Monitoring module for a seat of a passenger aircraft, monitoring device and passenger aircraft

Abstract

A monitoring module (6) for a seat (10) of a passenger aircraft (2), which seat (10) contains at least one element (12 a-g) having at least two states (Z1,2), comprises at least one sensor (14a-g) for the element (12a-g), having state information (16) corresponding to the current state (Z1,2), a readout unit (18) having a communication channel (20) for the state information (16) to the sensor (14a-g) and a communication interface (22) for the state information (16) to a monitoring unit (8) of the passenger aircraft (2). The sensor (14a-g) is a camera or a capacitive seat occupancy sensor. A monitoring device (4) for a passenger aircraft (2) contains monitoring modules (6) and a monitoring unit (8), which is configured for at least two of the monitoring modules (6) together. A passenger aircraft (2) contains a monitoring module (6) and/or a monitoring device (4).

Claims

1. A monitoring module for a seat of a passenger aircraft, the seat comprising at least one element which can occupy at least two states to be monitored, having at least one sensor, which is assigned to one of the elements and is sensitive to the state of the latter, and which during operation comprises state information corresponding to the current state, having a readout unit, which is connected to the sensor by means of a communication channel for transmitting the state information and which comprises a communication interface for transmitting the state information to a monitoring unit of the passenger aircraft, wherein the sensor is a camera and/or a capacitive seat occupancy sensor, and wherein the readout unit is arranged over the seat.

2. The monitoring module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured sensitively for an element which is a seat surface or a belt buckle or a folding table or a backrest or an armrest or a storage pocket or a window shade element.

3. The monitoring module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is integrated in the readout unit.

4. The monitoring module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication channel is a wireless channel.

5. The monitoring module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is supplied with energy wirelessly in order to record the state.

6. The monitoring module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a switch generator.

7. The monitoring module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication interface is a wireless interface.

8. The monitoring module as claimed in claim 1, whererin the monitoring module contains a central unit, and the communication channel extends between the sensor and the readout unit via the central unit.

9. The monitoring module as claimed in claim 8, wherein a section of the communication channel between the sensor and the central unit is configured differently to a section of the communication channel between the central unit and the readout unit.

10. The monitoring module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring module contains a display element for at least one state information item recorded in the monitoring module.

11. The monitoring module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the display element can be activated and deactivated from outside the monitoring module.

12. A monitoring device for a passenger aircraft, having a multiplicity of monitoring modules as claimed in claim 1, and having at least one monitoring unit which is configured for at least two of the monitoring modules together.

13. A passenger aircraft having at least one monitoring module as claimed in claim 1 and having at least one monitoring device having a multiplicity of monitoring modules as claimed in claim 1, and having at least one monitoring unit which is configured for at least two of the monitoring modules together.

14. A passenger aircraft having at least one monitoring module as claimed in claim 1 or having at least one monitoring device having a multiplicity of monitoring modules as claimed in claim 1, and having at least one monitoring unit which is configured for at least two of the monitoring modules together.

Description

(1) Other features, effects and advantages of the invention may be found in the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention and the appended figures. In these, in a schematic outline diagram:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a detail of a passenger aircraft having a monitoring device, or monitoring module,

(3) FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a monitoring module.

(4) FIG. 1 shows a detail of a passenger aircraft 2, which contains a monitoring device 4. The monitoring device 4 contains a multiplicity of monitoring modules 6, of which only one is represented in detail. The monitoring device 4 contains a monitoring unit 8, which is configured in this case centrally for all monitoring modules 6 together.

(5) The passenger aircraft 2 contains a multiplicity of seats 10, only one of which is represented in detail. The seat comprises elements 12a to g. Each of the elements 12a to g can respectively occupy two states Z1, 2, which are indicated as follows in brackets after the elements: the elements are 12a a seat surface (Z1 occupied, i.e. a passenger has taken their place on the seat, Z2 unoccupied), 12b belt buckle (Z1 fastened, Z2 unfastened (not represented))an associated safety belt is only indicated in FIG. 1, 12c a folding table (Z1 folded up, Z2 (represented by dashes) folded down), 12d a backrest (Z1 set upright, Z2 inclined backward (represented by dashes)), 12e an armrest (Z1 folded down, Z2 folded up (represented by dashes)), 12f a storage pocket (Z1 empty, Z2 filled (represented by dashes)), 12g a window shade element (Z1 pushed up, Z2 pulled down (represented by dashes)).

(6) Each of the elements 12a to g is assigned a sensor 14a to g. The sensors 14a to g record the respective states Z1, 2 and respectively output state information 16 which is current at the moment of the recording (indicated symbolically in the figures) and corresponds to the current state Z1, Z2, or have this or contain this. Sensor 14a is a capacitive seat occupancy sensor, sensors 14b to e and 14g are switch generators. Sensor 14f is a video camera.

