenger devices. The system of the present invention also takes advantage of the fact that trains are often parked at stations for many hours every night. During this time, the system can download and store media contents on individual passenger devices. 
         [0023]    By storing multimedia content on each passenger device, the invention responds to the problems identified in C1, C2, and C3 (above) as follows: The need for bulky servers in each car for real-time streaming of multimedia content to passenger devices is obviated, thereby reducing the need for operator assistance; Passengers receive constant high quality access to multimedia content, because the multimedia content is stored on the passenger devices themselves. Unlike the case C2, application quality does not degrade because the devices do not rely upon a wireless Internet connection to run applications, and the infotainment system of the present invention is interactive. 
         [0024]    The system of the present invention involves delivering multimedia content (also known as media) to seat-mounted passenger devices on trains. Multimedia content may include, for example, magazines, movies, television programs, and video games in digital form. Different types of content are generally stored on one or multiple servers on the Internet. Users access the content via passenger devices, such as tablet computers. The tablet computers are wirelessly connected to communication networks associated with the system. Generally, multimedia content will be generated by third parties and stored on a number of different servers, as illustrated in  FIG. 1  and accessible via the Internet (denoted by reference numeral  100 ). Reference numerals  110 ,  120  and  130  each indicate an at least one server. In  FIG. 1 , the server  110  represents one or more servers to store print media in digital form (for example, magazines are a form of print media. The publisher of a print magazine will generate the digital forms of their magazines and store them on their servers, wherein different publishers are likely to save their contents on different servers). The server  120  represents one or more servers for storing television (TV) programs in digital form, wherein different TV programs are likely to be hosted on different servers  120 . The server  130  represents one or more servers for storing movies in digital form. Each of the at least one servers  110 ,  120  and  130  is connected to the Internet via a physical and logical connection ( 115 ,  125 ,  135 , respectively). For example, the physical connectivity aspect of each connection  115 ,  125 ,  135  can be implemented by means of routers, optical fibres, cables, and wireless access points. The logical connectivity aspect of each connection  115 ,  125 ,  135  can be implemented by stacks of communication protocols, namely, medium access control (MAC) protocol, link layer protocols, Internet Protocol (IP), Transport Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). A train infotainment server (TIS)  200  is connected to the Internet  100  via a connection  205 , and through this connection, the TIS  200  is in network communication with each of the at least one servers  110 ,  120 ,  130 . A processor (not shown) operatively connected to the TIS  200  for controlling operation of the TIS  200  and downloading content from each of the at least one servers  110 ,  120 ,  130  (or any of them) onto the TIS  200  and saves the content on local storage devices. The TIS  200  initiates communication with the passenger devices. The multimedia content servers  110 ,  120 ,  130  and the TIS  200  can be physically located in different geographic locations, but all such servers  110 ,  120 ,  130  and  200  are connected to the Internet  100 . Note that one can easily add multimedia content servers in addition to those servers  110 ,  120 ,  130  indicated in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0025]    As outlined above, multiple media supply servers  110 ,  120 ,  130  store different kinds of multimedia content to be accessed by train passengers. Although a single server can store different classes of content, for reasons of ownership, security, performance, and access control, different classes of multimedia content, each associated with a different owner and/or distributor, will be stored on different servers. Multimedia content from each of the at least one servers  110 ,  120 ,  130  is downloaded onto the train infotainment server (TIS)  200  and saved for dissemination to passenger devices. 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  depicts a plurality of passenger devices  300  and an on-board server (OBS)  400 . The passenger devices  300  are computing devices, namely computer appliances having a memory for accommodating a desired media volume and configured to function as a personal computer, and could include for example a tablet computer, smart phone or similar such device. Optionally, each passenger device  300  is mounted on the back of each seat  315 ,  325  within each train car  350  (wherein seat  325  represents another car seat in front of seat  315 ), such that there are a multitude of devices in each train car  350 . Every passenger device  300  is in network communication with the on-board server  400  in each car. The passenger devices  300  may take the form of general purpose tablet computers with a touch screen, a solid state disk (commonly known as flash memory), and one or more wireless communication interfaces. 
