Aircraft cabin climate control using data from mobile electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10513339-B2
Application number	US-201715691204-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2017
Priority date	Aug 30, 2017
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufactures for aircraft cabin temperature control using temperature data from mobile electronic devices are described herein. An example mobile electronic device described herein includes a transceiver to receive a climate characteristic value measured by a personal mobile electronic device in a cabin of an aircraft and a cabin air manager to calculate an updated climate characteristic setting for an environmental control system (ECS) of the aircraft based on a current climate characteristic setting of the ECS and the climate characteristic value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A personal portable electronic device comprising:
a transceiver to receive a plurality of climate characteristic values measured by a plurality of personal mobile electronic devices in a cabin of an aircraft; and
a cabin air manager to calculate a change to a climate characteristic setting for an environmental control system (ECS) of the aircraft based on a desired climate characteristic setting in the cabin and a median of the plurality of climate characteristic value values.

2. The personal portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the climate characteristic values are temperature readings, the desired climate characteristic setting is a desired temperature setting in the cabin, and the change to the climate characteristic setting is a temperature change.

3. The personal portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the climate characteristic values are humidity readings, the desired climate characteristic setting is a desired relative humidity setting in the cabin, and the change to the climate characteristic setting is a relative humidity change.

4. The personal portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is to receive the climate characteristic values, the desired climate characteristic setting, or both the climate characteristic values and the desired climate characteristic setting via an in-flight entertainment (IFE) system network in the aircraft.

5. The personal portable electronic device of claim 1 , further including a display screen, the cabin air manager to display the change to the climate characteristic setting on the display screen.

6. A method to enhance air temperature control in a cabin of an aircraft, the method comprising:
accessing, by executing an instruction with a processor, a temperature reading from a personal mobile electronic device in the cabin of the aircraft;
calculating, by executing an instruction with the processor, an updated temperature setting for an environmental control system (ECS) of the aircraft based on a current temperature setting of the ECS and the temperature reading; and
prior to calculating the updated temperature setting, calibrating, by executing an instruction with the processor, a temperature sensor of the ECS in the cabin of the aircraft to determine a temperature bias.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the personal mobile electronic device is a first personal mobile electronic device, further including displaying, by executing an instruction with the processor, the updated temperature setting on a display screen of a second personal mobile electronic device controlled by a flight attendant.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second personal mobile electronic device is at least one of a tablet, a laptop computer, or a cell phone.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the calculating of the updated temperature setting is based on one or more aircraft trends relating to temperature patterns in the cabin.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the calculating of the updated temperature setting is based on aircraft data including at least one of a phase of flight of the aircraft, a cabin temperature as detected by a temperature sensor of the ECS in the cabin, or an external temperature of the aircraft.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the temperature bias is based on a first temperature reading from the temperature sensor and a second temperature reading from a personal mobile electronic device associated with a seat of a passenger in the cabin closest to the temperature sensor.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the calculating of the updated temperature setting is based on the temperature bias.

13. The method of claim 6 , further including:
accessing, by executing an instruction with the processor, a humidity reading from the personal mobile electronic device; and
calculating, by executing an instruction with the processor, an updated relative humidity setting for the ECS based on a current relative humidity setting of the ECS and the humidity reading.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the temperature reading is a first temperature reading, the personal mobile electronic device is a first personal mobile electronic device associated with a first passenger in a first zone of a plurality of zones in the cabin, the current temperature setting is a first current temperature setting for the first zone, and the updated temperature setting is a first updated temperature setting for the first zone, further including:
accessing, by executing an instruction with the processor, a second temperature reading from a second personal mobile electronic device associated with a second passenger in a second zone of the cabin; and
calculating, by executing an instruction with the processor, a second updated temperature setting for the second zone based on a second current temperature setting for the second zone and the second temperature reading.

15. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
access a plurality of temperature readings from a plurality of personal mobile electronic devices in a cabin of an aircraft; and
calculate a change to a temperature setting for an environmental control system (ECS) of the aircraft based on a desired temperature in the cabin and a median of the plurality of temperature readings.

16. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the desired temperature is a current temperature setting of the ECS.

17. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of personal mobile electronic devices include at least one of a tablet, a laptop computer, a cell phone, or a wearable device.

18. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to actuate a valve in the ECS to affect a temperature of air flow provided to the cabin based on the change to the temperature setting.

19. The personal portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the cabin air manager is to receive the desired climate characteristic setting via user input.

20. The personal portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is to receive seat information from the plurality of personal mobile electronic devices associated with the plurality of climate characteristic values.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Nicks Eric Lee

Classifications

• B64D2013/0655

  with zone or personal climate controls · CPC title

• B64D13/06 Primary

  the air being conditioned (pressurising B64D13/02) · CPC title

• B64D2013/0662

  with humidity control · CPC title

• Y02T50/50

  On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency · CPC title