Flexible-use display and control element panel for controlling cabin functions

• US 8,593,411 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2009
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Vogel, Carsten, Schulz, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siddiqui, MD Saiful A
• Application Number:
  US12/510,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20100020038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-179, 345/204, 345/810, 345/211, 345/87, 178 1801- 1806, 725 74- 77, 715/701, 715/771, 715/758, 715/810
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A display- and control element panel for controlling cabin functions in an aircraft, comprising a bi-stable display element and a control elements wherein the bi-stable display element and the control element are arranged so as to be essentially congruent, wherein the bi-stable display element is adapted to reproduce information at least in one sub-region, and wherein an event is triggerable by activating the control element.

Claims

1. An aircraft display- and control element panel for controlling cabin functions in an aircraft, comprising:

a bi-stable display element having at least one sub-region; and

a control element;

wherein the bi-stable display element and the control element are arranged so as to overlap one another and be essentially congruent to one another;

wherein the bi-stable display element is adapted to reproduce information at least in the at least one sub-region;

wherein an event is triggerable by activating the control element,

wherein the display element is decouplable from all of a display-control element, an image-rendering element and an energy supply element, all said elements associated with the display element;

wherein the display- and control element panel is operable in an operating state in the aircraft without all of the display-control element, the image-rendering element and the energy supply element, all said elements associated with the display element; and

wherein the display element is configured to be programmable inside and outside the aircraft at least to present predetermined information at a predetermined sub-region of the bi-stable display element.

2. The panel of claim 1, wherein the control element is essentially transparent.

3. The panel of claim 1, wherein the bi-stable display element is essentially arranged behind the control element.

4. The panel of claim 1, wherein the control element is essentially arranged behind the bi-stable display element.

5. The panel of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of control elements.

6. The panel of claim 5, wherein each control element is associated with a discrete bi-stable display element.

7. The panel of claim 5, further comprising at least one discrete control element with at least one discrete bi-stable display element as well as at least one touch-sensitive region with at least one bi-stable display element.

8. The panel of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of bi-stable display elements.

9. The panel of claim 1, wherein the control element is selected from the group consisting of a discrete control element, key button, switch, pressure-sensitive region, wherein the position of activation is determinable, and a touchpad.

10. The panel of claim 1, further comprising

a further display element, associated with at least one bi-stable display element.

11. The panel of claim 10, wherein the further display element is an LED element.

12. The panel of claim 10, further comprising an illumination element for at least partial illumination of a further display element.

13. The panel of claim 1, further comprising an illumination element for at least partial illumination of at least one bi-stable display element.

14. The panel of claim 1, further comprising at least one element from the group consisting of a display-control element, image-rendering element, control element-controlling element and an interface element.

15. An aircraft comprising:

a display- and control element panel for controlling cabin functions comprising;

a bi-stable display element having at least one sub-region; and

a control element;

wherein the bi-stable display element and the control element are arranged so as to overlap one another and be essentially congruent to one another;

wherein the bi-stable display element is adapted to reproduce information at least in the at least one sub-region;

wherein an event is triggerable by activating the control element,

wherein the display element is decouplable from all of display-control element, an image-rendering element and an energy supply element, all said elements associated with the display element;

wherein the display- and control element panel is operable in an operating state in the aircraft without all of the display-control element, the image-rendering element and the energy supply element, all said elements associated with the display element; and

wherein the display-and control element panel is configured to be programmable inside and outside the aircraft at least to present predetermined information at a predetermined location of the bi-stable display element.