CAMERA MODULE AND SYSTEM FOR SURVEILLANCE OF A PASSENGER CABIN OF AN AIRCRAFT, AND AIRCRAFT
20200307825 · 2020-10-01
Inventors
Cpc classification
F21V5/04
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
H04N23/54
ELECTRICITY
B64D45/0053
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
H04N23/57
ELECTRICITY
B60Q3/76
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60Q3/44
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B64D45/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60Q3/76
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B64D11/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
F21V5/04
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
Abstract
A camera module for surveillance of a passenger cabin of an aircraft, including a covering device for securing in a longitudinal cutout of a service channel including a carrier part having a circular securing cutout and including a mounting structure at least partly surrounding the securing cutout. A camera device includes a camera housing having a mounting portion with a spherically curved outer surface, and includes a camera unit having a lens accommodated in a front cutout of the camera housing, an optical sensor for generating image data, the optical sensor being in an interior of the camera housing, and a data interface for transferring the image data, wherein the camera housing is mounted by the mounting portion in the mounting structure to be rotatable or pivotable about at least two axes, and a locking device for locking the camera housing relative to the mounting structure.
Claims
1. A camera module for surveillance of a passenger cabin of an aircraft, comprising: a covering device for securing in a longitudinal cutout of a service channel comprising a carrier part having a circular securing cutout and a mounting structure at least partly surrounding the securing cutout; a camera device comprising a camera housing having a mounting portion with a spherically curved outer surface, and a camera unit comprising a lens accommodated in a front cutout of the camera housing, an optical sensor for generating image data, the optical sensor being in an interior of the camera housing, and a data interface for transferring the image data, wherein the camera housing is mounted by the mounting portion in the mounting structure to be rotatable or pivotable about at least two axes; and a locking device for locking the camera housing relative to the mounting structure.
2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the mounting structure comprises a base part secured to the carrier part, and a mounting piece guided on the base part along a guide direction running coaxially with respect to a center axis of the securing cutout, wherein the outer surface of the mounting portion of the camera housing bears against a bearing portion of the base part with a first region and against the mounting piece with an opposite region in relation to the guide direction, and wherein the camera housing is locked with frictional engagement between the mounting piece and the bearing portion of the base part by the locking device.
3. The camera module according to claim 2, wherein the locking device is formed by a retaining ring that pretensions the mounting piece in a direction of the bearing portion of the base part and is secured to the base part in a releasable manner is screwed thereto by an external thread.
4. The camera module according to claim 2, wherein the locking device is formed by a retaining ring that pretensions the mounting piece in a direction of the bearing portion of the base part and is secured to the base part in a releasable manner by being screwed thereto by an external thread.
5. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the data interface is configured for wireless data transfer.
6. The camera module according to claim 5, wherein the data interface is configured for wireless data transfer comprising a WIFI interface or a Bluetooth interface.
7. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the camera device comprises an evaluation unit for evaluating the image data, the evaluation unit being connected to the sensor and the data interface, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to recognize predetermined image patterns in the image data, and to enable transfer of the image data by the data interface only if a predetermined image pattern is recognized.
8. The camera module according to claim 7, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to convert the image data into image information data and to provide the image information data, optionally instead of the image data, at the data interface, wherein the image information data contain binary state information about a state of one or more cabin components, in particular with regard to a pivoting position of a tray table on a passenger seat, a closing state of a seat belt and/or an occupancy state of a passenger seat.
9. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the camera device additionally comprises a motion sensor for detecting movements in a field of view of the optical sensor, and an evaluation unit, wherein the motion sensor is connected to the evaluation unit and the evaluation unit is configured to enable transfer of the image data by the data interface only if a movement is detected by the motion sensor.
10. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the camera device comprises an illuminant on a front portion of the camera housing, in particular together with the lens in the front cutout of the camera housing.
11. The camera module according to claim 10, wherein the illuminant is configured for emitting visible light and/or light in an infrared range.
12. A system for surveillance of a passenger cabin of an aircraft, comprising: a service channel extending in a channel longitudinal direction and having a longitudinal cutout running in the channel longitudinal direction; at least one camera module according to claim 1, wherein the carrier part of the camera module is secured in the longitudinal cutout of the service channel; and an image reproduction device connected to the data interface of the camera device via a data network and configured for reproducing image data provided by the camera device.
13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the image reproduction device is a personal electronic device or is a personal electronic device that is a tablet PC.
