System and method for aircraft interior annunciator

• US 7,774,105 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kneller, Heidi J., Harkness, William A., Robb, Calsee N., Cheung, Kwun-Wing W., Sharpe, Buddy L., Schalla, James P., Franko, Bethany L.
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US11/927,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701 14- 16, 701/33, 701/36, 701/211, 340/901, 340/945, 340/438, 340/439
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00155 Individual entertainment or communication system remote controls therefor, located in or connected to seat components, e.g. to seat back or arm rest

Abstract

A system for an interior annunciator onboard a mobile platform (such as a train, marine vessel, aircraft or automobile) is provided. The system includes at least one speaker onboard the mobile platform. The system also includes a flight management control module that generates flight management data that indicates at least one status of an operation of the mobile platform. The system further includes an auditory control module that generates nonverbal auditory data based on the at least one status of the operation of the mobile platform. The nonverbal auditory data is broadcast by the at least one speaker to communicate the at least one status of the operation of the mobile platform to at least one passenger onboard the mobile platform.

Claims

1. A system for an interior annunciator onboard a mobile platform comprising:

at least one speaker onboard the mobile platform;

a flight management control module that generates flight management data that indicates at least one status of an operation of the mobile platform; and

an auditory control module that generates nonverbal auditory data based on the at least one status of the operation of the mobile platform, the nonverbal auditory data broadcast by the at least one speaker to communicate the at least one status of the operation of the mobile platform to at least one passenger onboard the mobile platform.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile platform further comprises an aircraft that includes a passenger cabin with at least one passenger seat for receipt of the at least one passenger and at least one entertainment system for use by the at least one passenger onboard the mobile platform, the at least one passenger seat including a seatbelt fastenable to restrain the at least one passenger and the at least one entertainment system including an auditory output.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one speaker further comprises at least one speaker mounted in the passenger cabin of the mobile platform, the auditory output of the at least one entertainment system and combinations thereof.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the flight management data comprises at least one of a change in status of a door that enables the at least one passenger to enter or exit the aircraft, a change in a location of the aircraft, a user input from a cockpit of the aircraft that the at least one passenger should fasten the seatbelt and combinations thereof.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a crew control module that generates crew data based on an input from a crew member of the aircraft, the crew data including a signal for the at least one passenger to fasten the seatbelt, a signal that a service is to begin on the aircraft and combinations thereof; and

wherein the auditory control module outputs the auditory data based on the crew data, the flight management data and combinations thereof.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the change in the location of the aircraft comprises a descent of the aircraft, a take-off of the aircraft, a touch down of the aircraft, an arrival of the aircraft at a gate, the aircraft reaching a cruising altitude and combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the auditory data further comprises a tone, a chime, a melody and combinations thereof.

8. A method of communicating information to at least one passenger onboard a mobile platform comprising:

providing at least one speaker on the mobile platform;

receiving management data that includes at least one of a change in status of a door on the mobile platform, a change in a location of the mobile platform, a user input from a control center of the mobile platform and combinations thereof; and

outputting via the at least one speaker auditory data that communicates the management data to the at least one passenger, the auditory data being a nonverbal auditory signal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing an aircraft that includes a passenger cabin with at least one passenger seat for receipt of the at least one passenger and at least one entertainment system for use by the at least one passenger onboard the mobile platform, the at least one passenger seat including a seatbelt fastenable to restrain the at least one passenger and the at least one entertainment system including an auditory output; and

outputting the nonverbal auditory signal to at least one of the at least one speaker, the auditory output of the at least one entertainment system and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving management data further comprises:

receiving data indicative of at least one of a change in status of a door that enables the at least one passenger to enter or exit the aircraft;

receiving data indicative of a change in a location of the aircraft;

receiving data indicative of a user input from a cockpit of the aircraft that the at least one passenger should fasten the seatbelt; and

receiving combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving crew data based on an input from a crew member of the aircraft; and

outputting the nonverbal auditory data based on the crew data, the management data and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the crew data further comprises:

receiving data that indicates that at least one passenger should fasten the seatbelt;

receiving data that indicates that a service is to begin on the aircraft; and

receiving combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving data indicative of the change in the location of the aircraft further comprises:

receiving data indicative of a descent of the aircraft;

receiving data indicative of a take-off of the aircraft;

receiving data indicative of a touch down of the aircraft;

receiving data indicative of an arrival of the aircraft at a gate;

receiving data indicative of the aircraft reaching a cruising altitude; and

receiving combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the nonverbal auditory signal further comprises a tone, a chime, a melody and combinations thereof.

15. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage that includes a cockpit and a passenger cabin, the passenger cabin including at least one speaker capable of broadcasting a nonverbal auditory signal to at least one occupant seated in at least one passenger seat in the passenger cabin, with the at least one speaker controlled by an interior annunciator control system including;

a crew control module that generates crew data based on an input from a crew member of the aircraft, the crew data including a signal for the at least one occupant to remain seated, a signal that a service is to begin on the aircraft, a signal that indicates a change in a schedule of the flight, a signal that indicates a change in a schedule of the service onboard the aircraft and combinations thereof; and

an auditory control module that outputs auditory data to the at least one speaker based on the crew data, the auditory data including the at least one nonverbal auditory signal.

16. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the passenger cabin further comprises at least one entertainment system for use by the at least one passenger that includes an auditory output, and the at least one nonverbal auditory signal is output to the at least one speaker in the passenger cabin, the auditory output of the at least one entertainment system and combinations thereof.

17. The aircraft of claim 16, further comprising:

a flight management control module that generates flight management data that indicates at least one status of an operation of the mobile platform, the flight management data including at least one of a change in status of a door that enables the at least one passenger to enter or exit the aircraft, a change in a location of the aircraft, a user input from a cockpit of the aircraft that the at least one passenger should fasten a seatbelt associated with the at least one passenger seat and combinations thereof; and

wherein the auditory control module outputs the auditory data based on the crew data, the flight management data and combinations thereof.

18. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the change in the location of the aircraft comprises a descent of the aircraft, a take-off of the aircraft, a touch down of the aircraft, an arrival of the aircraft at a gate, the aircraft reaching a cruising altitude and combinations thereof.

19. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the auditory data further comprises a tone, a chime, a melody and combinations thereof.

20. A system for an interior annunciator onboard an aircraft that includes a fuselage having a cockpit and a passenger cabin comprising:

at least one speaker capable of broadcasting a nonverbal auditory signal to at least one occupant seated in at least one passenger seat in the passenger cabin;

at least one entertainment system for use by the at least one passenger that includes an auditory output capable of broadcasting a nonverbal auditory signal to at least one occupant using the at least one entertainment system;

a crew control module that generates crew data based on an input from a crew member of the aircraft, the crew data including a signal for the at least one occupant to remain seated, a signal that a service is to begin on the aircraft, a signal that indicates a change in a schedule of the flight, a signal that indicates a change in a schedule of the service onboard the aircraft and combinations thereof;

a flight management control module that generates flight management data that indicates at least one status of an operation of the mobile platform, the flight management data including at least one of a change in status of a door that enables the at least one passenger to enter or exit the aircraft, a descent of the aircraft, a take-off of the aircraft, a touch down of the aircraft, an arrival of the aircraft at a gate, the aircraft reaching a cruising altitude, a user input from a cockpit of the aircraft that the at least one passenger should fasten a seatbelt associated with the at least one passenger seat and combinations thereof; and

an auditory control module that outputs auditory data to the at least one speaker, the auditory output of the at least one entertainment system and combinations thereof based on the crew data, the flight management data and combinations thereof, the auditory data including the at least one nonverbal auditory signal.

21. A method of communicating information to at least one passenger onboard an aircraft that includes a fuselage having a cockpit and a passenger cabin comprising:

providing at least one speaker in the passenger cabin;

providing at least one passenger seat for receipt of the at least one passenger and at least one entertainment system for use by the at least one passenger onboard the aircraft, the at least one passenger seat including a seatbelt fastenable to restrain the at least one passenger and the at least one entertainment system including an auditory output;

receiving at least one of;

data indicative of a change in status of a door that enables the at least one passenger to enter or exit the aircraft;

data indicative of a descent of the aircraft;

data indicative of a take-off of the aircraft;

data indicative of a touch down of the aircraft;

data indicative of an arrival of the aircraft at a gate;

data indicative of the aircraft reaching a cruising altitude data that indicates that at least one passenger should fasten the seatbelt;

data that indicates that a service is to begin on the aircraft; and

combinations thereof;

outputting via to at least one of the at least one speaker, the auditory output of the at least one entertainment system and combinations thereof auditory data that communicates the received data to the at least one passenger, the auditory data being a nonverbal auditory signal.