Sound control system for a seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12337741-B2
Application number	US-202118038849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2021
Priority date	Nov 26, 2020
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

The present invention relates to a passenger seat ( 10 ), in particular for an aircraft cabin, comprising: —a headrest ( 11 ), —a backrest ( 12 ), —a seat member ( 13 ) and—at least one loudspeaker ( 18 ) for broadcasting a sound signal to a passenger, —the passenger seat ( 10 ) further comprising: —at least one detection means ( 20 ) for detecting the presence of the passenger or a part of the passenger's body, and—a control unit ( 24 ) configured to selectively command the activation or deactivation of the loudspeaker ( 18 ) and/or the modification of a characteristic of a sound signal broadcast by the loudspeaker ( 18 ) in accordance with at least one information item from: —an information item relating to the presence of the passenger or a part of the passenger's body determined using the detection means ( 20 ), or—an information item concerning the state of the aircraft cabin or aircraft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A passenger seat, in particular for an aircraft cabin, comprising:
a headrest,
a seat back,
a seating surface, and
at least one loudspeaker for broadcast a sound signal for a passenger, characterized in that said passenger seat further comprises:
at least one detection means for a presence of the passenger or a part of a body of the passenger, and
a control unit configured to selectively control an activation or deactivation of the loudspeaker and/or a modification of a characteristic of a sound signal broadcast by the loudspeaker according to at least one information among:
an information relating to the presence of the passenger or the part of the body of the passenger determined with the detection means, or
an information relating to a status of the aircraft or cabin,
the control unit being configured in such a way that when the control unit detects that the passenger leaves his/her seat or that a head of the passenger moves away or moves with respect to the headrest, said control unit is capable of controlling a deactivation of the loudspeaker, or a reduction in a sound volume of the loudspeaker, and
when the control unit detects that the passenger returns onto his/her seat or that the head of the passenger returns close to the headrest, the control unit is configured to automatically reactivate, without passenger action, the loudspeaker or increase the sound to a level previously set by the passenger.

2. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the modified characteristic of the sound signal is a volume of the sound signal and/or one or more frequencies of the sound signal.

3. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to additionally control a display of a message on a screen of a multimedia system indicating that a deactivation of the loudspeaker and/or a modification of a characteristic of the sound signal generated by the loudspeaker has been controlled by the control unit.

4. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the detection means is chosen from: a camera, a detection sensor, or a detection sheet.

5. The seat according to claim 4 , wherein the detection means is the detection sensor.

6. The seat according to claim 5 , wherein the detection sensor is an inductive-type detection sensor, a capacitive-type detection sensor, a piezoelectric-type detection sensor, or an infrared-type detection sensor.

7. The seat according to claim 4 , wherein the detection means is the detection sheet.

8. The seat according to claim 7 , wherein the detection sheet is an inductive-type detection sheet, a capacitive-type detection sheet, a piezoelectric-type detection sheet, or an infrared-type detection sheet.

9. The seat according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of detection means, wherein output signals of the plurality of detection means are configured to be correlated by the control unit in order to confirm the information relating to the presence of the passenger or the part of the body of the passenger.

10. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the detection means are arranged inside at least one element of the seat among: the headrest, the seating surface, the seat back, an armrest, or a seat belt buckle.

11. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein at least one detection means is arranged in a shell, or in the aircraft cabin close to the seat.

12. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein at least one loudspeaker is integrated in the headrest.

13. The seat according to claim 12 , wherein at least one loudspeaker is integrated in a side wing of the headrest and/or in a central portion of the headrest.

14. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein at least one loudspeaker is integrated in the seat, the backrest, or an armrest, or in a seat privacy shell.

15. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to control a sound setting of the at least one loudspeaker to a desired sound volume in the event that an announcement made via the at least one loudspeaker of the seat is by at least one cabin crew member.

16. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to control muting of the at least one loudspeaker of the seat in the event that an announcement made via a loudspeaker in the aircraft cabin is by at least one cabin crew member.

17. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to reduce a sound volume of the at least one loudspeaker of the headrest and/or display a message advising the passenger to switch to a use with a headset when a noise level in the cabin or a region of the cabin exceeds a predetermined threshold.

18. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the detection means is a camera.

Assignees

• Safran Seats

Inventors

• Cotta Gérald
• Manceau Denis

Classifications

• B60N2/0028

  of a body part, e.g. of an arm or a leg · CPC title

• H04R1/025

  Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture · CPC title

• B60N2/002

  Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon (detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266) · CPC title

• B64D11/0646

  Seats characterised by special features of stationary arms, foot or head rests · CPC title

• B63B2029/043

  Seats; Arrangements thereof on vessels · CPC title