In-Flight Computing Device for Aircraft Cabin Crew

• US 20140289306A1
• Filed: 03/25/2013
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sita Information Networking Computing Ireland Limited (Société Internationale de Télécom Aeronautiques (Switzerland))
• Original Assignee: Sita Information Networking Computing Ireland Limited (Société Internationale de Télécom Aeronautiques (Switzerland))
• Inventors: Cheikh, Stephane, O'Sullivan, Kevin Dennis, Shedden, Rowan George McDonald
• Granted Patent: US 10,320,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A system for use by cabin crew on board an aircraft, comprising a server including a database, the server being at a location remote from the aircraft. The server selectively communicates with a plurality of systems external to the system to retrieve information related to a journey to be made by the aircraft. The server runs an application for communicating with the external systems to send and receive data to and from the server. A portable computing device such as a tablet computer on board the aircraft has a database for receipt and storage of flight related information received from the server, the flight related information including seating information and other passenger related information. The portable device runs an application for real-time communication with the server during a flight or after the flight, for exchange with the server of at least one of seating and passenger related information.

Claims

1. A system for use by cabin crew on board an aircraft, comprising:

at a location remote from the aircraft, a server including a database, the server selectively communicating with a plurality of systems external to the system to retrieve information related to a journey to be made by the aircraft, the server running an application for communicating with the external systems to send and receive data to and from the server;

a portable computing device on board the aircraft, the portable computing device having a database for receipt and storage of flight related information received from the server, the flight related information including seating information and other passenger related information, the portable device running an application for real-time communication with the server during a flight for exchange with the server of at least one of seating and passenger related information during the flight.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the portable computing device is a tablet computer.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the external systems include a source of seat maps for the flight and the server stores the seats maps in the database and is configured to transmit the seat maps to the portable computing device for storage in the portable storage device database.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the external systems include a source of a passenger name list for the flight and the server stores the passenger name list in the database and is configured to transmit the passenger name list to the portable computing device for storage in the portable storage device database.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the external system include a flight reservation system and the server stores flight information from the reservation system in the database and is configured to transmit the flight reservation information to the portable computing device for storage in the portable storage device database.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the external systems include a source of airline loyalty information and the server stores passenger loyalty related information in the database and is configured to transmit the passenger loyalty information to the portable computing device for storage in the portable computing device database.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the external systems include a source of baggage information and the server stores passenger related baggage status information in the database and is configured to transmit the passenger baggage status information to the portable computing device for storage in the portable computing device database.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the external systems include one or more social media websites and the server communicates with the social media website to obtain information related to passengers known to the system to have a profile on the website.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the external systems include an email system for communication of data received by the server from the portable computing device during or after a flight.

10. A computerised method for cabin crew on board an aircraft, comprising:

receiving at a portable computing device on board the aircraft, flight related information from a remote server, the server being remote from the aircraft and including a database, the server selectively communicating with a plurality of systems external to the system to retrieve information related to a journey to be made by the aircraft and to store the retrieved information in the database, the server running an application for communicating with the external systems to send and receive data to and from the server and for communicating at least some of the stored retrieved information to the portable computing device, the flight related information received by the portable computing device including seating information and other passenger related information;

storing the received flight related information at a database of the portable computing device

inputting flight related information into the database of the portable computing device during a flight in response to events occurring during the flight; and

communicating with the server during or after the flight to transmit the inputted flight related information from the portable communications device to the server.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the portable computing device is a tablet computer.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the flight related information includes a seat map.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the flight related information includes passenger name record items.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the flight related information includes the flight number, departure and arrival times.

15. A method according to claim 10, wherein the flight related information includes a passenger name list.

16. A method according to claim 10, wherein the flight related information includes baggage status information.

17. A method according to claim 10, wherein the flight related information includes frequent flyer profile information.

18. A method according to claim 10, wherein the flight related information includes social media profiles of passengers.

19. A method according to claim 10, comprising synchronising the server database and the portable computing device database.

20. A method according to claim 10, comprising inputting into the portable computing database, during the flight, data relating to faults identified by cabin crew during the flight, storing the data relating to faults and sending the data to the server during the flight.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the portable computing device includes a camera and the data relating to faults includes a photograph of an item identified as faulty.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the item is a passenger seat.

