Method and apparatus for carrying out passenger-related and flight attendant-related functions in an airplane
First Claim
1. A zoning and rezoning system for changing any portion of an aircraft cabin from one class zone to another class zone, comprising central control computer computer means for controlling a zoning and rezoning operation in said aircraft, said central computer means including first control input means (11, 12) for entering control programs and instructions into said central computer means, first means for performing passenger-related functions, second means for performing flight attendant-related functions, third means for performing passenger seat-related functions, second control input means for at least certain of said first, second and third means for controlling the function thereof, data bus means including a plurality of data transmitting signal conductor loops permanently installed in said aircraft cabin for electrically connecting said first means, said second means, and said third means to said central computer means, individual decoder/encoder units connecting said first, second, and third means through said permanently installed signal conductor loops of said data bus means in parallel to said central computer means for transmitting signals in digital form from said first, second, and third means to said central computer means and vice versa, said permanently installed signal conductor loops of said data bus means also electrically connecting said second control input means to said first, second, and third means, said first control input means comprising keyboard means for entering aircraft cabin class dependent conditions into said control programs for allocating through said keyboard means selected signal conductors of said permanently installed signal conductor loops in a prtion of said aircraft cabin to a desired cabin class zone substantially without physically changing said permanently installed, signal conductor loops.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
On board functions are performed in an aircraft with the aid of a central control computer connected to a plurality of input and output devices including data terminals for passengers and flight attendants, through a data bus system and through decoder/encoder units linking the data terminals to the data bus system for providing an operation with digital signals. Thus, digital signals are transmitted back and forth between the central control computer and the data terminals in such a way that computations initiated on a data terminal are performed by the central control computer and so that the computation results and any other information are displayed on a display field forming part of the data terminals, one of which is provided at each passenger seat. Modified terminals are provided at various other locations within the aircraft cabin for use by a flight attendant.
119 Citations
12 Claims
- 1. A zoning and rezoning system for changing any portion of an aircraft cabin from one class zone to another class zone, comprising central control computer computer means for controlling a zoning and rezoning operation in said aircraft, said central computer means including first control input means (11, 12) for entering control programs and instructions into said central computer means, first means for performing passenger-related functions, second means for performing flight attendant-related functions, third means for performing passenger seat-related functions, second control input means for at least certain of said first, second and third means for controlling the function thereof, data bus means including a plurality of data transmitting signal conductor loops permanently installed in said aircraft cabin for electrically connecting said first means, said second means, and said third means to said central computer means, individual decoder/encoder units connecting said first, second, and third means through said permanently installed signal conductor loops of said data bus means in parallel to said central computer means for transmitting signals in digital form from said first, second, and third means to said central computer means and vice versa, said permanently installed signal conductor loops of said data bus means also electrically connecting said second control input means to said first, second, and third means, said first control input means comprising keyboard means for entering aircraft cabin class dependent conditions into said control programs for allocating through said keyboard means selected signal conductors of said permanently installed signal conductor loops in a prtion of said aircraft cabin to a desired cabin class zone substantially without physically changing said permanently installed, signal conductor loops.
Specification