Illumination system for passenger cabin illumination

• US 8,267,557 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Vogel, Carsten, Heym, Detlef, Budinger, Tilo, Schulz, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US12/012,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20080186721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291, 315/294, 315/297, 315/307, 315/312, 362/471, 362/477, 362/484
• US Class Current: 362/471
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/43 General lighting
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/47 Circuits; Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0038 Illumination systems for cabins as a whole

Abstract

A light module, a light-module carrier and an illumination system for an aircraft, which allow intelligent illumination and at the same time easy reconfiguration of cabin illumination. The light module provides information relating to its characteristics, while a control system determines a position of the light module on a light-module carrier, and on the basis of the determined position and of the characteristics of the light module adjusts the light module by way of a bus system of the light-module carrier according to a desired illumination.

Claims

1. An illumination system for an aircraft, comprising:

at least one light-module carrier comprising at least one bus system that is indirectly or directly connectable to a central control unit; and

a plurality of light-module interfaces for connection to interfaces of a light module comprising;

at least one illumination element; and

at least one interface for connection to a light-module carrier;

wherein the light module is configured to provide information relating to characteristics of the light module by way of the at least one interface, and, on the basis of the information relating to provided characteristics of the light module, the at least one illumination element is controllable by way of the interface; and

a control device that is configured to control, by way of the bus system of the light-module carrier, a multitude of the light modules, which light modules are connectable to the light-module carrier by way of the at least one interface, on the basis of information relating to characteristics of the corresponding light module.

2. The illumination system of claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to control the multitude of light modules on the basis of a connection position of a light module.

3. An aircraft comprising an illumination system, the illumination system comprising:

at least one light-module carrier comprising at least one bus system that is indirectly or directly connectable to a central control unit; and

a plurality of light-module interfaces for connection to interfaces of a light module comprising;

at least one illumination element; and

at least one interface for connection to a light-module carrier;

wherein the light module is configured to provide information relating to characteristics of the light module by way of the at least one interface, and, on the basis of the information relating to provided characteristics of the light module, the at least one illumination element is controllable by way of the interface; and

a control device configured to control, by way of the bus system of the light-module carrier, a multitude of the light modules, which light modules are connectable to the light-module carrier by way of the at least one interface, on the basis of information relating to characteristics of the corresponding light module.

4. A method for controlling a multitude of light modules, comprising:

determining a position of a light module on a light-module carrier, the light module comprising at least one illumination element; and

at least one interface for connection to a light-module carrier;

wherein the light module is configured to provide information relating to characteristics of the light module by way of the at least one interface, on the basis of the information relating to provided characteristics of the light module, the at least one illumination element is controllable by way of the interface;

wherein the light-module carrier comprises at least one bus system that is indirectly or directly connectable to a central control unit; and

a plurality of light-module interfaces for connection to interfaces of a light module comprising;

at least one illumination element; and

at least one interface for connection to a light-module carrier;

wherein the light module is configured to provide information relating to characteristics of the light module by way of the at least one interface, and, on the basis of the information relating to provided characteristics of the light module, the at least one illumination element is controllable by way of the interface; and

controlling the light module on the basis of the determined position and of the predeterminable desired illumination at the determined position.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining step takes place on the basis of information related to the characteristics of the light module, which information has been provided by way of the at least one interface.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the controlling step takes place by way of a bus system of the light-module carrier.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for causing a processor to:

determine a position of a light module on a light-module carrier, the light module comprising at least one illumination element; and

at least one interface for connection to a light-module carrier;

wherein the light module is configured to provide information relating to characteristics of the light module by way of at least one interface, and, on the basis of the information relating to provided characteristics of the light module, the at least one illumination element is controllable by way of the interface;

wherein the light-module carrier comprises at least one bus system that is indirectly or directly connectable to a central control unit; and

a plurality of light-module interfaces for connection to interfaces of a light module comprising;

at least one illumination element; and

at least one interface for connection to a light-module carrier;

wherein the light module is configured to provide information relating to characteristics of the light module by way of the at least one interface, and, on the basis of the information relating to provided characteristics of the light module, the at least one illumination element is controllable by way of the interface; and

control the light module on the basis of the determined position and of the predeterminable desired illumination at the determined position.