In-flight Entertainment System Research Articles

Demonstration of an In-Flight Entertainment System Using Power-over-Fiber

The use of optical fibers is increasing in modern aircraft because this helps solve challenges of size, weight, communication, and reliability in new generation aircraft. This study describes a video and power transmission system using optical fibers (PoF) for in-flight entertainment (IFE) system application. We present the benefits and the limitations of this application, and we perform two practical experiments to demonstrate their performance. We used off-the-shelf devices in the experiments, such as one 15-Watt semiconductor laser operating at 808 nm, GaAs photovoltaic converters, optical transmitters and receivers, and video monitors. The power and video signals were transmitted using two 50-m length multimode fibers. In addition, we proposed and tested two types of energy transformation units (ETUs), which are responsible for supplying electrical energy to the IFE video monitor and the optical fiber receiver.

Exploring the customer experience of Vietnam airlines via sentiment analysis

The sentiment analysis of social media has gained much attention due to the succinct nature of comments, enabling access to public opinions. Using this technique, the present study aimed to explore customer sentiments regarding their experiences with Vietnam Airlines, the national carrier. According to the Skytrax evaluation, Vietnam Airlines achieved a 4-star rating out of 5, indicating the need for service improvements to attain perfection. The significance of this research lies in providing a comprehensive perspective on customer experience evaluations. To achieve this, we utilized the Valence Aware Dictionary for Reasoner (VADER) to classify sentiments expressed in social networking forum data. The dataset comprised 670 reviews from the Skytrax forum, which underwent a data pre-processing phase. The results exhibited favorable accuracy in detecting ternary and multiple sentiment classes. The comparative analysis between visual customer ratings and their corresponding comments yielded similar outcomes. Additionally, the results highlighted the need for a re-evaluation of the in-flight entertainment system.

Passengers’ Perceptions and Satisfaction with Digital Technology Adopted by Airlines during COVID-19 Pandemic

Airlines’ major adoption of digital technology during the COVID-19 crisis may have changed how customers experience the services and may affect passengers’ perceptions compared to the past. However, there is a lack of studies systematically examining the adoption of new technology in the airline industry from a passenger satisfaction-centric perspective. This study investigates passengers’ perceptions and satisfaction with digital technology adoption by airlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire survey was conducted to examine Chinese passengers’ perceptions and satisfaction with 11 digital technology-based services offered by airlines. A total of 365 valid responses were analyzed using ANOVA tests and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. The analysis indicates that most passengers have a positive attitude towards airlines’ new technology adoption. In the final selected regression model, six technologies offered by the airlines are statistically significant and have impacted passenger satisfaction. They are artificial intelligence (AI) customer service, e-luggage tag, cleaning robot, ultraviolet light and antimicrobial cabin cleaning, an app-controlled in-flight entertainment system, and e-library. The facial recognition service, digital documentation and AI Customer service are the least favorable among the 11 technologies offered by the airlines. There is an opportunity for airlines to improve these services further to gain the trust of the passengers.

Channel Measurements and Modeling for Low Terahertz Communications in an Aircraft Cabin

The low terahertz band (0.1–1 THz) offers very high data rates for novel mobile applications and constitutes a promising candidate to meet the requirements in aviation, enabling future wireless in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems. An extensive knowledge of the propagation effects in the radio channel in complex scenarios is a prerequisite to successfully design a communication system. This article presents a measurement campaign in a real aircraft investigating the radio channel at 300 GHz for different deployments of a wireless IFE system. The propagation effects as well as temporal and spatial channel characteristics are analyzed for likely communication links between an access point and a user equipment (UE). In the same way, interference links between two UEs are studied, reporting transmission and reflection losses for various components of the aircraft. A deterministic and geometry-based channel model is derived and extended to cover the effect of human blockage that suggests an integration of the access point into the passenger service unit. The measurement and realistic path loss models can be used in further link and system level simulations and contribute to the design of future IFE systems.

Conceptual Multifunctional Design, Feasibility and Requirements for Structural Power in Aircraft Cabins

This paper presents a theoretical investigation into the potential use of structural power composites in regional aircraft passenger cabins and the corresponding challenges to widespread use, including fire resistance, long-term cycling performance, and cost. This study focuses on adapting sandwich floor panels with structural power composite face sheets, designed to power the in-flight entertainment system. Using a simple mechanical model to define the structural requirements, based on state-of-the-art laminated structural power composites, a series of electrochemical energy storage performance targets were calculated: a specific energy , a specific power , an in-plane elastic modulus , and in-plane tensile and compressive strengths . Significantly, the use of a distributed energy storage system offered a significant range of other mass and cost savings, associated with a simplified power system, and the use of ground-generated electrical energy. For an Airbus A220-100, the analysis predicted potential mass and volume savings of approximately 260 kg and 510 l and annual reductions in and emissions of approximately 280 tonnes and 1.2 tonnes respectively. This extended design analysis of a specific component highlights both the far-reaching implications of implementing structural power materials and the potential extensive systemic benefits.

