Aircraft seat with shared control architecture

• US 8,653,690 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sit
• Original Assignee: Sit
• Inventors: Petitpierre, Jean-Luc
• Primary Examiner(s): Deberadinis, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US13/052,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00155 Individual entertainment or communication system remote controls therefor, located in or connected to seat components, e.g. to seat back or arm rest
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0624 Arrangements of electrical connectors, e.g. for earphone, internet or electric supply
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/064 Adjustable inclination or position of seats
• 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 (1), comprising control units (17.2, 22.2, 27), at least one node (11-15) to execute a particular action or function, and a display (22.1) for viewing video data. Said node (11-15) and said display (22.1) are capable of being actuated by the control units (17.2, 22.2, 27). A keyboard (17.1) for transmitting a command signal addressed to the control units (17.2, 22.2, 27) is connected to said control units (17.2, 22.2, 27). The control units are shared between the display (22.1), the keyboard (17.1) and the node (11-15).

Claims

1. Aircraft comprising:

a common network bus,

a plurality of seats, each seat comprising;

a screen,

a control unit which controls the screen,

the control unit comprising a data memory in which audio and video data is stored,

the control unit being connected to the common network bus,

a reader connected to the common network bus,

the transfer of audio and/or video data from the reader to the data memory of some or all of the control units of the seats of the aircraft being done through the common network bus.

2. Aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the common network bus is a common Ethernet bus.

3. Aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the transfer of audio and/or video data is achieved by a physical link.

4. Aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the transfer of audio and/or video data is achieved by wireless link.

5. Aircraft according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the data memories is shared with control units of plural seats for redundancy.

7. Aircraft according to claim 3 in which the physical link comprises an optical link.

6. Seat comprising:

a screen,

a control unit which controls the screen,

the control unit comprising a data memory in which audio and video data is stored,

the control unit being connected to a common network bus in relation with a reader,

the transfer of audio and/or video data from the reader to the data memory of some or all the control unit being done through the common network bus.