SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING CONTENT TO VEHICLES

• Main Authors: Balog Robert, Kits van Heyningen Martin A, Haythornthwaite Stephen Mark, Benson Daniel Murray, Croy John
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 18.01.2018
• Subjects: ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION; WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS

Systems and methods are disclosed for delivering programming content to vehicles (e.g., seagoing vessels) in a cost-effective manner. In some embodiments, programming content may be delivered to vehicles over previously deployed networks (e.g., satellite networks), using excess network capacity which may not otherwise be used to deliver data. By opportunistically employing excess network capacity (e.g., as the capacity becomes available), data constituting programming content may be delivered to vehicles over a period of time, such as via multicast transmission. A vehicle may store received data on one or more onboard servers. After an item of programming content has been received, the item may be made accessible to the vehicle's crew and/or passengers, such as by streaming the item to one or more suitably configured playback devices. Content may be served to playback devices "on demand" and/or according to a programming schedule.