         [0027]    Each OBS  400  is adapted for wireless connection, for example, to the wireless local area network (WLAN) associated with each train car  350 . In addition, at stations, each OBS  400  can be connected to the WLANs associated with the train stations themselves and/or station platforms. Each passenger device  300  of a train car  350  connects with that train car&#39;s OBS  400  via the WLAN of the train, and the OBS  400  and its associated passenger devices  300  can obtain their Internet Protocol (IP) addresses from standard DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) servers accessible via the WLANs. 
         [0028]    Media files from each OBS  400  can be delivered to the passenger devices  300  associated therewith by means of a new application-layer protocol running on top of the standard UDP (User Datagram Protocol) transport protocol by utilizing the multicast capability of the Internet via the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) mechanism. Here the main idea is to reduce the number of transmissions performed by the wireless access points connected to the WLANs of trains while each OBS  400  pushes media files on to the passenger devices  300 . 
         [0029]    Media files from the train infotainment server (TIS)  200  can be pushed onto the on board server  400  by means of: (i) the commonly used FTP (File Transfer Protocol) protocol; or (ii) a new application-layer protocol running on top of the standard UDP (User Datagram Protocol) transport protocol by utilizing the multicast capability of the Internet via its IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) mechanism. Using the FTP protocol to transfer files from the TIS  200  to each OBS  400  will make software development faster. However, a new application-layer protocol running on top of the standard UDP protocol to transfer media files from the TIS  200  to each OBS  400  can make file transfer faster because the application-layer protocol can take advantage of the multicast capability of the Internet. If there is a small number of OBS servers  400 , one can choose the FTP option, whereas the UDP option will be the better performing one for a large number of OBS servers  400  on a train. 
         [0030]    In a preferred embodiment, each such passenger device  300  contains an integrated credit card chip reader to be utilized when a user  320  chooses to purchase multimedia content, access the Internet, or utilize any other paid service that from time to time becomes available. Additionally, each passenger device  300  is preferably programmed with secure payment processing system/software. Other payment means could be employed, such as requiring the user to key in his or her credit card number on the touch screen. It is anticipated that in most installations, the user  320  will be provided with at least a quantity of free content, as an enticement, and some content (movies, for example) requiring payment. Some passenger devices may be mounted on the walls of the train car  350 , and such devices are labelled  310 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . Though we have labelled one component as  310 , there may be many passenger devices of type  310  in each car  350 . No distinction will be made between a component of type  300  and a component of type  310 , and such components will simply be referred to by reference number  300 . The line indicated at reference numeral  330  denotes the continuation of a row of seats, passengers, and passenger devices of the car  350 . 
         [0031]    The OBS  400  communicates with all of the passenger devices  300 . In general, each car  350  has an OBS  400 , if there are passenger devices  300  installed in the car  350 . The OBS  400  is, for example, a computer with a solid state disk (commonly known as flash memory) and one or more wireless communication interfaces. Standard input and output devices, such as a monitor and a keyboard, can be optionally connected to the OBS  400 . The rationale for including an OBS  400  in each car  350  is as follows: Because a central principle of the invention is to save media content on each passenger device  300  and the amount of such content is in the range of gigabytes, an on-board server  400  will make the process of saving content on each passenger device  300  faster. All the OBSs  400  simultaneously communicate with the passenger devices  300  in their respective cars  350 . Moreover, because the concentration of passenger devices  300  in each car will be very high (something around 70 per car in a standard car), broadcasting a large amount of data to all of those devices  300  in a small area will be a challenging task at the communication software level, owing to packet loss. Keeping an OBS  400  in each car  350  will mitigate this problem. Each OBS  400  will monitor and record the operational status of each associated passenger device  300  in the car  350 , and report the data to the processor (not shown) in communication with the TIS  200 , from time to time. 
         [0032]    Each passenger  320  seated in each seat  315  uses the device  300  mounted on the back of the seat  325  to access multimedia content saved on the device  300 .  FIG. 2  depicts the scenario that a train car is fitted with tens of seats and, therefore, there are tens of passenger devices in each car. By means of  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the process for delivering multimedia content to the passenger devices is explained. 
