Process and device for passenger cabin layout

• US 8,423,324 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2010
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Boin, Jean Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacob, Mary C
• Application Number:
  US12/830,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 703/1
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 1/04 General arrangements of seats B61D1/06 takes precedence; seats per se B61D33/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06 Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0601 Arrangement of seats for non-standard seating layouts, e.g. seats staggered horizontally or vertically, arranged in an angled or fishbone layout, or facing in other directions than the direction of flight
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

A process for determining the distribution of seats of a passenger cabin, whereby the cabin includes at least one row of seats arranged essentially one behind the other along a longitudinal axis, and the cabin includes element for arranging each seat in a position on the ground among a set of possible positions spaced longitudinally at known intervals, includes a phase for optimization of the spacing of seats according to an overall comfort function of passengers, taking into account bodily characteristics that are specific to at least some of the passengers, including the length of the front segment of the passengers'"'"' legs, and the purpose of the optimization is to maximize a comfort function taking into account in particular the space that is free for each passenger between his knees and the seat that is located in front of him. The purpose of the invention is also the related device.

Claims

1. Process for determining distribution of seats of a passenger cabin of an aircraft, whereby said cabin comprises at least one row of seats arranged essentially one behind the other along a longitudinal axis, whereby said cabin comprises means for arranging each seat in a position on the ground among a set of possible positions spaced longitudinally at known intervals, comprising:

a first phase of a computer obtaining characteristics specific to actual passengers of a given trip of the aircraft;

a second phase of the computer optimizing spacing between seats for the given trip and assigning seats to said passengers according to an overall comfort function of said passengers for a given trip, said function taking into account said obtained characteristics specific to said passengers,

wherein said second phase for optimization of the space between the seats and for assigning seats to passengers uses an algorithm for optimization under constraints, and

wherein said first phase and said second phase are repeated for each of plural subsequent flights so that the characteristics specific to actual passengers of each subsequent given trip of the aircraft determines the optimized spaced between seats for the respective subsequent given trip of the aircraft.

2. Process according to claim 1, wherein the specific characteristics comprise bodily parameters that are linked to the length of the front segments of the passengers'"'"' legs.

3. Process according to claim 2, wherein the computer executes, for the given flight and the subsequent flights, the further phases of:

acquiring bodily parameters of at least some of the passengers before the passengers enter the cabin,

calculating the optimization of space between the seats and assigning seats to the passengers, optimized based in particular on the bodily parameters of the passengers, and

moving at least some seats according to the results of this calculation of optimization subsequent to said calculating the optimization of space.

4. Process according to claim 3, wherein the acquisition of bodily parameters of the passengers is implemented by recovery of data stored in a discount card.

5. Process according to claim 4, wherein the algorithm for optimization under constraints is of a genetic algorithm type.

6. Process according to claim 3, wherein the algorithm for optimization under constraints is of a genetic algorithm type.

7. Process according to claim 3, wherein the acquisition of the bodily parameters of the passengers comprises a stage for acquisition of at least one image of the passenger and a stage of implementing an algorithm of automatic visual recognition of bodily segments on these images.

8. Process according to claim 7, wherein the algorithm for optimization under constraints is of a genetic algorithm type.

9. Process according to claim 3,

wherein the second phase includes the sequential steps of i) the computer, based on the optimization of spacing, calculating the position of each seat, and assigning each seat to each passenger based on the spacing between the seats, and ii) the seat positions being transmitted to the aircraft;

and

the further phase of moving the seats into the calculated positions prior to departure of the given trip.

10. Process according to claim 2, wherein the algorithm for optimization under constraints is of a genetic algorithm type.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing thereon a set of code instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to implement the process according to claim 2.

12. Process according to claim 1, wherein the algorithm for optimization under constraints is of a genetic algorithm type.

13. Process according to claim 12, wherein the optimization algorithm uses, as a function to be optimized, an overall passenger comfort function, determined in particular by the space left free in front of the passengers'"'"' knees.

14. Process according to claim 13, wherein the overall comfort function is the sum of respective comfort functions of all of the passengers, whereby the “

comfort”

of a passenger is zero when a distance between the seat in front of him and his knees is negative or zero and increases with available space in front of his knees, reaching a limit beyond a preselected space.

15. Process according to claim 1, wherein the specific characteristics comprise a length of the front segments of the actual passengers'"'"' legs.

16. Process according to claim 15, wherein,

based on the length of the front segments of the actual passengers'"'"' legs,

i) in said second phase said optimization of spacing between seats and assigning of seats together results in reduced-spaced seats which reduces available space in front of the passengers of smallest size in order to provide increased-spaced seated which increase space to larger passengers, and

ii) based on said length of the front segments of the actual passengers'"'"' legs, in said second phase, the reduced-space seats are assigned to the smallest size passengers and the increased-spaced seats are assigned to the larger passengers.

17. Process according to claim 15,

wherein the second phase includes the sequential steps of i) the computer, based on the optimization of spacing, calculating the position of each seat, and assigning each seat to each passenger based on the spacing between the seats, and ii) the seat positions being transmitted to the aircraft;

and

the further phase of moving the seats into the calculated positions prior to departure of the given trip.

18. Process according to claim 1,

wherein the second phase includes the sequential steps of i) the computer, based on the optimization of spacing, calculating the position of each seat, and assigning each seat to each passenger based on the spacing between the seats, and ii) the seat positions being transmitted to the aircraft;

and

the further phase of moving the seats into the calculated positions prior to departure of the given trip.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing thereon a set of code instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to implement the process according to claim 1.

20. Device for layout of a passenger cabin, whereby said cabin comprises at least one row of seats arranged essentially one behind the other along a longitudinal axis, and wherein said cabin comprises means for arranging each seat in a position on the ground among a set of possible positions spaced longitudinally at known intervals, said device comprising:

a computer with

a set of code instructions for acquiring bodily parameters of at least some of actual passengers before they enter the cabin for a specific trip,

a set of code instructions for calculating optimization of space between the seats for the specific trip and for assigning seats to passengers, optimized based in particular on the bodily parameters of the passengers, and

a set of code instructions for automatic longitudinal movement of at least certain seats according to the results of this calculation of optimization utilizing endless screws integrated with slides of the seats and electric motors integrated with the seats.

21. Device according to claim 20, wherein the bodily parameters comprise a length of the front segments of the actual passengers'"'"' legs.