(7) The monitoring module 6 contains a readout unit 18, which is connected by means of a respective communication channel 20 (for the sake of clarity, not all are indicated) to a respective one of the sensors 14a to g. The communication channels 20 are used to transmit the state information 16 from the sensors 14a tog to the readout unit 18. The monitoring module 6 furthermore comprises a communication interface 22. This is used to transmit the state information 16 from the readout unit 18 to the monitoring unit 8.

(8) Sensors 14a and 14f are integrated into the readout unit 18. Sensors 14b to e and 14g are supplied with energy wirelessly. These are switch generators which themselves generate their energy needed for operation from their actuation. The corresponding sensors 14 thus operate according to the principle of energy harvesting. During operation, the relevant sensors 14 generate sufficient energy to store the state information 16 in a permanent storage element internal to the sensor. From this storage element, the state information 16 is read out on demand or in response to interrogation by RFID via the communication channel 20. To this end, a small energy input is generated in the respective sensor 14 wirelessly by the readout unit 18, which suffices as transmission energy, in order to read the state information 16 out from the sensor memory and transmit it by radio to the readout unit 18.

(9) The transmission from the readout unit 18 to the monitoring unit 8 is carried out by means of the communication interface 22 in the form of a wireless interface, in this case by WLAN or WIFI.

(10) The readout unit 18 is also used as a readout unit 18 for further monitoring modules 6 of further seats 10, which is indicated here only symbolically. The overall three seats 10 with a common readout unit 18 form a continuous seat row of three in the passenger aircraft 2.

(11) The readout unit 18 is arranged over the relevant seats 10 to which it is assigned. The communication channel 20 is a wireless communication channel, in this case an RFID channel.

(12) Indicated symbolically is a further readout unit 18, which is used to exchange the corresponding state information 16 with the same monitoring unit 8. The further readout unit 18 is again responsible as a common readout unit 18 for three seats 10 (seat row of three) with in total three monitoring modules 6.

(13) The monitoring unit 8 is a cabin management system of the passenger aircraft 2. There, state information 16 of all seats 10 of the passenger aircraft 2 are collected and shown on a display (not explained in more detail or represented) and can be seen by the flight attendants. The state information 16 is in this case post-processed, for example in the form of colored dots for each of the seats. Thus, all states Z1, Z2 of all elements 12 of all seats 10 can be seen centrally at the position of the monitoring unit 8.

(14) A display element 28, which displays the state information Z1, 2 of the element 12f is likewise part of the monitoring module 8. The display element 28 can be seen from the seat 10. Thus, a passenger using the seat 10 is informed that in state Z2 to there are still objects in element 12f (storage pocket). The passenger therefore cannot forget to take these with them when leaving the passenger aircraft 2. The display element 28 can be activated, so that it displays the state Z1 or Z2, from outside the monitoring module 6, in this case from the monitoring unit 8 in the form of the cabin management system, or can be deactivated so that it displays nothing. At the start of the flight, it is for example deactivated in order not to disturb the passengers with unnecessary information. Shortly before leaving the passenger aircraft 2, for example starting from the landing approach, on the other hand, the passengers are informed by the activated display element 28 of the possible presence of objects in the storage pocket.

(15) FIG. 2 shows a detail of an alternative monitoring module 6. This contains a central unit 24. The communication channels 20 of the sensors 14b,d,e arranged in the seat of the seat location 10 extend in this case via the central unit 24. A section 26a of the respective communication channel 20 between the sensor 14 and the central unit 24 is in this case configured in a cabled fashion, and therefore differs from the embodiment of the second section 26b between the central unit 24 and the readout unit 18, which is again configured wirelessly as an RFID channel. The sensors 14b,d,e are switch generators in this case as well, but do not contain an internal permanent storage element. One of the latter is contained centrally for the three sensors 14b,d,e in the central unit 24. During operation, or when actuated, the switch generators again generate enough energy to record the state information 16 and transmit it to the central unit 24, and store it permanently there. From the central unit 24, or its memory, the state information 16 of all three sensors 14b,d,e is read out together by RFID.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(16) 2 passenger aircraft

(17) 4 monitoring device

(18) 6 monitoring module

(19) 8 monitoring unit

(20) 10 seat

(21) 12a-g element

(22) 14a-g sensor

(23) 16 state information

(24) 18 readout unit

(25) 20 communication channel

(26) 22 communication interface

(27) 24 central unit

(28) 26a,b section

(29) 28 display element

(30) Z1,2 state