23. A method according to claim 20, wherein the data sent to the server is authorised by signature.

24. A method according to claim 10, wherein the flight related information received from the server includes a delayed baggage report and associated passenger information, the method comprising inputting passenger contact data and/or baggage identification data into the portable computing device and sending the data to the server.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the baggage identification data includes baggage colour and baggage style.

26. A method according to claim 11, comprising inputting into the portable computing database, during the flight, data relating to complaints notified to cabin crew during the flight, storing the data relating to complaints, sending the data to the server during the flight, and receiving at the portable computing device, from the server, a response to the complaint during the flight.

27. A method according to claim 11, wherein the portable computing device is configured to display a seat map including passenger related information for each seat.

28. A portable computing device for use by cabin crew on board an aircraft, the device configured to:

receive on board an aircraft, flight related information from a remote server, the server being remote from the aircraft and including a database, the server selectively communicating with a plurality of external systems to retrieve information related to a journey to be made by the aircraft and storing the retrieved information in the database, the server running an application for communicating with the external systems to send and receive data to and from the server and for communicating at least some of the stored retrieved information to the portable computing device, the flight related information received by the portable computing device including seating information and other passenger related information;

store the received flight related information at a database of the portable computing device

receive inputs of flight related information into the database of the portable computing device during a flight in response to events occurring during the flight; and

communicate with the server during or after the flight to transmit the inputted flight related information from the portable communications device to the server.

29. A portable computing device according to claim 28, wherein the portable computing device is a tablet computer.

30. A portable computing device according to claim 28, wherein the flight related information includes a seat map.

31. A portable computing device according to claim 28, wherein the flight related information includes passenger name record items.

32. A portable computing device according to claim 28, wherein the flight related information includes the flight number, departure and arrival times.

33. A portable computing device according to claim 28, wherein the flight related information includes a passenger name list.

34. A portable computing device according to claim 28, wherein the flight related information includes baggage status information

35. A portable computing device according to claim 28, wherein the flight related information includes frequent flyer profile information.

36. A portable computing device according to claim 28, wherein the flight related information includes social media profiles of passengers.

37. A portable computing device according to claim 28, wherein the device is configured to synchronise the portable computing device database with the server database.

38. A portable computing device according to claim 28, wherein the device is configured to receive inputs into the portable computing database, during the flight, of data relating to faults identified by cabin crew during the flight, and to store the data relating to faults and to send the data to the server during the flight.

39. A portable computing device according to claim 38, wherein the portable computing device includes a camera and the data relating to faults includes a photograph of an item identified as faulty.

40. A portable computing device according to claim 39, wherein the item is a passenger seat.

41. A portable computing device according to claim 38, wherein the data sent to the server is authorised by signature.

42. A portable computing device according to claim 28, wherein the flight related information received from the server includes a delayed baggage report and associated passenger information, the device being configured to receive inputs of passenger contact data and/or baggage identification data into the portable computing device and to send the data to the server.

43. A portable computing device according to claim 42, wherein the baggage identification data includes baggage colour and baggage style.

44. A portable computing device according to claim 28, wherein the device is configured to receive inputs into the portable computing database, during the flight, of data relating to complaints notified to cabin crew during the flight, to store the data relating to complaints, to send the data to the server during the flight, and to receive at the portable computing device, from the server, a response to the complaint during the flight.

45. A portable computing device according to claim 28, wherein the portable compurting device is configured to display a seat map including passenger related information for each seat.

46. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program, the computer program including instructions for causing a portable computing device to:

receive on board an aircraft, flight related information from a remote server, the server being remote from the aircraft and including a database, the server selectively communicating with a plurality of external systems to retrieve information related to a journey to be made by the aircraft and storing the retrieved information in the database, the server running an application for communicating with the external systems to send and receive data to and from the server and for communicating at least some of the stored retrieved information to the portable computing device, the flight related information received by the portable computing device including seating information and other passenger related information;

store the received flight related information at a database of the portable computing device

receive inputs of flight related information into the database of the portable computing device during a flight in response to events occurring during the flight; and

communicate with the server during or after the flight to transmit the inputted flight related information from the portable communications device to the server.