Mobile cabin panel

• US 9,742,898 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hockenberry, Benjamin, Lai, Yi-Chin, Pflugrath, Kent, Rayaprolu, Kesav
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Tan H
• Application Number:
  US14/841,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20170064067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 455557, 455 412, 455 411, 455 306, 455427, 455 121, 455 111, 455 99, 340945, 725 76, 725 71, 725 72, 725 73, 725 77, 725 81, 2808011, 701 3, 701 36, 701 49, 715771, 2972176, 2972173, 2972177
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/08 the air being heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0655 with zone or personal climate controls
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances

Abstract

A vehicle passenger cabin control system that includes a cabin control panel having an interface that is operable to receive control commands. The cabin control panel is operable to control at least one passenger cabin system in response to a received control command. The cabin control system includes a first wireless data interface. The control system also includes a mobile device that includes a display screen, a user interface operable to receive control commands, and a second wireless data interface to send the control commands to the cabin control panel. Control commands received by the user interface of the mobile device are transmitted by the cabin control panel by the second wireless data interface and the first wireless data interface. The cabin control panel is operable to control at least one passenger cabin system in response to a received mobile control command.

Claims

1. An aircraft, comprising:

a passenger cabin, including a plurality of seat status indicators arranged therein;

a cabin control panel that includes an interface for receiving control commands, wherein the cabin control panel is operable to control a plurality of passenger cabin systems in response to a received control command, and wherein the cabin control panel is further configured to communicate with the plurality of seat status indicators; and

a controller comprising a wireless data interface in communication with the cabin control panel, and logic that provides an Application Program Interface (API) for receiving mobile control commands formatted according to a first format from a mobile device and, in response, to determine corresponding control commands formatted according to a second format and to transmit the corresponding control commands to the cabin control panel, wherein the cabin control panel is operable to control the plurality of passenger cabin systems in response to a received control command, and wherein the mobile control command includes an indication of a position of a seat within the passenger cabin that is associated with one of the plurality of seat status indicators that changed from a first state to a second state, wherein the mobile device outputs a graphical user interface depicting the indication of the position of the seat within the passenger cabin.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the plurality of passenger cabin systems comprises a lighting system for the passenger cabin, and wherein the mobile control commands control at least one of a brightness of lighting of the lighting system, changes in brightness of the lighting system, color of the lighting system, and regions of the lighting system in which the lighting is turned on.

3. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the plurality of passenger cabin systems comprises an environmental control system for the passenger cabin, and wherein the mobile control commands control at least one of an air temperature request for the passenger cabin and an airflow request for the passenger cabin.

4. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the plurality of passenger cabin systems comprises an entertainment system for the passenger cabin, and wherein the mobile control commands control at least one of activation of the entertainment system, playback of media through the entertainment system, and selection of media for playback through the entertainment system.

5. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the plurality of passenger cabin systems comprises an internet service for the passenger cabin, and wherein the mobile control commands control activation of the internet service.

6. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the cabin control panel includes a status indicator operable to display an indication of a status of a system, and wherein the wireless data interface is operable to transmit the indication for display on the mobile device.

7. The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the system comprises at least one of:

a potable water holding tank, wherein the status indicator is a tank fill level indicator, and wherein the indication of the status of the potable water holding tank comprises a fill level of the potable water holding tank;

a lavatory waste tank, wherein the status indicator is a waste tank fill level indicator, and wherein the indication of the status of the lavatory waste tank comprises a fill level of the lavatory waste tank;

a lighting system for the passenger cabin, wherein the status indicator is a brightness level, and wherein the indication of the status of the lighting system comprises a brightness level; and

an environmental control system for the passenger cabin, wherein the status indicator is at least one of a current air temperature indicator and a requested air temperature indicator, and wherein the indication of the status of the climate control system comprises at least one of a current air temperature and a requested air temperature.

8. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising attendant call buttons arranged in the passenger cabin, wherein the attendant call buttons are in communication with the cabin control panel, and wherein the wireless data interface transmits a notification to the mobile device upon an attendant call button being pushed.

9. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the seat status indicators are attendant call buttons, and wherein the first state of the attendant call button is an inactive state and wherein the second state of the attendant call button is an active state.

10. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the mobile control commands each comprise an 8 bit value that corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of cabin control panel control commands, wherein at least one unique permutation of the 8 bit value is not assigned to any cabin control panel control command, and wherein the API provides an interface through which the at least one unique permutation of the 8 bit value can be subsequently assigned to a cabin control panel control command.

11. A mobile control device for providing control commands to a control panel for a plurality of passenger cabin systems in a vehicle passenger cabin, wherein the vehicle passenger cabin includes a plurality of passenger seats and a plurality of seat status indicators, the mobile control device comprising:

a wireless data interface operable to communicate with a control panel for the vehicle passenger cabin;

a display screen operable to display data received from the control panel via the wireless data interface, wherein the display screen is further configured to display a graphical user interface depicting a position of each of a plurality of passenger seats and depicting at least one location of a seat within the vehicle passenger cabin associated with a particular seat status indicator that changed from a first state to a second state;

a user interface operable to receive user selections; and

control logic operable to monitor inputs to the user interface and to determine a control commands to transmit over the wireless data interface to the control panel, based on user selections at locations within the user interface, wherein the control commands comprise a fixed length string of bits that uniquely identifies a command for the control panel to execute, and wherein the control panel provides an interface through which at least one fixed length string of bits can be subsequently assigned to a control command.

