Method, system, and executable program product for controlling lighting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10112716-B2
Application number	US-201515120534-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2015
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A lighting control system includes a sensor to generate a signal representative of at least one of a position of a seat, a presence of passenger in the seat, the position of at least one hand of the passenger, a configuration of the at least one hand of the passenger, and a direction of movement of the at least one hand of the passenger. A first light source, which generates a first light column, is located forward of the seat. A second light source, which generates a second light column, is located rearward of the seat. A controller generates a control signal that controls at least one parameter associated with an intensity, a color, a projected pattern, projected pattern location, or a width formed by a combination of the first and second light columns.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting control system, the system comprising:
a passenger sensor adapted to sense a presence of a passenger in a seat and generate a first signal representative of the presence of the passenger in the seat;
a hand sensor adapted to sense at least one of a position of at least one hand of the passenger in the seat, a configuration of the at least one hand of the passenger in the seat and a direction of movement of the at least one hand of the passenger in the seat and generate a second signal representative of the at least one of the position of the at least one hand of the passenger in the seat, the configuration of the at least one hand of the passenger in the seat and the direction of movement of the at least one hand of the passenger in the seat;
a first light source located in a forward location with respect to the seat, the first light source generating a first light column;
a second light source located in rearward location with respect to the seat, the second light source being disposed rearward of and spaced from the first light source, the second light source generating a second light column; and
a controller operatively connected to the passenger sensor and the hand sensor to receive the first signal and the second signal therefrom and generate a control signal, based on the first signal and the second signal, to be received by the first light source and the second light source, where the control signal controls at least one parameter associated with an intensity, a color, a projected pattern, projected pattern location, or a width formed by a combination of the first and second light columns.

2. The lighting control system of claim 1 , further comprising a window shade sensor associated with the window shade to sense a degree of openness of the window shade that generates a window shade signal, wherein the control signal also controls the at least one parameter based on the window shade signal.

3. The lighting control system of claim 1 , further comprising a cabin light sensor associated with a cabin light to sense the cabin light and generate a cabin light signal, wherein the control signal also controls the at least one parameter based on the cabin light signal.

4. The lighting control system of claim 1 , wherein the control signal provides proportional control over the first light column and the second light column to adjust the first light column and the second light column in a proportional relationship to one another.

5. The lighting control system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a seat position sensor adapted to sense a position of the seat, the seat position sensor being operatively connected to the controller; and wherein:
the controller is further adapted to generate the control signal for controlling the at least one parameter in response to at least one signal received from the seat position sensor relating to a detected position of the seat.

6. The lighting control system of claim 5 , wherein:
the hand sensor defines a hand sensing zone within which the hand sensor detects the at least one of the position, orientation, and directional motion of the at least one hand of the passenger; and
the controller is further adapted to generate an additional control signal for controlling the hand sensor in response to the at least one signal received from the seat position sensor relating to the detected position of the seat, the additional control signal causing the hand sensor to adjust the hand sensing zone.

7. A method of controlling a lighting system, comprising:
sensing, by a first sensor, at least one of a hand position of a passenger in a seat, a hand configuration of the passenger in the seat, and a direction of movement of a hand of the passenger in the seat, and generating, by the first sensor, a first signal representative of at least one of the hand position of the passenger in the seat, the hand configuration of the passenger in the seat, and the direction of movement of the hand of the passenger in the seat;
sensing, by a second sensor, a presence of the passenger in the seat, and generating, by the second sensor, a second signal representative of the presence of the passenger in the seat;
generating a light control signal by a controller based on the first signal and the second signal; and
for at least a first light source and a second light source, the second light source being disposed rearward of and spaced from the first light source, adjusting, based on at least the light control signal, at least one parameter associated with a light intensity, a light color, a projected pattern, a projected pattern location, and a light width, formed by a combination of the first light source and the second light source.

8. The method of controlling a lighting system of claim 7 , further comprising:
generating, by a passenger input device, a passenger input signal from the passenger as to the at least one parameter,
wherein the light control signal is generated also based on the passenger input signal.

9. The method of controlling a lighting system of claim 7 , further comprising:
sensing, by a window sensor, a degree of openness of a window shade; and
generating, by the window sensor, a window shade signal,
wherein the light control signal is generated also based on the window shade signal.

10. The method of controlling a lighting system of claim 7 , further comprising:
sensing, by a cabin light sensor, a cabin light; and
generating, by the cabin light sensor, a cabin light signal,
wherein the light control signal is generated also based on the cabin light signal.

11. The method of controlling a lighting system of claim 7 , further comprising:
sensing, by an ambient light sensor, an ambient light; and
generating, by the ambient light sensor, an ambient light signal,
wherein the light control signal is generated also based on the ambient light signal.

12. The method of controlling a lighting system of claim 7 , wherein the light control signal provides proportional control of the first light source and the second light source to adjust the first light source and the second light source in a proportional relationship to one another.

13. The method of controlling the lighting system of claim 7 , wherein:
the first sensor defines a hand sensing zone within which the first sensor detects the at least one of the position, orientation, and directional motion of the at least one hand of the passenger; and further comprising:
receiving, by the controller, a third signal from a seat position sensor, the third input signal concerning at least a position of the seat; and
controlling, by the controller, based on the third signal, the first sensor to adjust at least one of a location, angle, and area of the hand sensing zone.

14. The method of controlling the lighting system of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving, from the second sensor, a signal indicating that the passenger is no longer in the seat;
and adjusting, by the controller based on the signal indicating that the passenger is not in the seat, the at least one parameter to reset to a default value.

15. An executable computer program product embodying instructions for a method of operation of a lighting system, wherein the instructions comprise steps to:
sense, by a first sensor, at least one of a hand position of a passenger in a seat, a hand configuration of the passenger in the seat, and a direction of movement of a hand of the passenger in the seat, and generate, by the first sensor, a first signal representative of at least one of the hand position of the passenger in the seat, the

Assignees

• Bombardier Inc

Inventors

• Gagnon Pierre
• Rezile Joseph
• Kirmoyan Marc
• Nolen Brad
• Lacheré Julien Fabrice
• Karceski Jeffrey David

Classifications

• B64D11/00 Primary

  Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• H05B47/105 Primary

  in response to determined parameters · CPC title

• B64D2011/0038

  Illumination systems for cabins as a whole · CPC title

• B64D2203/00

  Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs · CPC title

• H05B45/20

  Controlling the colour of the light · CPC title