Passenger chair component monitoring system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10611481-B1
Application number	US-201816135157-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 19, 2018
Priority date	Sep 19, 2018
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

A system for monitoring passenger chair components is disclosed. In embodiments, the system includes a seat control module communicatively coupled with one or more components of a passenger chair. The system may further include an inflight entertainment unit communicatively coupled to the seat control module. The inflight entertainment unit can be configured to receive diagnostic and usage information associated with the one or more components from the seat control module. The system may further include an aircraft server communicatively coupled to the seat control module and/or to the inflight entertainment unit. The aircraft server can be configured to receive the diagnostic and usage information from the seat control module and/or the inflight entertainment unit, and can be further configured to transmit the diagnostic and usage information to a ground server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for monitoring passenger chair components, comprising:
a seat control module communicatively coupled with one or more components of a passenger chair;
an inflight entertainment unit communicatively coupled to the seat control module, the inflight entertainment unit configured to receive diagnostic and usage information associated with the one or more components from the seat control module;
an aircraft server communicatively coupled to the inflight entertainment unit, the aircraft server configured to receive the diagnostic and usage information from the inflight entertainment unit, the aircraft server further configured to transmit the diagnostic and usage information to a ground server; and
a master inflight entertainment unit that communicatively couples the inflight entertainment unit to the aircraft server, wherein the master inflight entertainment unit is communicatively coupled to a respective seat control module of a master passenger chair that is different from the passenger chair associated with the inflight entertainment unit that is communicatively coupled to the seat control module, wherein the master inflight entertainment unit is also communicatively coupled to a plurality of inflight entertainment units that are communicatively coupled to a plurality of respective seat control modules, wherein the master inflight entertainment unit is configured to receive diagnostic and usage information associated with the plurality of respective seat control modules from the plurality of inflight entertainment units and is further configured to transmit the diagnostic and usage information from the plurality of inflight entertainment units to the aircraft server, and wherein the master inflight entertainment unit is further configured to receive diagnostic and usage information from the respective seat control module of the master passenger chair and is further configured to transmit the diagnostic and usage information of the master passenger chair to the aircraft server.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components comprise at least one of: an actuator, a peripheral device, a light source, a passenger control unit, or a power control module.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inflight entertainment unit is integrated within the passenger chair.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inflight entertainment unit is integrated within another passenger chair.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a secure server router that communicatively couples the inflight entertainment unit to the aircraft server.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an aviation message router that communicatively couples the inflight entertainment unit to the aircraft server.

7. A system for monitoring passenger chair components, comprising:
a plurality of seat control modules communicatively coupled with components of respective passenger chairs;
a plurality of inflight entertainment units communicatively coupled to respective ones of the plurality of seat control modules, the plurality of inflight entertainment units configured to receive diagnostic and usage information associated with the components from the plurality of seat control modules;
an aircraft server communicatively coupled to the plurality of inflight entertainment units, the aircraft server configured to receive the diagnostic and usage information from the plurality of inflight entertainment units;
a master inflight entertainment unit that communicatively couples the plurality of inflight entertainments units to the aircraft server, wherein the master inflight entertainment unit is communicatively coupled to a respective seat control module of a master passenger chair that is different from the respective passenger chairs associated with the plurality of inflight entertainment units, wherein the master inflight entertainment unit is configured to receive diagnostic and usage information associated with the plurality of seat control modules from the plurality of inflight entertainment units and is further configured to transmit the diagnostic and usage information from the plurality of inflight entertainment units to the aircraft server, and wherein the master inflight entertainment unit is further configured to receive diagnostic and usage information from the respective seat control module of the master passenger chair and is further configured to transmit the diagnostic and usage information of the master passenger chair to the aircraft server; and
a ground server communicatively coupled to the aircraft server, the ground server configured to receive the diagnostic and usage information from the aircraft server.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the components comprise at least one of: actuators, peripheral devices, light sources, passenger control units, or power control modules.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a secure server router that communicatively couples the plurality of inflight entertainment units to the aircraft server.

10. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
an aviation message router that communicatively couples the plurality of inflight entertainment units to the aircraft server.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
another aviation message router that communicatively couples the aircraft server to the ground server.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the ground server is configured to generate at least one of an alert or an instruction based on the diagnostic and usage information.

13. A method of monitoring passenger chair components, comprising:
collecting diagnostic and usage information from a plurality of seat control modules communicatively coupled with components of respective passenger chairs, wherein the diagnostic and usage information is collected by a plurality of inflight entertainment units communicatively coupled to respective ones of the plurality of seat control modules;
storing the diagnostic and usage information on an aircraft server, wherein the aircraft server is configured to receive the diagnostic and usage information from the plurality of inflight entertainment units via a master inflight entertainment unit that communicatively couples the plurality of inflight entertainments units to the aircraft server, wherein the master inflight entertainment unit is communicatively coupled to a respective seat control module of a master passenger chair that is different from the respective passenger chairs associated with the plurality of inflight entertainment units, wherein the master inflight entertainment unit is configured to receive diagnostic and usage information associated with the plurality of seat control modules from the plurality of inflight entertainment units and is further configured to transmit the diagnostic and usage information from the plurality of inflight entertainment units to the aircraft server, and wherein the master inflight entertainment unit is further configured to receive diagnostic and usage information from the respective seat control module of the master passenger chair and is further configured to transmit the diagnostic and usage information of the master passenger chair to the aircraft server; and
transmitting the diagnostic and usage information from the aircraft server to a ground server.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the aircraft server is configured to receive the diagnostic and usage information from the plurality of inflight entertainment units via at least one of a secure server router or an aviation message router that communicatively couples the plurality of inflight entertainments units to the a

Assignees

• Rockwell Collins Inc

Inventors

• Phan Thao
• Udriste Daniel
• Ciemier Christopher

Classifications

• B64D11/00151

  Permanently mounted seat back monitors · CPC title

• B64D11/06

  Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats (crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04) · CPC title

• B64D2045/0085

  Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration · CPC title

• B64D11/0624

  Arrangements of electrical connectors, e.g. for earphone, internet or electric supply · CPC title

• H04N21/2146

  located in mass transportation means, e.g. aircraft, train or bus (flight-deck installations for entertainment or communications B64D11/0015; arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62; moving wireless networks H04W84/005) · CPC title