Information and notification system using passenger service units in an aircraft

• US 20030160706A1
• Filed: 02/21/2003
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Grothkopp, Thorsten, Endress, Manfred
• Granted Patent: US 7,567,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00155 Individual entertainment or communication system remote controls therefor, located in or connected to seat components, e.g. to seat back or arm rest
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

An information and notification system onboard an aircraft includes a databus that receives information transmitted from outside the aircraft via an interface and a director or control unit, as well as information from onboard data storage units via a flight attendant panel, whereby the information content can be selected, changed, and controlled. The databus may be a hard-wired or wireless databus, by which the information is provided to variable universal notification displays incorporated in passenger service units in the passenger cabin. The display can thus provide variable and selectable information content for the passengers.

Claims

1. A passenger service unit for an aircraft passenger cabin, comprising:

a housing;

a passenger reading lamp arranged in or on said housing;

an information input adapted to receive variable information; and

a universal display that is arranged in or on said housing, connected to said information input, and adapted to display the variable information received via said information input.

2. The passenger service unit according to claim 1, further comprising a selectively illuminatable passenger instructional sign that is arranged in or on said housing and that includes a fixed non-variable passenger instructional text or image, as a discrete element separate from said universal display.

3. The passenger service unit according to claim 1, expressly excluding a selectively illuminatable passenger instructional sign that is arranged in or on said housing and that includes a fixed non-variable passenger instructional text or image, wherein said passenger instructional text or image is selectively provided as corresponding information to said information input to be displayed on said universal display.

4. The passenger service unit according to claim 1, further comprising a flight attendant call button arranged in or on said housing.

5. In an aircraft having a passenger cabin and a passenger service unit arranged in said passenger cabin, an improvement comprising a passenger information and notification system that comprises:

a universal notification display that is integrated in said passenger service unit and that is adapted to display a variable information content including text and/or graphic images;

a databus system connected to said universal notification display and adapted to transmit the variable information content to said universal notification display;

information input devices that provide the variable information content; and

an operating and control arrangement that is connected to said information input devices and to said databus system, and that is adapted to select and control the variable information content from the information input devices and to provide the selected variable information content via said databus system to said universal notification display to be displayed thereon.

6. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said aircraft has a cabin intercommunication data system installed therein, and wherein said databus system and at least some components of said operating and control arrangement are elements of said cabin intercommunication data system.

7. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said databus system is a hardwired databus system.

8. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said databus system is a wireless data transmission system.

9. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said information input devices comprise at least one device selected from the group consisting of data storage devices, first data interfaces adapted to receive off-board data wirelessly transmitted to said aircraft, and second data interfaces adapted to receive on-board data from an avionics system of said aircraft.

10. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said information input devices comprise at least one of said data storage devices, which are selected from the group consisting of CD-ROMS, memory cards, diskettes, and USB storage devices.

11. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said information input devices comprise at least one of said first data interfaces, which are selected from the group consisting of wireless receiver interfaces for receiving wireless transmissions from the earth to the aircraft and wireless receiver interfaces for receiving satellite transmissions to the aircraft.

12. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said operating and control arrangement comprises a computer processing and operating unit as well as at least one of an integrated operator input panel and/or an externally connected peripheral keyboard.

13. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said operating and control arrangement comprises a monitoring and control unit and a computer processing and operating unit that are integrated together in a single device unit.

14. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said aircraft includes a plurality of said passenger service units, said system comprises a respective one of said universal notification displays respectively integrated into each one of said passenger service units, and said operating and control arrangement includes an addressing arrangement adapted to provide different selected variable information content to different ones of said universal notification displays dependent on a particular passenger seat and/or a passenger class to which each said universal notification display is respectively assigned by individually addressing said different selected variable information content.

15. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said passenger service unit further includes a fixed invariable passenger instructional sign in addition to said universal notification display.

16. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said universal notification display is further adapted to display a fixed invariable passenger instructional message text or graphic image.