Travel Environment Control

• US 20180181919A1
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Published: 06/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Airways PLC (International Consolidated Airlines Group SA)
• Original Assignee: Glenn Morgan
• Inventors: JOBLING, Daniel, LEVACHER, Estelle, MORGAN, Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 10,546,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/44 Spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/47 Circuits; Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0007 Devices specially adapted for food or beverage distribution services
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/064 Adjustable inclination or position of seats
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/06 the air being conditioned pressurising B64D13/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0053 Cabin passenger reading lights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

A system and method for controlling the travel environment for a passenger are described, in which passenger data is obtained from an existing source of stored data, the stored data including information on the passenger'"'"'s itinerary. One or more sensor inputs are received, providing information on the physiological state of the passenger and/or environmental conditions in the vicinity of the passenger. One or more outputs are provided to control the passenger'"'"'s travel environment based on the passenger data and the one or more sensor inputs. A system and method of dynamic travel event scheduling is also described, in which a dynamic event schedule is generate based on the retrieved data, the dynamic event schedule including at least one event associated with at least one action output.

Claims

1. A system for dynamic travel event scheduling, comprising:

means for retrieving stored data including information relating to a passenger'"'"'s itinerary, the itinerary including at least one scheduled journey;

means for generating data defining a dynamic event schedule based on the retrieved data, the dynamic event schedule including at least one event associated with at least one action output;

means for receiving one or more sensor inputs providing information on the physiological state of the passenger and/or environmental conditions in the vicinity of the passenger;

means for identifying one or more affected events of the dynamic event schedule based on the received sensor inputs; and

means for providing one or more action outputs to control the passenger'"'"'s travel environment based on the at least one event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the outputs to control the passenger'"'"'s travel environment comprises one or more of signals to:

control one or more properties of a passenger seat, and control lighting and/or air conditioning above and/or around the passenger'"'"'s seat.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one event is selected from a set of predefined events including:

sleep, wake, stretch, exercise, eat, drink, stay awake, and engage in-flight entertainment.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the sleep and wake events are associated with respective action outputs to automatically control a recline position of the passenger'"'"'s seat and a lighting level above or around the passenger'"'"'s seat.

5. The system of any preceding claim, wherein each scheduled events is associated with a respective timing parameter and wherein the system is further operable to update the travel path data by adjusting respective timing parameters of the one or more affected events.

6. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the retrieved data further includes information relating to at least one of the passenger'"'"'s personal preferences, an in-flight meal schedule, and an automated cabin lighting schedule.

7. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the means for generating data defining a dynamic event schedule is further operable to generate auxiliary data for an event defining the associated action output.

8. The system of any preceding claim, further comprising means for determining a new event for the dynamic event schedule based on the received sensor inputs.

9. The system of any preceding claim, further comprising means for outputting the travel path data as an interactive interface.

11. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the sensor inputs providing information on the environmental conditions in the vicinity of the passenger are received from one or more of:

temperature sensor(s), lighting sensor(s), humidity sensor(s), noise sensor(s), and altitude sensor(s).

12. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the sensor inputs providing information on the physiological state of the passenger are received from one or more of:

a body movement sensor, a sleep phase sensor, an eye movement sensor, a heart rate sensor, a body temperature sensor and an ingestible sensor.

15. A storage medium comprising machine readable instructions stored thereon for causing a programmable device to become configured as a system in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 12 or to perform a method in accordance with claim 13 or 14.

10. A system for controlling the travel environment for a passenger on an aircraft, comprising:

means for obtaining passenger data from an existing source of stored data, the stored data including information on the passenger'"'"'s itinerary;

means for receiving one or more sensor inputs providing information on the physiological state of the passenger and/or environmental conditions in the vicinity of the passenger; and

means for providing one or more outputs to control the passenger'"'"'s travel environment based on the passenger data and the one or more sensor inputs.

13. A method of dynamic travel event scheduling, comprising:

retrieving stored data including information relating to a passenger'"'"'s itinerary, the itinerary including at least one scheduled journey;

generating data defining a dynamic event schedule based on the retrieved data, the dynamic event schedule including at least one event associated with at least one action output;

receiving one or more sensor inputs providing information on the physiological state of the passenger and/or environmental conditions in the vicinity of the passenger;

identifying one or more affected events of the dynamic event schedule based on the received sensor inputs; and

providing one or more action outputs to control the passenger'"'"'s travel environment based on the at least one event.

14. A method of controlling the travel environment for a passenger on an aircraft, comprising:

obtaining passenger data from an existing source of stored data, the stored data including information on the passenger'"'"'s itinerary;

receiving one or more sensor inputs providing information on the physiological state of the passenger and/or environmental conditions in the vicinity of the passenger; and

providing one or more outputs to control the passenger'"'"'s travel environment based on the passenger data and the one or more sensor inputs.