Aircraft seat with shared control architecture

• US 8,283,801 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2012
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sit
• Original Assignee: Sit
• Inventors: Petitpierre, Jean-Luc
• Primary Examiner(s): KAPLAN, HAL IRA
• Application Number:
  US13/476,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20120228930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 141 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 297/217.1, 244/118.6
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62

Abstract

The invention essentially concerns an aircraft seat, comprising control units, at least one node to execute a particular action or function, and a display for viewing video data. The node and the display are capable of being actuated by the control units. A keyboard for transmitting a command signal addressed to the control units is connected to the control units. The control units are shared between the display, the keyboard and the node.

Claims

1. A passenger seat comprising:

a. a video screen; and

b. a control unit (i) configured to control operation of the video screen, (ii) comprising a local data memory configured to store audio and/or video data, and (iii) comprising means for communicating with a network bus so as to receive audio and/or video data from a remote data memory.

2. A passenger seat according to claim 1 in which the communicating means allows the control unit to send audio and/or video data to a remote data memory.

3. A passenger seat according to claim 2 in which the communicating means allows the control unit to receive audio and/or video data from, and to send audio and/or video data to, remote data memories included in control units of other passenger seats.

4. A passenger seat according to claim 1 configured for placement in an aircraft and further comprising:

a. a seat back having a rear face in which the video screen is located;

b. a seat bottom; and

c. means, comprising a base having a plurality of fastening legs, for attaching the seat bottom to a floor of the aircraft.

5. A passenger seating arrangement comprising:

a. a first seat comprising a first video screen and a first control unit (i) configured to control operation of the first video screen and (ii) comprising a first local data memory configured to store audio and/or video data;

b. a second seat comprising a second video screen and a second control unit (i) configured to control operation of the second video screen and (ii) comprising a second local data memory configured to store audio and/or video data; and

c. a network bus communicating with the first and second control units.

6. A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 5 in which the first control unit communicates with the second local data memory so as to retrieve audio and/or video data therefrom for storage in the first local data memory.

7. A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 6 in which the first control unit retrieves audio and/or video data from the second local data memory when corresponding audio and/or video data in the first local data memory is unavailable for presentation on the first video screen.

8. A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 7 in which the first and second seats are attached to a floor of an aircraft.

9. A control unit for a passenger seat having a video screen, the control unit:

a. configured to control operation of the video screen;

b. comprising a local data memory configured to store audio and/or video data; and

c. comprising means for communicating with a network bus so as to receive audio and/or video data from a remote data memory.