Aircraft having gesture-based control for an onboard passenger service unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10146320-B2
Application number	US-201615353374-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2016
Priority date	Oct 29, 2007
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

An aircraft is provided that includes a passenger service unit for a passenger seated in a seat in its cabin. The aircraft includes a camera configured to acquire an image of the passenger, and a control module configured to at least receive the image of the passenger. The control module is configured to receive non-tactile gesture preference data and dominant hand data, and access a non-tactile gesture data store that includes a plurality of images of non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures. Based on the foregoing, the control module is configured to generate non-tactile gesture data in accordance with and indicative of a non-tactile hand signal or a non-tactile gesture made by the passenger. And the control module is configured to control one or more cabin systems including in at least one instance the passenger service unit based on the non-tactile gesture data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft comprising a fuselage including a cabin with a plurality of seats, and for a seat of the plurality of seats:
a passenger service unit including a reading light, an attendant call button, and an air vent for a passenger seated in the seat;
a camera configured to acquire an image of the passenger; and
a control module coupled to the passenger serviced unit and camera, and configured to at least:
receive the image of the passenger from the camera;
receive non-tactile gesture preference data and dominant hand data, input by the passenger or from an associated user profile of the passenger, the non-tactile gesture preference data representing a desired non-tactile hand signal or a desired non-tactile hand gesture, and the dominant hand data specifying a dominant hand of the passenger to monitor for the desired non-tactile hand signal or the desired non-tactile hand gesture, the dominant hand of the passenger being chosen by the passenger;
correlate the image of the passenger to the dominant hand of the passenger specified by the dominant hand data;
access a non-tactile gesture data store that includes a plurality of images of non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures;
generate non-tactile gesture data in accordance with and indicative of the desired non-tactile hand signal or the desired non-tactile gesture made by the passenger, the non-tactile gesture data being generated based on the image of the passenger correlated to the dominant hand of the passenger specified by the dominant hand data, the non-tactile gesture preference data, and the plurality of images of non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures; and
control one or more cabin systems including in at least one instance the reading light, attendant call button or air vent of the passenger service unit based on the non-tactile gesture data.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the control module being configured to generate the non-tactile gesture data includes being configured to generate the non-tactile gesture data based on a comparison between the image of the passenger and the plurality of images of non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the control module being configured to control the one or more cabin systems includes being configured to at least:
access a function data store that indicates functions associated with respective ones of the non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures;
generate function data that identifies a function of the one or more cabin systems based on a comparison between the non-tactile gesture data and the functions indicated in the function data store, the reading light; and
control the one or more cabin systems including in the at least one instance the reading light, attendant call button or air vent based on the function data.

4. The aircraft of claim 3 , wherein the control module being configured to access the function data store includes being configured to access the function data store that indicates functions including activation and deactivation of each of the reading light, the attendant call button and the air vent, each of which is associated with a respective one of the non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the fuselage further includes a plurality of windows, and the plurality of windows includes a window proximate the seat, and
wherein the control module being configured to control the one or more cabin systems includes in at least one other instance a window shade of the window proximate the seat.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 further comprising an in-flight entertainment system for passenger seated in the seat, and
wherein the control module being configured to control the one or more cabin systems includes in at least one other instance a window shade of the window proximate the seat.

7. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to input the associated user profile of the passenger from a portable device, and
wherein the control module being configured to receive the non-tactile gesture preference data and dominant hand data includes being configured to receive the non-tactile gesture preference data and dominant hand data from the associated user profile of the passenger.

8. An apparatus for control of one or more cabin systems onboard an aircraft with a fuselage including a cabin with a plurality of seats, and for a seat of the plurality of seats, a passenger service unit including a reading light, an attendant call button, and an air vent for a passenger seated in the seat, the apparatus comprising:
a processor and a memory storing one or more software or firmware programs that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:
receive an image of the passenger from a camera;
receive non-tactile gesture preference data and dominant hand data, input by the passenger or from an associated user profile of the passenger, the non-tactile gesture preference data representing a desired non-tactile hand signal or a desired non-tactile hand gesture, and the dominant hand data specifying a dominant hand of the passenger to monitor for the desired non-tactile hand signal or the desired non-tactile hand gesture, the dominant hand of the passenger being chosen by the passenger;
correlate the image of the passenger to the dominant hand of the passenger specified by the dominant hand data;
access a non-tactile gesture data store that includes a plurality of images of non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures;
generate non-tactile gesture data in accordance with and indicative of the desired non-tactile hand signal or the desired non-tactile gesture made by the passenger, the non-tactile gesture data being generated based on the image of the passenger correlated to the dominant hand of the passenger specified by the dominant hand data, the non-tactile gesture preference data, and the plurality of images of non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures; and
control one or more cabin systems including in at least one instance the reading light, attendant call button or air vent of the passenger service unit based on the non-tactile gesture data.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the apparatus being caused to generate the non-tactile gesture data includes being caused to generate the non-tactile gesture data based on a comparison between the image of the passenger and the plurality of images of non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the apparatus being caused to control the one or more cabin systems includes being caused to at least:
access a function data store that indicates functions associated with respective ones of the non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures;
generate function data that identifies a function of the one or more cabin systems based on a comparison between the non-tactile gesture data and the functions indicated in the function data store, the reading light; and
control the one or more cabin systems including in the at least one instance the reading light, attendant call button or air vent based on the function data.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus being caused to access the function data store includes being caused to access the function data store that indicates functions including activation and deactivation of each of the reading light, the attendant call button and the air vent, each of which is associated with a respective one of the non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures.

12. The a

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Schalla James P
• Robb Calsee N
• Harkness William A
• Sharpe Buddy L
• Kneller Heidi J

Classifications

• B64D11/00155

  Individual entertainment or communication system remote controls therefor, located in or connected to seat components, e.g. to seat back or arm rest · CPC title

• G06F3/017 Primary

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/0304

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title

• B64D13/00

  Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space · CPC title

• B64D11/00151

  Permanently mounted seat back monitors · CPC title