# US 10,372,231 B2 · Aircraft having gesture-based control for an onboard passenger service unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,372,231 B2 - Document ID: US10372231B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/180,353 - Filed: 2018-11-05 - Published: 2019-03-07 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2007-10-29 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: James P. Schalla; Calsee N. Robb; William A. Harkness; Buddy L. Sharpe; Heidi J. Kneller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372231B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)} - B64C 1/1476: {Canopies; Windscreens or similar transparent elements} - B64D 11/0015: {Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television} - B64D 11/00151: {Permanently mounted seat back monitors} - B64D 11/00155: {Individual entertainment or communication system remote controls therefor, located in or connected to seat components, e.g. to seat back or arm rest} - B64D 13/00: Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space - B64D 47/02: Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices - G06F 3/0304: {Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042)} - G06V 40/28: {Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language (static hand signs G06V40/113)} - B64D 2011/0053: {Cabin passenger reading lights} - B64D 2013/003: {Cabin ventilation nozzles} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract An aircraft is provided that includes a passenger service unit for a passenger seated in a seat in its cabin. The aircraft includes a camera configured to acquire an image of the passenger, and a control module configured to at least receive the image of the passenger. The control module is configured to receive non-tactile gesture preference data and dominant hand data, and access a non-tactile gesture data store that includes a plurality of images of non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures. Based on the foregoing, the control module is configured to generate non-tactile gesture data in accordance with and indicative of a non-tactile hand signal or a non-tactile gesture made by the passenger. And the control module is configured to control one or more cabin systems including in at least one instance the passenger service unit based on the non-tactile gesture data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An aircraft comprising a fuselage including a cabin with a plurality of seats, and for a seat of the plurality of seats: a passenger service unit including a reading light, an attendant call button, and an air vent for a passenger seated in the seat; a camera configured to acquire an image of the passenger; and a control module coupled to the passenger serviced unit and camera, and configured to at least: receive the image of the passenger from the camera; receive dominant hand data specifying a dominant hand of the passenger to monitor for a non-tactile hand signal or a non-tactile hand gesture, the dominant hand of the passenger being chosen by the passenger; correlate the image of the passenger to the dominant hand of the passenger specified by the dominant hand data; generate non-tactile gesture data in accordance with and indicative of the non-tactile hand signal or the non-tactile gesture made by the passenger, the non-tactile gesture data being generated based on the image of the passenger correlated to the dominant hand of the passenger specified by the dominant hand data; and control one or more cabin systems including in at least one instance the reading light, attendant call button or air vent of the passenger service unit based on the non-tactile gesture data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to access a non-tactile gesture data store that includes a plurality of images of non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures, and wherein the control module being configured to generate the non-tactile gesture data includes being configured to generate the non-tactile gesture data based on a comparison between the image of the passenger and the plurality of images of non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the control module being configured to control the one or more cabin systems includes being configured to at least: access a function data store that indicates functions associated with respective ones of the non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures; generate function data that identifies a function of the one or more cabin systems based on a comparison between the non-tactile gesture data and the functions indicated in the function data store, the reading light; and control the one or more cabin systems including in the at least one instance the reading light, attendant call button or air vent based on the function data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The aircraft of claim 3, wherein the control module being configured to access the function data store includes being configured to access the function data store that indicates functions including activation and deactivation of each of the reading light, the attendant call button and the air vent, each of which is associated with a respective one of the non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the fuselage further includes a plurality of windows, and the plurality of windows includes a window proximate the seat, and wherein the control module being configured to control the one or more cabin systems includes in at least one other instance a window shade of the window proximate the seat. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1 further comprising an in-flight entertainment system for passenger seated in the seat, and wherein the control module being configured to control the one or more cabin systems includes in at least one other instance a window shade of the window proximate the seat. