Digital crew assist

• US 9,889,934 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2015
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Sander, Peter, Reh, Jan, Pirklbauer, Peter Leopold
• Primary Examiner(s): Alizada, Omeed
• Application Number:
  US14/700,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20150314875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television

Abstract

A wearable device that is wearable by a user and connectable with one or more aircraft related systems, a device system comprising a plurality of such wearable devices, and an aircraft comprising such a device system. The wearable device that is connectable to one or more aircraft related systems comprises a system interface via which the wearable device is connectable to one or more aircraft related systems, and a control unit configured to communicate with at least one of the one or more aircraft related systems via the system interface.

Claims

1. A wearable device that is connectable to one or more aircraft related systems, the wearable device comprising:

a system interface configured to connect to one or more aircraft related systems; and

a control unit configured to communicate with at least one of the one or more aircraft related systems via the system interface, wherein the wearable device is configured to monitor a wearer of the wearable device and provide the wearer with information based on monitoring of the wearer; and

a device interface via which the wearable device is connectable to at least one of one or more other wearable devices and one or more mobile device wherein the control unit is configured to communicate with the at least one of the one or more other wearable devices and the one or more mobile devices via the device interface; and

wherein working hours of the wearer are monitored and the working hours are recorded in a server.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to at least one of:

retrieve information from at least one of the one or more aircraft related systems to which the wearable device is connected via the system interface; and

forward information to at least one of the one or more aircraft related systems to which the wearable device is connected via the system interface.

3. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the wearable device further comprises a user interface configured to receive a user input, wherein the control unit is configured to generate one or more control instructions corresponding to the received user input.

4. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to at least one of:

forward information retrieved from at least one of the one or more aircraft related systems to which the wearable device is connected to at least one of a user interface of the wearable device, a memory unit of the wearable device, a server unit to which the wearable device is connected via a server interface and one or more mobile devices to which the wearable device is connected via a device interface; and

obtain information to be forwarded to at least one of the one or more aircraft related systems to which the wearable device is connected from at least one of the memory unit of the wearable device, the server unit to which the wearable device is connected via the server interface and the one or more mobile devices to which the wearable device is connected via the device interface.

5. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the one or more aircraft related systems comprise at least one of one or more onboard systems provided onboard an aircraft and one or more airport systems provided at an airport.

6. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the wearable device comprises an attachment unit configured to be attached to a body of a user.

7. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the wearable device comprises a head-mounted device.

8. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the wearable device comprises a wrist attachable device.

9. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to at least one of:

communicate with a Flight-Attendant Panel provided on board the aircraft,

communicate with a Cabin Intercommunication Data System provided on board an aircraft,

forward text information,

receive text information,

forward audio information,

receive audio information,

receive boarding status information,

receive food selection information,

receive status information of occupied areas,

forward emergency light information, receive emergency information, receive general flight information,

receive transit flight information,

receive remote galley information, and

forward remote galley control information.

10. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to provide at least one of:

telemedical remote assistance information,

translator functions,

heart rate monitoring,

jet-lag assistance,

email functions,

telephone functions,

video call functions,

instant video functions, and

working hours functions.

16. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the wearable device comprises a device interface via which the wearable device is connectable to at least one of one or more other wearable devices and one or more mobile devices, wherein the control unit is configured to communicate with the at least one of the one or more other wearable devices and the one or more mobile devices via the device interface.

17. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the wearable device monitors a heart rate of the wearer in order to determine a level of stress of the wearer.

18. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the wearable device monitors the wearer for jetlag in order to minimize jetlag.

11. A device system comprising a plurality of wearable devices that are connectable to one or more aircraft related systems, the wearable devices each comprising:

a system interface configured to connect to one or more aircraft related systems; and

a control unit configured to communicate with at least one of the one or more aircraft related systems via the system interface, and

a device interface via which the wearable device is connectable to at least one of one or more other wearable devices and one or more mobile devices, wherein the control unit is configured to communicate with the at least one of the one or more other wearable devices and the one or more mobile devices via the device interface, wherein each wearable device is worn by a different user; and

wherein working hours of the wearer are monitored and the workin hours are recorded in a server.

12. The device system of claim 11, wherein at least a subset of the wearable devices is interconnected with each other.

13. The device system of claim 11, wherein the device system comprises a plurality of mobile devices, wherein at least a subset of the wearable devices is connected to at least a subset of the mobile devices via a data connection.

14. The device system of claim 11, the device system comprising one or more server units, wherein at least a subset of the wearable devices is connected to at least a subset of the one or more server units via a data connection.

15. An aircraft comprising a device system comprising a plurality of wearable devices that are connectable to one or more aircraft related systems, the wearable devices each comprising:

a system interface configured to connect to one or more aircraft related systems; and

a control unit configured to communicate with at least one of the one or more aircraft related systems via the system interface, and

a device interface via which the wearable device is connectable to at least one of one or more other wearable devices and one or more mobile devices, wherein the control unit is configured to communicate with the at least one of the one or more other wearable devices and the one or more mobile devices via the device interface, wherein each wearable device is worn by a different user; and

wherein working hours of the wearer are monitored and the working hours are recorded in a server.