12. The mobile control device of claim 11, wherein the user interface is operable to receive lighting control commands to change a brightness of lighting in the vehicle passenger cabin, and wherein the wireless data interface transmits the lighting control commands to the control panel.

13. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the user interface is operable to receive temperature control commands to change an air temperature in the vehicle passenger cabin, and wherein the wireless data interface transmits the temperature control commands to the control panel.

14. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the user interface is operable to receive media playback control commands to control playback of media through an entertainment system, and wherein the wireless data interface transmits the media playback control commands to the control panel.

15. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the user interface is operable to receive internet service control commands, and wherein the wireless data interface transmits the internet service commands to the control panel.

16. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the wireless data interface receives system status data from the control panel, and wherein the display screen displays the system status data.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the system status data relates to at least one of:

a tank fill level for a potable water holding tank;

a waste tank fill level for a lavatory waste tank;

a brightness level of a lighting system for the passenger cabin; and

at least one of a current air temperature indicator and a requested air temperature indicator for an environmental control system for the passenger cabin.

18. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the wireless data interface receives data related to an attendant call button activation that includes a location of the attendant call button that was activated, and wherein the display screen displays an indication of the location.

19. A vehicle passenger cabin control system for a vehicle passenger cabin, wherein the vehicle passenger cabin includes a plurality of passenger seats and a plurality of seat status indicators, the vehicle passenger cabin control system comprising:

a cabin control panel that includes an interface that is operable to receive control commands, wherein the cabin control panel is operable to control a plurality of passenger cabin systems in response to a received control command, wherein the cabin control system includes a first wireless data interface;

a mobile device that includes a display screen, a user interface operable to receive control commands, and a second wireless data interface; and

a controller in communication with the cabin control panel and the mobile device, wherein the controller provides an Application Program Interface (API) that exposes one or more functions, wherein control commands received by the user interface of the mobile device and formatted according to a first format are transmitted to the controller using the second wireless data interface, and wherein the controller is configured to generate corresponding control commands formatted according to a second format and to transmit the generated control commands to the cabin control panel using the first wireless data interface, wherein the cabin control panel is operable to control the plurality of passenger cabin systems in response to received control commands, and wherein at least one of the mobile control commands includes passenger seats information specifying a position of a seat within a vehicle passenger cabin having a particular seat status indicator that changed from a first state to a second state.

20. The vehicle passenger cabin control system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of passenger cabin systems comprises at least one of:

a lighting system for the passenger cabin, and wherein the mobile control command includes a command to change a brightness of light output by the lighting system;

an environmental control system for the passenger cabin, and wherein the mobile control command includes a command to change an air temperature in the passenger cabin;

an entertainment system for the passenger cabin, wherein the mobile control command includes a command to one of play, pause, or change media for playback via the entertainment system; and

an internet service system, wherein the mobile control command includes a command to activate the internet service system.

21. The vehicle passenger cabin control system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of passenger cabin systems comprises at least one of:

a potable water holding tank, wherein the status indication is a potable water holding tank fill level;

a lavatory waste tank, wherein the status indicator is a lavatory waste tank fill level;

a lighting system for the passenger cabin, wherein the status indicator is a brightness level; and

an environmental control system for the passenger cabin, wherein the status indicator is at least one of a current air temperature indicator and a requested air temperature indicator.

22. A system for an aircraft passenger cabin, wherein the aircraft passenger cabin includes a plurality of passenger seats and a plurality of seat status indicators, the system comprising:

a cabin control panel that exposes an interface that is operable to receive control commands over a first wireless data interface, wherein the cabin control panel is operable to control a plurality of passenger cabin systems in response to a received control command;

a mobile device that includes a display screen and computer program code that, when executed, receives control commands over a second wireless data interface and generates a graphical user interface for use in controlling the cabin control panel, wherein the graphical user interface includes a plurality of status indicators corresponding to the plurality of passenger cabin systems, and wherein the graphical user interface is output using the display screen; and

a controller in communication with the cabin control panel and the mobile device, wherein the controller provides an Application Program Interface (API) that exposes one or more functions for;

receiving mobile control commands, from the second wireless data interface of the mobile device, formatted according to a first format, wherein the computer program code on the mobile device is configured to, in response to a selection of one of the plurality of status indicators, determine a fixed length string of bits that corresponds to a determined action for the selected status indicator and to transmit a mobile control command specifying the determined fixed length string of bits;

in response to receiving the mobile control commands, generating control commands formatted according to a second format that is distinct from the first format, wherein each of the generated control commands corresponds to a respective one of the mobile device commands, and wherein a first one of the control commands is generated by accessing a mapping of control commands in the first format to control commands in the second format, wherein at least one unique permutation of the fixed length string of bits is not assigned to any control command for the cabin control panel, and wherein the controller provides an interface through which the at least one unique permutation of the fixed length string of bits can be subsequently assigned to a control command for the cabin control panel;

transmitting the generated control commands to the exposed interface of the cabin control panel;

periodically querying the cabin control panel for status information describing a current state of the plurality of passenger cabin systems, and

upon receiving the status information from the cabin control panel, transmitting the status information to the mobile device, wherein the computer program code on the mobile device is configured to update the graphical user interface to depict a real-time status of the plurality of passenger cabin systems, using the status information.