Willingness to Watch the Pre-Flight Safety Briefing: A Structural Model

ABSTRACT Objective: The purpose of the current study was to examine the factors that significantly influence a passenger’s willingness to watch the pre-flight safety briefing. Background: The pre-flight safety briefing is a required presentation that must be administered to all passengers before conducting a flight. This briefing is most commonly delivered via a live demonstration by flight attendants or through the aircraft’s in-flight entertainment system, such as a seatback video. Method: Using a sample of 876 participants from the United States, we examined the influence of familiarity, anticipatory flight anxiety, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and frequency of flying on willingness to watch the pre-flight safety briefing. The study used a quantitative correlational design with structural equation modeling techniques for data analysis. Results: The results supported 5 of the 7 hypotheses. High levels of flight anxiety resulted in less willingness to watch the pre-flight safety briefing. Significant positive relationships were found between familiarity, conscientiousness, agreeableness on the willingness to watch. A strong relationship between willingness to watch and stated actual watching also was found. Conclusions: The study’s findings provide insight into what factors influence a passenger’s willingness to watch and examine the role personality factors have on willingness. As a result of this study, insights are gained into possible ways to increase passengers’ willingness to watch the pre-flight safety briefing and their consumption of this vital safety information.

Impact of digital technologies on airline operations

With more and more passengers choosing to fly by air, how to improve customer in-flight experience becomes an important issue for airlines. Digitalization has changed the way people enjoy their lives and it also has impacted on airline\’s business strategy. Thus, it is worth to investigate how digitalization impacts on passengers’ in-flight preference. Due to the different strategy, inflight entertainment (IFE) system has different application in low-cost airlines and full-service airlines. In order to balance the cost and revenue of airlines, a customer satisfied survey about IFE has been conducted to investigate how passengers value IFE when they travel by air. Since more than 1/3 of respondents thought IFE was an important element when they taking flights, it is meaningful to provide passengers with IFE systems to improve their satisfaction. Thus, based on passengers\’ needs, more types of movies and TV programs, personality functions, earphones, and other elements could be added to IFE systems to enhance customer in-flight experience.

기내 엔터테인먼트 시스템에 대한 승객태도와 행동의도에 관한 연구 : 확장된 기술수용모델을 적용하여

기내 엔터테인먼트 시스템에 대한 승객태도와 행동의도에 관한 연구 : 확장된 기술수용모델을 적용하여

Accessible In-Flight Entertainment Systems for Blind and Deaf Passengers

This article describes the development of a prototype accessible in-flight entertainment (IFE) system for people with sensory disabilities. For passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing, the system provides access to content through user-selectable caption display of audio information. Those who are blind or have low vision can find content via talking menus and audio description of key visual content. Findings support the feasibility of project solutions and informed development of recommendations for accessible designs within industry IFE standards. Results are under review by the U.S. Department of Transportation in support of a proposed supplemental rulemaking on requirements for accessible IFE systems.

Vietnamese Cinema on the Move

“Where can I see this Vietnamese movie?” Try sitting on board a Vietnamese Airlines jet to Hanoi. In Vietnam, movie theaters have been replaced by multiplexes showing the latest American blockbusters. Foreigners are most likely to encounter Vietnamese cinema for the first time on the move, as they travel to the country, by selecting the World Cinema category of their in-flight entertainment system. Watching a Vietnamese movie will both distract them from the long-haul and give them a taste of their destination culture as they make their way there. Twice the displacement, experiencing Vietnamese cinema has become a vehicle for representations of mobility and an integral part of contemporary travel practices. This review will consider a variety of ways the mutual relationship between cinematic figurations of movement and processes of mobility have shaped Vietnamese cinema.

Evaluation of built-in test

Built-in test (BIT) provides fault finding as a means to aid in system assembly, test, and maintenance. An investigation to evaluate BIT of a particular electronics board used in the in-flight entertainment system for Boeing 777s is described. We found BIT proved useful when failure occurrences were uniquely associated with the operating environment, situations which can result in no-fault found, or could-not duplicate (CND) failures upon test. We also observed cases where the BIT failed to observe failures, and in some cases pointed to the wrong cause of failure. These and other advantages and disadvantages of BIT implementation are discussed.

Feasibility study of airplane fiber optical communication network

This paper studies the feasibility of various optical fiber networks for the application in the in-flight entertainment (IFE) system of the aircraft infrastructure. Based on ARINC Specification 628 Part 4, four different optical multiplexing schemes, that is, time-division-multiple access (TDMA), sub-carrier multiple access (SCMA), wavelength/frequency-division multiple access (WDMA/FDMA), and code-division multiple access (CDMA), are proposed for the optical links between the cabin electronics compartment (CEC) and the area distribution box (ADB). The performance analysis has been demonstrated for each case, respectively. The results indicate the optical CDMA is not suitable for this application and the WDMA scheme can be combined with the SCMA or TDMA scheme in such a application to enhance the system capacity. Finally, from the viewpoint of the system capacity extension and design flexibility, we show that the SCMA scheme is superior to the TDMA scheme in terms of higher cost.