Method of monitoring aircraft cabin systems

• US 20040119748A1
• Filed: 11/17/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Riedel, Christian, Frey, Martin, Kopitzke, Kirsten, Holst, Joerg
• Granted Patent: US 7,506,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/764
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A method of monitoring and controlling a plurality of aircraft cabin systems using a user interface having a touch sensitive display and a plurality of input keys corresponding to the plurality of aircraft cabin systems. The method includes activating one of the input keys corresponding to a first system of the plurality of aircraft cabin systems to display a first system graphical menu having status information and operating functions of the first system, and touching a touch sensitive input area of the first system graphical menu to perform at least one of selection and control of the operating functions of the first system. Another one of the input keys corresponding to a second system of the plurality of aircraft cabin systems can be activated to display a second system graphical menu having status information and operating functions of the second system, and a touch sensitive input area of the second system graphical menu can be touched to perform at least one of selection and control of the operating functions of the second system.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring and controlling a plurality of aircraft cabin systems using a user interface having a touch sensitive display and a plurality of input keys corresponding to the plurality of aircraft cabin systems, the method comprising:

activating one of said input keys corresponding to a first system of said plurality of aircraft cabin systems to display a first system graphical menu having status information and operating functions of said first system;

touching a touch sensitive input area of said first system graphical menu to perform at least one of selection and control of said operating functions of said first system;

activating another one of said input keys corresponding to a second system of said plurality of aircraft cabin systems to display a second system graphical menu having status information and operating functions of said second system;

touching a touch sensitive input area of said second system graphical menu to perform at least one of selection and control of said operating functions of said second system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating at least one of an area of the touch sensitive display and one of said input keys to display a main menu that simultaneously depicts essential information representing system status about at least said first and second systems, said main menu allowing the user to select a desired one of said first and second system menus from said main menu.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a graphical menu displayed on said display by viewing a header line on the display that identifies which of said graphical menus that is being displayed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of aircraft cabin systems comprise at least two of:

a cabin information system, a cabin audio system, a cabin video system, a cabin lighting system, a cabin air conditioning system, a cabin smoke detector system, an aircraft door monitoring system, and a water supply and wastewater system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said first system is said cabin audio system, said first system graphical menu is a cabin audio system graphical menu including display indicators and touch sensitive input buttons, said method further comprising monitoring, selecting and playing pre-recorded announcements of said cabin audio system using said audio system graphical menu.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising activating said touch sensitive input buttons of the cabin audio system graphical menu to select a plurality of pre-recorded announcements to be queued and played in sequence by said audio system.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said first system is said cabin audio system, said first system graphical menu is a cabin audio system graphical menu including display indicators and touch sensitive input buttons, said method further comprising monitoring and adjusting an on-board music channel of said cabin audio system using said audio system graphical menu.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said first system is said cabin lighting system, said first system graphical menu is a cabin lighting system graphical menu including display indicators and touch sensitive input buttons, said method further comprising monitoring, selecting and adjusting said cabin lighting system of different areas in an aircraft cabin using said cabin lighting system graphical menu.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising activating said touch sensitive input buttons to select one of three brightness levels of illumination by said cabin lighting system in cabin entry zones of said aircraft cabin.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said first cabin system is said aircraft door monitoring system, said first system graphical menu is a cabin door monitoring system graphical menu including display indicators and input buttons, said method further comprising monitoring each door and hatch of the aircraft and determining a respective status thereof using said cabin door monitoring system graphical menu.

11. A method of monitoring and controlling a plurality of aircraft cabin systems using a user interface having a touch sensitive display and a plurality of input keys corresponding to the plurality of aircraft cabin systems, the method comprising:

monitoring a main menu on said display, said main menu depicting essential information representing a system status of first and second systems of said plurality of aircraft cabin systems;

activating one of said input keys corresponding to said first system to display a first system graphical menu having status information and operating functions of said first system;

touching a touch sensitive input area of said first system graphical menu to perform at least one of selection and control of said operating functions of said first system;

activating another one of said input keys corresponding to said second system to display a second system graphical menu having status information and operating functions of said second system;

touching a touch sensitive input area of said second system graphical menu to perform at least one of selection and control of said operating functions of said second system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said monitoring comprises monitoring a main menu that depicts essential information representing a system status of at least two of:

a cabin information system, a cabin audio system, a cabin video system, a cabin lighting system, a cabin air conditioning system, a cabin smoke detector system, an aircraft door monitoring system, and a water supply and wastewater system.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising activating at least one of an area of said touch screen and one of said input keys while one of said graphical menus is displayed in order to return to said main menu.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising activating at least one of an area of said touch screen and one of said input keys while one of said graphical menus is displayed in order to display a programming menu for programming an aircraft cabin system corresponding to said one of said graphical menus.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining a graphical menu displayed on said display by viewing a header line on the display that identifies which of said graphical menus that is being displayed.