         [0033]    The relationships among many cars of a train, the passenger devices in the cars, the on-board server (OBS) in cars, and train-side servers (TSS) is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The components of  FIG. 3  are described as follows: Reference numeral  365  represents a sequence of adjacent train cars  350  mechanically connected by components of type  370 . The set of all passenger devices found in each train car  350  is denoted by reference numeral  399 , and reference numeral  500  indicates an at least one train-side server (TSS). Each TSS  500  is positioned in proximity to the train track (or route, or way on land, in the case of vehicles other than trains) and is operatively connected with the OBS  400  for communicating over a wireless interface, such as WiFi. The TSS  500  represents a general purpose, high speed server. Reference numeral  375  represents the continuation of a set of TSS  500 . Each TSS  500  is capable of serving as a file repository for holding copies of media files (i.e. content) downloaded from the TIS  200 . In comparison with the TIS  200 , the TSS  500  entities are physically nearer to the OBS servers  400 . By virtue of this close proximity, copying media files from TSS  500  entities to OBS entities  400  will generally be faster than copying media files direct from the TIS  200  to the respective OBS  400 . In this way, each TSS server functions to enhance the overall performance of the system. Note, however, that where file transfer time from TIS  200  to OBS  400  is expected to be reasonably low (for example, by virtue of the nature of the media files to be transferred, or other factors) then the utility of the TSS servers  500  within the system is diminished. 
         [0034]    Referring next to  FIG. 4 , a communication infrastructure for enabling communication between each set of passenger devices  399  and the TIS  200  by means of the TSS  500  and OBS  400  is shown. A communication network  600  interconnects the TIS  200  with each TSS  500 . The communication network  600  can be implemented in several ways, including, but not limited to, as a local area network (LAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a combination of LANs and WLANs connected by general purpose routers, and a mesh network of WiFi access points. The connection point  700  between the network  600  and the TIS  200  can be wired or wireless, and implemented in several ways depending on network  600  parameters. Similar connection points  750  are used to link the network  600  to each TSS  500 . As previously indicated, each TSS  500  is operatively connected with the OBS  400  for communicating over a wireless interface, such as WiFi. The continuation of the set of OBS components  400  is represented by the broken line at reference numeral  410 . 
         [0035]    Still referring to  FIG. 4 , a series of wireless communication links  800  enable communication and transmission of data between respective TSS servers  500  and OBS servers  400 . As such, each TSS  500  and paired OBS  400  should have compatible radio interfaces. For example, both types of components may have WiFi interfaces running the IEEE 802.11n protocol. It is important to note that one component of server type  500  can be simultaneously connected to many components of server type  400 , in a one-to-many configuration, to take advantage of the broadcast and multicast operations available at medium access control (MAC) protocol level. Broadcast and multicast operations will enable the simultaneous dissemination of multimedia contents, thereby reducing the time for content dissemination to the passenger devices. A wireless link  850  connects each OBS  400  to the each of the at least one passenger devices  300  contained in a given set  399 . As such, each OBS  400  and its paired passenger devices  300  should have compatible radio interfaces. For example, both of components  300  and  400  can have WiFi interfaces running the IEEE 802.11n protocol. It is important to note that one component of server type  400  can be simultaneously connected to components of type  300  contained in the same component  399 , in a one-to-many and one-to-all configuration, in order to take advantage of the broadcast and multicast operations available at medium access control (MAC) protocol level. Broadcast and multicast operations will enable the simultaneous dissemination of multimedia content, thereby reducing the time for content dissemination to each passenger device  300 . The broken line indicated at reference numeral  380  denotes that the system can function with a plurality of sets of passenger devices  399 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 5  depicts the interactions of the TIS  200  with each of the at least one media servers  110 ,  120 ,  130  in the form of a message sequence chart, wherein reference numeral  900  represents the passage of time for the TIS  200 , and  910 ,  920 , and  930  represent the passage of time for each of the multimedia content servers  110 ,  120  and  130 , respectively. Time passes in the direction of each arrow. Reference numerals  1200 ,  1210 ,  1220  and  1230  denote processors coupled with component servers  200 ,  110 ,  120 ,  130 , respectively, each such processor holding a program for facilitating the transmission of content to and from each server in response to a request. 
