The field of this disclosure relates to the use of variable transparency technology on aircraft seats. Specifically, there is described a system that uses a transparent material that can be transitioned to become more opaque upon application of a voltage. The transparent material may be used for privacy purposes, may be used to create a video screen on a selected surface, or for other uses described herein.

An aircraft passenger seating unit and aircraft seating arrangements including seating units, each seating unit configured as a window-facing seating unit or as an aisle-facing seating unit. Each individual seating unit including first and second laterally adjacent seats mounted on a common platform and oriented at an angle to a longitudinal aircraft axis. A forwardmost point of each of the first and second seats, when in an upright sitting position, resides along a plane common to both the first and second passenger seats perpendicular to the longitudinal aircraft axis to allow longitudinal alignment of rows and increased seating density.

A seat system for a passenger aircraft. The seat system includes a passenger seat frame having a backrest support assembly including a backrest and a spreaders and spar tube assembly; and a seat bottom support assembly. The seat system further includes a solenoid-actuated recline lever assembly including an armrest or center console connected to the spreaders and spar tube assembly; a counter-balanced solenoid actuator positioned in the seat bottom support assembly; and a passenger operated release switch attached between the solenoid actuator and the armrest or center console. The seat system may further include a seat back tray table attached to the back of the passenger seat frame.

A human machine interface (HMI), a method of interacting with an HMI and a corresponding computer program product facilitate user interaction with an HMI. In a method, a face of a person attempting to interact with the HMI is detected and a gesture made by the person relative to the HMI is also detected. The method analyzes information regarding the face of the person that has been detected to determine whether the person is wearing personal protection equipment. In an instance in which the person is determined to not be wearing personal protection equipment, the method suspends a response to the gesture made by the person. However, in an instance in which the person is determined to be wearing personal protection equipment, the method analyzes the gesture made by the person relative to the HMI and converts the gesture to a corresponding command to the system associated with the HMI.

A vehicle includes an occupant space and seats for occupants. The seats are arranged, viewed in a travel direction of the vehicle, one behind the other in the occupant space. The vehicle also includes an image capturing device configured to capture an image of a respective seat and/or an occupant sitting in the respective seat, and a display device configured to display an image captured by the image capturing device in a region of another seat and/or in a field of view of an occupant sitting in the other seat.

A passenger includes at least one seat component including a first material and at least one additive manufactured component including a second material, the at least one additive manufactured component including a plurality of zones. The at least one additive manufactured component is attached to the at least one seat component. The at least one additive manufactured component includes a lattice structure. Each of the plurality of zones have different physical properties.

Provided is an aircraft seat structure capable of ensuring passenger comfort and effectively utilizing space in the cabin. The aircraft seat structure includes a first seat unit having a first seat region in which passengers are able to sit, and a first side region adjacent in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the first seat region; and a second seat unit having a second seat region in which passengers are able to sit, and a second side region adjacent in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the second seat region. The first side region is provided on one side of the first seat region along a direction that intersects a traveling direction of an aircraft, and the second side region is provided on another side of the second seat region along the direction that intersects the traveling direction of the aircraft. The first side region and the second seat region are joined in a state in which a portion of the second seat region is inserted into the first side region. The first side region and the second side region are separated by a partition wall, and the partition wall has an inclined surface tilted toward the second seat unit.

A monitor mounting apparatus for use in connection with passenger vehicles such as aircraft, trains, and buses. The unique pivoting mechanism of the mounting apparatus permits lowering of the monitor in a manner that permits the top of the monitor screen to be visible even to the tallest of passengers.

An in-flight entertainment system is disclosed. In various embodiments, the in-flight entertainment system includes a display having a viewing surface and a back surface opposite the viewing surface; and a projector connected to the display and configured to illuminate the viewing surface.

This patent document describes techniques related to antenna system of an in-flight entertainment and communication (IFEC) system provided in a commercial passenger vehicle. The antenna system comprises monitors associated with passenger seats on the commercial passenger vehicle and configured to display entertainment content for passengers, wireless transceivers disposed outside of the monitors and configured to transceive radio signals that have beam patterns defined according to locations of the wireless transceivers relative to passenger seats, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the wireless transceivers and configured to support the wireless connectivity for the passengers through the wireless transceivers.