System and method for an anticipatory passenger cabin

• US 8,554,422 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kneller, Heidi J., Robb, Calsee N., Harkness, William A., Sharpe, Buddy L., Schalla, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): King, Rodney P.
• Application Number:
  US12/951,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20110068227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 297/217.1, 297/217.3, 297/217.6, 297/217.7, 701/1, 701/49, 701/211, 244/118.5, 244/118.6, 244/122.R
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A system for anticipating the needs of at least one passenger onboard a mobile platform is provided. A passenger seating area for receipt of the passenger includes a seat that has a seat back that moves into a reclined position, a tray table that is operable to be positioned to provide a surface for use by the at least one passenger, and a light source disposed for illumination of at least a portion of the passenger seating area. A camera acquires an image of the passenger, and a gesture control module generates activity data that includes at least one activity that the passenger is performing as recognized in the image of the at least one passenger acquired by the camera. A smart control module moves the seat back, positions the tray table, activates or deactivates the light source and performs combinations thereof based on the activity data.

Claims

1. A system for anticipating the needs of at least one passenger onboard a mobile platform comprising:

a passenger seating area for receipt of the at least one passenger, the passenger seating area including a passenger seat that has a seat back that is moveable into a reclined position, a tray table that is operable to be positioned to provide a surface for use by the at least one passenger, and a light source disposed for illumination of at least a portion of the passenger seating area;

a camera that acquires an image of the at least one passenger in the passenger seating area;

a gesture control module that generates activity data that includes at least one activity that the at least one passenger is performing as recognized in the image of the at least one passenger acquired by the camera, the gesture control module including a chronological history of activities performed by the user; and

a smart control module that performs one or more of moving the seat back, positioning the tray table, activating the light source, and deactivating the light source based on the activity data based on the activity that the at least one passenger is performing and the chronological history of activities performed by the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the passenger seating area further comprises:

at least one physiological sensor operable to measure a physiological function of the at least one passenger in the passenger seating area; and

the smart control module notifies a crew member of the mobile platform if the physiological function of the at least one passenger is outside a pre-selected range.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one physiological sensor comprises a body temperature sensor, and the smart control module notifies a crew member that the at least one passenger is cold if the measured body temperature of the at least one passenger is below a normal body temperature.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the gesture control module generates current activity data based on the acquired image, and the system further comprises:

a source of user preference data and user identification data;

a user profile control module that generates user profile data based on the user identification data; and

a user control module that generates expected activity data based on the current activity data and the user profile data, the expected activity data comprising at least one next activity that the passenger is to perform based on the user profile data.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the smart control module performs one or more of moving the seat back, positioning the tray table, activating the light source, and deactivating the light source, based on the expected activity data.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein if the activity is reading, the smart control module moves the seat back into the reclined position, extends the tray table and activates the light source.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein if the current activity data comprises eating, the smart control module extends the tray table.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the passenger seating area further comprises a footrest that is movable into an extended position, and if the current activity data comprises resting, the smart control module moves the seat back into the reclined position, deactivates the light source and moves the footrest into the extended position.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein if the mobile platform is nearing the end of a route of travel, the smart control module raises the seat back from the reclined position.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the passenger seat further comprises a seat cushion that includes a vibration device, and if the mobile platform is nearing the end of a route of travel and the at least one passenger is resting, the smart control module activates the vibration device to notify the passenger that the mobile platform is nearing the end of travel.

11. A method of anticipating the needs of at least one passenger onboard a mobile platform comprising:

providing a passenger seating area for receipt of the at least one passenger, the passenger seating area including a passenger seat that has a light source disposed for illumination of at least a portion of the passenger seating area;

acquiring by a camera an image of the at least one passenger in the passenger seating area so as to obtain an acquired image;

generating in a gesture control module current activity data that includes at least one current activity that the at least one passenger is performing as recognized in the image of the at least one passenger acquired by the camera, the gesture control module including a chronological history of activities performed by the at least one passenger;

determining through a processor from the acquired image in the current activity data if the at least one passenger is at least reading or resting; and