         [0037]    In  FIG. 5 , reference numeral  940  represents a request message from component  1200  to component  1210 . By means of this message, component  1200  can request component  1210  to send a specific media file in one or more smaller packets. In general, component  940  embodies a class of many messages for communication between the two components. Reference numeral  945  represents a message from component  1210  to component  1200  in response to a message of type  940 . For example, component  945  can represent a smaller chunk of the file requested in a message of type  940 . Reference numeral  950  represents a request message from component  1200  to component  1220 . By means of this message, component  1200  can request component  1220  to send a specific media file in one or more smaller packets. In general, component  950  embodies a class of many messages for communication between the two components. Reference numeral  955  represents a message from component  1220  to component  1200  in response to a message of type  950 . For example, component  955  can represent a smaller portion of the file requested in a message of type  950 . Reference numeral  960  represents a request message from component  1200  to component  1230 . By means of this message, component  1200  can request component  1230  to send a specific media file in one or more smaller packets. In general, component  960  embodies a class of many messages for communication between the two components. Still referring to  FIG. 5 , reference numeral  965  represents a message from component  1230  to component  1200  in response to a message of type  960 . For example, component  965  can represent a smaller chunk of the file requested in a message of type  960 . 
         [0038]    Note that it is possible to define a general format for the messages of type  940 ,  950 , and  960 , and another general format for the response messages of type  945 ,  955 , and  965 . Components  1200  and  1210  exchange several messages of types  940  and  945  for component  1200  to download one or multiple media files. The component pair  1200  and  1220  can exchange several messages of type  950  and  955  for component  1200  to download one or multiple media files. Similarly, the component pair  1200  and  1230  can exchange several messages of type  960  and  965  for component  1200  to download one or multiple media files. By means of the message sequence chart depicted in  FIG. 5 , component  1200  can download media files from media server processes, namely  1210 ,  1220 , and  1230 , and save copies of those files on the storage media (not shown) associated with the TIS  200 . 
         [0039]      FIG. 6  illustrates the interactions among the TIS  200 , TSS  500  and OBS  400  servers, and passenger devices  300  in the form of a message sequence chart where reference numeral  1110  represents the passage of time for each TSS  500 . Time passes in the direction of the arrow on component  1110 . Reference numeral  1120  represents the passage of time for each OBS  400 . Time passes in the direction of the arrow on component  1120 . Reference numeral  1130  represents the passage of time for each passenger device  300 . Time passes in the direction of the arrow on component  1130 . Reference numerals  1300 ,  1400  and  1500  each denote processors coupled with each of the component passenger devices  300 , OBS servers  400  and TSS servers  500 , respectively, each such processor holding a program for facilitating the transmission of content to and from each server in response to a request. In  FIG. 6 , the line at reference numeral  1140  represents the flow of data and control messages to copy a media file from component  200  (TIS) to component  500  (TSS server). These packets are initiated by the processor  1200 . 
         [0040]    Still referring to  FIG. 6 , the line at reference number  1145  represents acknowledgements and replies sent by component processor  1500  to component processor  1200  in response to messages of type  1140 . The line denoted by reference number  1150  represents the flow of data and control messages to copy a media file from the TSS  500  to the associated OBS  400 . These packets are initiated by the component processor  1500 . The line at reference numeral  1155  represents acknowledgements and replies sent by component processor  1400  to component processor  1500  in response to messages of type  1150 . 
