System and method for guiding a passenger in an aircraft cabin

• US 7,178,954 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Blechschmidt, Karl-Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar; Stephen F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunwiddie; Meghan K.
• Application Number:
  US10/884,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20050002198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 362/470, 362/472, 362/479, 362/483, 362/231, 362/471, 362/490, 244/118.5, 244/118.6, 244/137.2
• US Class Current: 362/471
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/46 Emergency lighting, e.g. for escape routes
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for

Abstract

To guide a passenger to the general location of his assigned seat in an aircraft cabin, the cabin is divided into several cabin zones that are individually identified by different colors of illumination, for example a yellow cabin zone, a red cabin zone and a blue cabin zone. Each service class can correspond to one cabin zone or encompass plural cabin zones. Lighting devices arranged in the cabin are activated to provide illuminating light having the appropriate allocated illumination color in each respective cabin zone. The lighting devices are preferably ceiling lights, sidewall lights, and/or window funnel lights, controlled from a flight attendant panel via a lighting controller. A passenger ticket displays the passenger'"'"'s assigned seat number and letter, and also the color of the cabin zone in which the assigned seat is located.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

a passenger cabin that has plural seat rows of passenger seats therein, and that includes a first cabin zone containing a first plurality of said seat rows, a second cabin zone containing a second plurality of said seat rows, and a third cabin zone containing a third plurality of seat rows;

first lighting devices that are arranged in said first cabin zone and that introduce into said first cabin zone illuminating light of a first color;

second lighting devices that are arranged in said second cabin zone and that introduce into said second cabin zone illuminating light of a second color different from said first color; and

third lighting devices that are arranged in said third cabin zone and that introduce into said third cabin zone illuminating light of a third color different from said first color and said second color;

wherein said first, second and third lighting devices are one of ceiling lights, sidewall lights, and window funnel lights.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1, further comprising a lighting control arrangement containing and executing software that defines plural lighting scenarios including a color zone scenario that assigns said first color to said first cabin zone, said second color to said second cabin zone and said third color to said third cabin zone, wherein said lighting control arrangement is connected to said lighting devices and controls said lighting devices according to said color zone scenario so that said first lighting devices introduce said illuminating light of said first color into said first cabin zone, said second lighting devices introduce said illuminating light of said second color into said second cabin zone, and said third lighting devices introduce said illuminating light of said third color into said third cabin zone.

3. A method of assisting a passenger to find a respective assigned seat that is assigned to the passenger among plural passenger seats arranged in a passenger cabin of an aircraft, said method comprising:

a) providing in said passenger cabin plural cabin zones that are identified by respective different colors of illumination allocated respectively to said zones, by introducing illuminating light having said different colors of illumination respectively into said cabin zones, so that each one of said cabin zones is identified by a respective unique one of said different colors of illumination;

b) assigning to a passenger a respective assigned seat among said passenger seats in said passenger cabin;

c) informing said passenger of a unique identifier of said assigned seat; and

d) informing said passenger of an allocated one of said different colors that is allocated to the one of said cabin zones in which said assigned seat is located.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said steps c) and d) are carried out by providing to said passenger a passenger ticket that displays said unique identifier and that displays said allocated one of said different colors or a text name of said allocated one of said different colors.

5. In an aircraft having a passenger cabin therein, with plural passenger seats arranged in successive seat rows in said passenger cabin,

a system for assisting a passenger to find a respective assigned seat that is assigned to the passenger among said plural passenger seats, wherein:

said passenger cabin includes plural cabin zones that are respectively identified by respective different colors of illumination assigned respectively to said cabin zones, and wherein each one of said cabin zones respectively includes a respective plurality of said seat rows of said passenger seats therein; and

said system comprises plural lighting devices that are respectively allocated to and arranged in said plural cabin zones and that are respectively adapted to introduce visible illuminating light having said respective different colors of illumination into said plural cabin zones;

wherein said passenger cabin is divided into plural cabin level-of-service classes; and

wherein either;

a) each one of said cabin zones corresponds with a respective one of said cabin level-of-service classes, or

b) said cabin zones do not correspond directly one-to-one with said cabin level-of-service classes and at least one of said cabin level-of-service classes encompasses a plurality of said cabin zones respectively identified by different ones of said colors of illumination.

6. The system in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said aircraft further has fuselage sidewalls bounding sides of said passenger cabin and overhead baggage compartments arranged in said passenger cabin above said passenger seats in said plural cabin zones, and said lighting devices comprise lighting strips arranged extending longitudinally along said overhead baggage compartments, between said fuselage sidewalls and said overhead baggage compartments at said sides of said passenger cabin.

7. The system in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said aircraft further has ceiling trim panels bounding a top of said passenger cabin and overhead baggage compartments arranged in said passenger cabin above said passenger seats in said plural cabin zones, and said lighting devices comprise lighting strips arranged extending longitudinally along said overhead baggage compartments, between said ceiling trim panels, and said overhead baggage compartments.

8. The system in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said aircraft further has windows respectively surrounded by window trim funnels in fuselage sidewalls bounding said passenger cabin in said plural cabin zones, and said lighting devices are arranged on or in said window trim funnels.

9. The system in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said lighting devices comprise fluorescent light tubes and color filters having said different colors of illumination.

10. The system in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said lighting devices comprise light emitting diodes adapted to emit said illuminating light having said respective different colors of illumination.

11. The system in the aircraft according to claim 10, wherein a respective one of said lighting devices in one of said cabin zones comprises plural light emitting diodes respectively having plural different emission colors, and wherein a selected one or group of said light emitting diodes is adapted and connected to be selectively energizable to emit light having an overall color corresponding to a selected one of said colors of illumination in a respective one of said cabin zones.

12. The system in the aircraft according to claim 11, wherein said aircraft further has windows respectively surrounded by window trim funnels in fuselage sidewalls bounding said passenger cabin in said plural cabin zones, and said lighting devices are arranged on or in said window trim funnels.

13. The system in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said aircraft further has an electrical power supply system, a control arrangement, and a flight attendant control panel, and wherein said lighting devices are connected via said control arrangement to said electrical power supply system so that said lighting devices can be selectively energized individually or in groups in response to control selections input into said flight attendant control panel.

14. The system in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said each one of said cabin zones corresponds with a respective one of said cabin level-of-service classes.

15. The system in the aircraft according to claim 14, wherein each said cabin level-of-service class is respectively selected from the group consisting of first-class, business class, coach class, economy class, and tourist class.

16. The system in the aircraft according to claim 5, wherein said cabin zones do not correspond directly one-to-one with said cabin level-of-service classes, and said at least one of said cabin level-of-service classes encompasses said plurality of said cabin zones respectively identified by said different ones of said colors of illumination.

17. The system in the aircraft according to claim 5, further comprising a passenger ticket issued to the passenger, wherein said passenger ticket identifies said respective assigned seat that is assigned to the passenger and identifies a respective one of said different colors of illumination that is assigned to a respective one of said cabin zones in which said respective assigned seat is located.

18. The system in the aircraft according to claim 17, wherein said passenger ticket identifies said respective one of said different colors by displaying a text name of said respective one of said different colors.

19. The system in the aircraft according to claim 17, wherein said passenger ticket identifies said respective one of said different colors by displaying the color of said respective one of said different colors.