14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the image reproduction device is formed by a stationary display, in particular fitted to an on-board monument, and by a flight attendant panel.
15. An aircraft, comprising: a passenger cabin comprising a multiplicity of rows of passenger seats arranged one behind another in relation to a cabin longitudinal direction; and a system according to claim 12, wherein the service channel is above the rows of passenger seats and extends with the channel longitudinal direction in the cabin longitudinal direction.
16. The aircraft according to claim 15, additionally comprising: a flight attendant seat in the passenger cabin and, opposite the flight attendant seat, a cabin monument. or a cabin monument that is an on-board galley, an on-board toilet or a partition, to which the image reproduction device is fitted or is fitted in a releasable manner.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0031] The disclosure herein is explained below with reference to the figures of the drawings. In the figures:
[0032]
[0033]
[0034]
[0035]
[0036]
[0037]
[0038]
[0039] In the figures, the same reference signs designate identical or functionally identical components, unless something to the contrary is indicated.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0040]
[0041] As is illustrated by way of example in
[0042] The covering device 2 comprises a carrier part 20 and a mounting structure 22 for mounting or receiving the camera device 3. The carrier part 20 can be realized in particular as a component part extending in a planar fashion, e.g. as a plate-shaped component part as illustrated by way of example in
[0043] The mounting structure 22 serves for the pivotable mounting of the camera device 3 and can comprise in particular a base part 23 and optionally a mounting part 24. The base part 23 is secured to the carrier part 20, e.g. screwed thereto, adhesively bonded thereto or formed integrally therewith, and is arranged on the second surface 20b of the carrier part, as is illustrated by way of example in
[0044] The guide portion 23B defines a guide surface that at least partly encloses a center axis M21 of the securing cutout 21 and extends parallel to the center axis M21 of the securing cutout 21 in a guide direction F. In particular, the guide surface of the guide portion 23B defines a guide axis running coaxially with respect to the center axis M21 of the securing cutout 21. As is shown by way of example in
[0045] As is illustrated by way of example in
[0046] As is illustrated by way of example in
[0047] As is illustrated by way of example in
[0048] Optionally, the camera housing 30 can bear against the mounting piece 24 with a second region of the mounting portion 35 or the spherically curved outer surface 35a, wherein the second region of the mounting portion 35 is opposite to the first region in relation to the guide direction F. The locking device 4, which is embodied by way of example in the form of a retaining ring in
[0049] The camera unit illustrated by way of example in
[0050] The optical sensor 32 is arranged opposite the lens 31 in the interior I30 of the camera housing 30. In the case of the camera module 1 illustrated by way of example in
[0051] The data interface 33 is configured for wired or preferably for wireless data transfer. By way of example, the data interface 33 can be realized as a WLAN antenna or as a Bluetooth interface.
[0052] The camera unit furthermore comprises an electrical supply terminal 33A for connection to an electrical voltage source S, aircraft-typically e.g. an 115 V AC voltage at 400 Hz or a 28V DC voltage.
[0053] The optional evaluation unit 34 can comprise in particular a processor, e.g. in the form of a CPU, an FPGA, an ASIC or the like, and a memory readable by the processor, e.g. in the form of a Flash memory or some other non-volatile data memory medium. The evaluation unit 34 is connected to the optical sensor 32 and the data interface 33. Software that is executable by the processor can be stored in the memory. By way of example, the software can contain image recognition algorithms that allow detection of predetermined movement patterns in the image data. By way of example, a plurality of image data sets recorded successively in time can be compared in order to ascertain changes indicating motion in the field of view of the camera unit. Moreover, a time of flight evaluation of light pulses can be carried out, for example, if the optical sensor 32 is embodied as a PMD sensor.
[0054] The evaluation unit can be configured for example to convert the image data into image information data and to provide the latter, as an alternative or in addition to the image data representing a visual scene in the field of view V of the camera unit, at the data interface. The image information data contain binary state information about a state of one or more cabin components, such as, for example, regarding a pivoting position of a tray table arranged on a passenger seat, a closing state of a seat belt and/or an occupancy state of a passenger seat. These image information data are detectable on the basis of the image data by the image recognition algorithm, for example. By way of example, for this purpose, image data representing specific image regions can be analyzed for the presence of features indicating the state of the respective cabin component. The image information data representing the state of a respective cabin component can preferably indicate just two states, e.g. folded back or opened out with regard to a tray table or occupied or free with regard to a passenger seat.