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to input the associated user profile of the passenger from a portable device, and wherein the control module being configured to receive the dominant hand data includes being configured to receive the dominant hand data from the associated user profile of the passenger. ### Claim 8 An apparatus for control of one or more cabin systems onboard an aircraft with a fuselage including a cabin with a plurality of seats, and for a seat of the plurality of seats, a passenger service unit including a reading light, an attendant call button, and an air vent for a passenger seated in the seat, the apparatus comprising: a processor and a memory storing one or more software or firmware programs that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive an image of the passenger from a camera; receive dominant hand data specifying a dominant hand of the passenger to monitor for a non-tactile hand signal or a non-tactile hand gesture, the dominant hand of the passenger being chosen by the passenger; correlate the image of the passenger to the dominant hand of the passenger specified by the dominant hand data; generate non-tactile gesture data in accordance with and indicative of the non-tactile hand signal or the non-tactile gesture made by the passenger, the non-tactile gesture data being generated based on the image of the passenger correlated to the dominant hand of the passenger specified by the dominant hand data; and control one or more cabin systems including in at least one instance the reading light, attendant call button or air vent of the passenger service unit based on the non-tactile gesture data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the memory stores the one or more software or firmware programs that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the apparatus to further access a non-tactile gesture data store that includes a plurality of images of non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures, and wherein the apparatus being caused to generate the non-tactile gesture data includes being caused to generate the non-tactile gesture data based on a comparison between the image of the passenger and the plurality of images of non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus being caused to control the one or more cabin systems includes being caused to at least: access a function data store that indicates functions associated with respective ones of the non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures; generate function data that identifies a function of the one or more cabin systems based on a comparison between the non-tactile gesture data and the functions indicated in the function data store, the reading light; and control the one or more cabin systems including in the at least one instance the reading light, attendant call button or air vent based on the function data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus being caused to access the function data store includes being caused to access the function data store that indicates functions including activation and deactivation of each of the reading light, the attendant call button and the air vent, each of which is associated with a respective one of the non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the fuselage further includes a plurality of windows, and the plurality of windows includes a window proximate the seat, and wherein the apparatus being caused to control the one or more cabin systems includes in at least one other instance a window shade of the window proximate the seat. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the aircraft further includes an in-flight entertainment system for the passenger seated in the seat, and wherein the apparatus being caused to control the one or more cabin systems includes in at least one other instance a window shade of the window proximate the seat. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the memory stores the one or more software or firmware programs that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the apparatus to further input the associated user profile of the passenger from a portable device, and wherein the apparatus being caused to receive the dominant hand data includes being caused to receive the dominant hand data from the associated user profile of the passenger. ### Claim 15 A method for control of one or more cabin systems onboard an aircraft with a fuselage including a cabin with a plurality of seats, and for a seat of the plurality of seats, a passenger service unit including a reading light, an attendant call button, and an air vent for a passenger seated in the seat, the method comprising: acquiring an image of the passenger; receiving dominant hand data specifying a dominant hand of the passenger to monitor for a non-tactile hand signal or a non-tactile hand gesture, the dominant hand of the passenger being chosen by the passenger; correlating the image of the passenger to the dominant hand of the passenger specified by the dominant hand data; generating non-tactile gesture data in accordance with and indicative of the non-tactile hand signal or the non-tactile gesture made by the passenger, the non-tactile gesture data being generated based on the image of the passenger correlated to the dominant hand of the passenger specified by the dominant hand data; and controlling one or more cabin systems including in at least one instance the reading light, attendant call button or air vent of the passenger service unit based on the non-tactile gesture data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising accessing a non-tactile gesture data store that includes a plurality of images of non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures, wherein generating the non-tactile gesture data includes generating the non-tactile gesture data based on a comparison between the image of the passenger and the plurality of images of non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein controlling the one or more cabin systems includes at least: accessing a function data store that indicates functions associated with respective ones of the non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures; generating function data that identifies a function of the one or more cabin systems based on a comparison between the non-tactile gesture data and the functions indicated in the function data store, the reading light; and controlling the one or more cabin systems including in the at least one instance the reading light, attendant call button or air vent based on the function data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein accessing the function data store includes accessing the function data store that indicates functions including activation and deactivation of each of the reading light, the attendant call button and the air vent, each of which is associated with a respective one of the non-tactile hand signals or non-tactile hand gestures. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the fuselage further includes a plurality of windows, and the plurality of windows includes a window proximate the seat, and wherein controlling the one or more cabin systems includes in at least one other instance a window shade of the window proximate the seat. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the aircraft further includes an in-flight entertainment system for the passenger seated in the seat, and wherein controlling the one or more cabin systems includes in at least one other instance a window shade of the window proximate the seat. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising inputting the associated user profile of the passenger from a portable device, wherein receiving the dominant hand data includes receiving the dominant hand data from the associated user profile of the passenger.