Back to results
US 10,604,271 B2Granted
Secondary flight deck door privacy/barrier panel system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorThomas James Breigenzer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft and system of doors for providing security to a flight deck of the aircraft, and methods for operating the same, are provided. A passenger cabin is separated from a flight deck by an aisle that includes doors at either end. The doors are locked by a controller and one of the doors may only be unlocked, during a flight, if the remaining door is locked. As a result, a pilot can access a lavatory in the aisle in a secure manner. Additionally, the door closest to the passenger cabin may include a window that allows the pilots to view the passenger cabin through a peephole in the flight deck door. The controller may selectively dim or block a view through the window to prevent monitoring of the pilots' movements onto and off of the flight deck.
Claims20
An aircraft, comprising:
- a passenger cabin;
- a flight deck;
- an aisle disposed between the passenger cabin and the flight deck, wherein the aisle includes a first doorway connected to the passenger cabin at a first end and a second doorway connected to the flight deck at an opposing second end;
- a flight crew facility disposed between the first end and the second end of the aisle, wherein the flight crew facility includes a third doorway connected to the aisle;
- a first door disposed in the first doorway, wherein the first door is movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the first door is selectively switchable between an unlocked state and a locked state when the first door is in the closed position;
- a second door disposed in the second doorway, wherein the second door is movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the second door is selectively switchable between an unlocked state and a locked state when the second door is in the closed position;
- a third door disposed in the third doorway, wherein the third door is movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the third door is selectively switchable between an unlocked state and a locked state when the third door is in the closed position;
- and
- a controller operable to control switching of the first and second doors between the respective unlocked states and the locked states, wherein the controller switches a first one of the first and second doors from the locked state to the unlocked state, while the aircraft is operating, upon:
- receiving a request signal to unlock the one of the first and second doors, and
- a remaining one of the first and second doors being in the locked state.
8 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a first electronically-actuated lock configured to be disposed relative to a first door in a first doorway at a first end of an aisle;
- a second electronically-actuated lock configured to be disposed relative to a second door in a second doorway at an opposing second end of the aisle;
- an electronically-controllable window configured to be disposed in the second door that is switchable between a transparent state and an opaque state;
- and
- a controller in electronic communication with the first electronically-actuated lock, the second electronically-actuated lock, and the electronically-controllable window, the controller operable to:
- transmit first signals to the first electronically-actuated lock, wherein the first signals switch the first electronically-actuated lock between a locked state and an unlocked state;
- transmit second signals to the second electronically-actuated lock, wherein the second signals switch the second electronically-actuated lock between a locked state and an unlocked state;
- and
- transmit third signals to the electronically-controllable window, wherein the third signals switch the electronically-controllable window between the transparent state and the opaque state,
- wherein the controller transmits the first signals to switch the first electronically-actuated lock to the unlocked state upon:
- determining that the second electronically-actuated lock is in the locked state;
- and
- transmitting the third signals to the electronically-controllable window to switch the electronically-controllable window to the opaque state;
- and
- wherein the controller transmits the second signals to switch the second electronically-actuated lock to the unlocked state upon determining that the first electronically-actuated lock is in the locked state.
12 more elements
A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- transmitting a first signal to a first electronic lock to lock a first door in a first doorway at a first end of an aisle;
- transmitting a second signal to a second electronic lock to lock a second door in a second doorway at an opposing second end of the aisle, wherein the second door includes an electronically-controllable window that is switchable between a transparent state and an opaque state, based on a third signal;
- unlocking the first door upon:
- receiving an unlock command;
- transmitting the third signal to switch the electronically-controllable window from the transparent state to the opaque state;
- and
- receiving an indication that the second door is locked;
- and
- unlocking the second door upon receiving a second unlock command and upon receiving an indication that the first door is locked.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.