performing one or more of moving the seat back, positioning the tray table, activating the light source, and deactivating the light source, based on activity data and the chronological history of activities performed by the at least one passenger.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing the passenger seat with a seat back that is moveable into a reclined position, and a tray table that is positionable to provide a surface for use by the at least one passenger;

positioning the tray table if the passenger is reading; and

reclining the seat back if the passenger is resting.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining from the acquired image further comprises:

determining through the processor from the acquired image if the at least one passenger is about to eat; and

positioning the tray table if the passenger is about to eat.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

moving the seat back from the reclined position if the mobile platform is nearing an end of travel.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

providing a vibration device coupled to at least one of the passenger seat and a footrest adjacent to the passenger seat; and

notifying the at least one passenger by activating the vibration device if the mobile platform is nearing the end of travel.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising activating the light source if the passenger is reading;

and de-activating the light source if the passenger is resting.

17. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage that includes at least one passenger seating area for receipt of at least one passenger, with the at least one passenger seating area including a seat back that is movable into a reclined position, with the movement of the seat back controlled by a smart cabin control system including;

a camera that acquires an image of the at least one passenger in the passenger seating area;

a gesture control module that generates current activity data that includes at least one current activity that the at least one passenger is performing as recognized in the image of the at least one passenger acquired by the camera, the gesture control module including a chronological history of activities performed by the user; and

a smart cabin control module that moves the seat back into the reclined position if, based on the acquired image, the at least one passenger is resting, the smart cabin control module configured to compare the image of the passenger with a chronological history of activities performed by the passenger acquired by the camera so as to determine whether the passenger is resting.

18. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the passenger seating area further comprises a tray table that is extendable to provide a surface for use by the at least one passenger and a light source disposed over the passenger seating area.

19. The aircraft of claim 18, wherein the smart cabin control module is further configured to determine whether the image of the passenger indicates the passenger is about to rest, and wherein if the at least one passenger is about to rest, the smart cabin control module deactivates the light source.

20. The aircraft of claim 18, wherein if, based on the acquired image, the smart cabin control module determines that the at least one passenger is reading, the smart cabin control module moves the seat back into the reclined position, lowers the tray table and activates the light source.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein if, based on the acquired image, the at least one passenger is eating, the smart cabin control module lowers the tray table.

22. A system for anticipating the needs of at least one passenger onboard an aircraft that includes a passenger seating area for receipt of the at least one passenger comprising:

a source of user preference data and user identification data;

a passenger seat that has a seat back that is moveable into a reclined position;

a tray table that is operable to be positioned to provide a surface for use by the at least one passenger;

a light source disposed for illumination of at least a portion of the passenger seating area;

a camera that acquires an image of the at least one passenger in the passenger seating area;

a gesture control module that generates current activity data that includes at least one current activity that the at least one passenger is performing as recognized in the image of the at least one passenger acquired by the camera; and

a user profile control module that generates user profile data based on the user identification data, the user profile data including at least a chronological history of activities performed by the user;

a user control module that generates expected activity data based on the current activity data and the user profile data, the expected activity data comprising at least one next activity that the system expects the passenger to perform based on the user profile data, chronological history and the current activity data; and

a smart control module that performs one or more of moving the seat back, positioning the tray table, activating the light source, and deactivating the light source, based on the expected activity data.

23. A method of anticipating the needs of at least one passenger onboard an aircraft comprising:

providing a passenger seating area for receipt of the at least one passenger, the passenger seating area including a passenger seat that has a light source disposed for illumination of at least a portion of the passenger seating area, a seat back that is moveable into a reclined position, a footrest adjacent to the passenger seating area and a tray table that is positionable to provide a surface for use by the at least one passenger;

providing a vibration device coupled to at least one of the passenger seat and the footrest adjacent to the passenger seat;

receiving a user input regarding a status of the aircraft;

acquiring an image of the at least one passenger in the passenger seating area by a camera;

generating in a gesture control module current activity data that includes at least one current activity that the at least one passenger is performing as recognized in the image of the at least one passenger acquired by the camera, the gesture control module including a chronological history of activities performed by the at least one passenger;

determining from the acquired image if the at least one passenger is at least resting; and

notifying the at least one passenger by activating the vibration device if the aircraft is nearing the end of travel based on the status of the aircraft provided in the user input.