         [0041]    Still referring to  FIG. 6 , the line at reference number  1160  represents the flow of data and control messages to copy a media file from the OBS  400  to the associated passenger device(s)  300 . These packets are initiated by the processor  1400 . The line indicated at reference numeral  1165  represents acknowledgements and replies sent by component processor  1300  to component processor  1400  in response to messages of type  1150 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 7  depicts a scenario of management of passenger devices in accordance with the system of the present invention. In the following passages, the additional functions of component processors  1200 ,  1500 ,  1400 , and  1300  are explained by means of the following additional components:  1170 : This is an inquiry message sent from processor  1200  to processor  1500  to inquire re: the status of the associated passenger device  300 ;  1180 : This is an inquiry message sent from processor  1500  to processor  1400  to inquire re: the status of the associated passenger device  300 ;  1190 : This is an inquiry message sent from processor  1400  to processor  1300  to inquire re: the status of the associated passenger device  300 ;  1195 : This is a response message sent from processor  1300  to processor  1400  to inquire re: the status of the associated passenger device  300 ;  1185 : This is a response message sent from processor  1400  to processor  1500  to inquire re: the status of the associated passenger device  300 ;  1175 : This is a response message sent from processor  1500  to processor  1200  to inquire re: the status of the associated passenger device  300 . 
         [0043]    Note that  FIG. 7  illustrates just one way to query the status of a passenger device.  FIG. 7  can be readily modified so that processor  1400  and OBS  400  initiate an inquiry process, gather the status of all passenger devices  300 , and send them to processor  1200  by means of a pull mode of communication or a push mode. 
         [0044]    The relationships among many cars of a train, the passenger devices in the cars, the on-board server (OBS) in cars, and track-side access points are illustrated in  FIG. 8  wherein each reference numeral  1600  represents one wireless access point located near the train tracks outside the cars of the trains, and reference numeral  390  represents a series of such wireless access points for facilitating communication between OBS  400  servers and TIS servers  200  (or, where employed in the system, TSS servers  500 ). Such components  1600  and  390  are termed track-side access points (TSAP or TSAP points). Each TSAP  1600  could be located near the train tracks, or on or near train station platforms. The communication range of a TSAP is determined by the specific wireless communication technology supported by the TSAP components. The component  390  represents the continuation of a set of TSAP  1600 . The separation distance between two TSAPs is determined by their communication ranges and the need to provide continuous communication between each OBS  400  and each associated TSAP  1600 . Here, continuous communication means that each OBS  400  is within the communication range of each associated TSAP  1600 . Therefore, as a train moves, each OBS  400  remains within the communication range of one or more TSAP points  1600 . Moreover, as the train moves, a wireless connectivity of a given OBS  400  with each associated TSAP  1600  keep changing, because the train is moving, whereas all TSAP points  1600  are static. TSAPs  1600 , themselves, can communicate in a wired (e.g. fibre optics) or wireless manner, and all such TSAPs  1600  are connected to the Internet. 
         [0045]    While a train is moving, a passenger device  300  can connect to the Internet via the local car&#39;s on-board server  400  and a nearby track-side access point (TSAP)  1600 . Having Internet connectivity for passenger devices on a moving train can be used to support on-line payment. For example, passengers can access the multimedia services available on seatback mounted devices in one of the following ways: If a passenger can physically access a device, then the multimedia services available on the device are automatically accessible to the passenger; or, even if a passenger can physically access a device, access to the multimedia services on the device is not automatic. Instead, the passenger makes a payment through the device to be able to access the services. On-line payments can be implemented in several ways, including credit card payment, which will require the passenger device to communicate with the Internet via the local OBS component  400  and a nearby TSAP component  1600 . 
         [0046]    With reference to the system designs identified in  FIGS. 5-7 , and as described above, interactions among components of type  300 ,  400 ,  1600 , and a server on the Internet (e.g.  200 ) can readily designed. 
         [0047]    Components of type  200 ,  500 ,  400 ,  1600 , and  300  can be powered from a local battery and the mains. It will be more common to power components of type  200 ,  500 , and  1600  from the mains, because those are static components and it is easy to power them. On the other hand, components of type  300  and  400  will have their own rechargeable batteries connected to the mains. If the mains is switched off, components of type  300  and  400  will run on their local batteries. For example, it is not always necessary to switch on the mains of a train to enable communication between components of type  300  and  400 . When power is restored to the mains of a train, the local batteries of components of type  300  and  400  continue to recharge. The lifetime of the batteries, that is the lengths of time the batteries can power components of type  300  and  400 , are determined based on the tasks the devices are expected to perform even while the mains of a train is switched off. 
         [0048]    While one or more embodiments of this invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described above, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the essence of this invention. All such modifications are believed to be within the sphere and scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.