[0055] Alternatively or additionally, the evaluation unit 34 can also be connected to the optional motion sensor 36. The motion sensor 36 can be realized as a radar sensor or in a similar way and is configured to detect movements in the field of view of the optical sensor 32. In this way, a seat occupancy can likewise be registered, e.g. by virtue of the fact that, upon detection of motion, e.g. on the basis of time of flight evaluation of radiation emitted by the motion sensor 36, the state occupied is determined by the evaluation unit 34 and is provided as a corresponding image information data set at the data interface 33.
[0056] The evaluation unit 34 can be configured in particular to enable the transfer of the image data by the data interface 33 only if a predetermined movement pattern is recognized in the image data or motion is detected by the motion sensor 36.
[0057] The optional illuminant 37 serves for illuminating the field of view of the camera device and/or generally as a light source. The illuminant 37 can be arranged together with the lens 31 in the front cutout 30A of the camera housing 30, as is illustrated by way of example in
[0058]
[0059] The camera module 1 explained with reference to exemplary
[0060] The service channel 110 comprises channel walls 112 extending in a channel longitudinal direction L110 and defining a channel interior 1110 and a channel longitudinal opening or cutout 111 extending in the channel longitudinal direction L110. As is illustrated schematically in
[0061] As is illustrated by way of example in
[0062]
[0063] The image reproduction device 120 can be realized in particular as a portable personal electronic device, for example as a tablet PC, as is illustrated schematically in
[0064] As is illustrated symbolically in
[0065] Image data generated by the camera sensor 32 can thus be provided at the data interface 33 of the camera device 3 and be distributed via the data network 130. The image reproduction device 120 acquires the image data at its data interface 122 from the data network 130 and can display a scene recorded by the camera device 3 on the basis of the image data.
[0066]
[0067] As shown by way of example in
[0068] As depicted schematically in
[0069] Although the disclosure herein has been explained by way of example above on the basis of exemplary embodiments, it is not restricted thereto, but rather is modifiable in diverse ways. In particular, combinations of the exemplary embodiments above are also conceivable.
[0070] The subject matter disclosed herein can be implemented in software in combination with hardware and/or firmware. For example, the subject matter described herein can be implemented in software executed by a processor or processing unit. In one example implementation, the subject matter described herein can be implemented using a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps. Exemplary computer readable mediums suitable for implementing the subject matter described herein include non-transitory devices, such as disk memory devices, chip memory devices, programmable logic devices, and application specific integrated circuits. In addition, a computer readable medium that implements the subject matter described herein can be located on a single device or computing platform or can be distributed across multiple devices or computing platforms.
[0071] While at least one exemplary embodiment of the invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms comprise or comprising do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms a, an or one do not exclude a plural number, and the term or means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.
LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS
[0072] 1 Camera module [0073] 2 Covering device [0074] 3 Camera device [0075] 4 Locking device [0076] 20 Carrier part [0077] 20A Securing structure of the carrier part [0078] 21 Securing cutout [0079] 22 Mounting structure [0080] 23 Base part [0081] 23A Bearing portion [0082] 23B Guide portion [0083] 24 Mounting piece [0084] 24a Outer circumferential surface of the mounting piece [0085] 30 Camera housing [0086] 30A Front cutout [0087] 30B Base portion of the camera housing [0088] 30C Front portion [0089] 31 Lens [0090] 32 Optical camera sensor [0091] 33 Data interface [0092] 33A Supply terminal [0093] 34 Evaluation unit [0094] 35 Mounting portion [0095] 35a Outer surface of the mounting portion [0096] 36 Motion sensor [0097] 37 Illuminant [0098] 38 Printed circuit board [0099] 40 External thread [0100] 100 System [0101] 110 Service channel [0102] 110A Securing structure of the service channel [0103] 111 Longitudinal cutout [0104] 112 Channel walls [0105] 120 Image reproduction device [0106] 121 Display [0107] 122 Data interface of the image reproduction device [0108] 130 Data network [0109] 150 PSUs [0110] 150A Functional units [0111] 151 Dummy modules [0112] 200 Aircraft [0113] 205 Fuselage [0114] 208 Cabin floor [0115] 210 Passenger cabin [0116] 220 Rows of passenger seats [0117] 221 Passenger seats [0118] 230 Flight attendant seat [0119] 240 Cabin monument [0120] I30 Interior of the camera housing [0121] L110 Channel longitudinal direction [0122] L210 Cabin longitudinal direction [0123] M21 Center axis of the securing cutout [0124] S Voltage source