Wireless control of a passenger service unit using a personal device of a passenger
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorMelanie L. Kimsey-Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for controlling a passenger service unit includes receiving, by a personal device of a passenger, an electromagnetic (EM) signal. The EM signal includes identification information of the passenger service unit. The method also includes transmitting, by the personal device, a message for controlling operation of one or more selected devices of the passenger service unit. The message includes an identification of the one or more selected devices of the passenger service unit and a control input for each of the one or more selected devices.
Claims20
A method for controlling a passenger service unit, the method comprising:
- receiving, by a mobile personal device of a passenger, an electromagnetic (EM) signal, wherein the EM signal comprises identification information of the passenger service unit;
- and
- transmitting, by the mobile personal device, a message for controlling operation of one or more selected devices of the passenger service unit, the message comprising an identification of the one or more selected devices of the passenger service unit and a control input for each of the one or more selected devices, wherein transmitting the message comprises transmitting a wireless control message from the mobile personal device of the passenger directly to the passenger service unit without going through a cabin network control system to control operation of the one or more selected devices, and wherein the wireless control message comprises one of a visible light communication (VLC) wireless control message or a radio frequency wireless control message.
A mobile personal device configured to control a passenger service unit, the mobile personal device comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory associated with the processor, the memory comprising computer-readable program instructions that, when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform a set of functions comprising:
- receiving an electromagnetic (EM) signal, wherein the EM signal comprises identification information of the passenger service unit;
- and
- transmitting a message for controlling operation of one or more selected devices of the passenger service unit, the message comprising an identification of the one or more selected devices of the passenger service unit and a control input for each of the one or more selected devices, wherein transmitting the message comprises transmitting a wireless control message from the mobile personal device of the passenger directly to the passenger service unit without going through a cabin network control system to control operation of the one or more selected devices, and wherein the wireless control message comprises one of a visible light communication (VLC) wireless control message or a radio frequency wireless control message.
A mobile personal device configured to control a passenger service unit, the mobile personal device comprising:
- a passenger service unit (PSU) control application operating on the mobile personal device of a passenger;
- an electromagnetic (EM) receiver, wherein the PSU control application is configured to control the EM receiver of the mobile personal device to receive an electromagnetic (EM) signal from the passenger service unit, the EM signal comprising identification information of the passenger service unit;
- and
- a transmitter, wherein the PSU control application is configured to control the transmitter of the mobile personal device to transmit a message for controlling operation of one or more selected devices of the passenger service unit, the message comprising an identification of the one or more selected devices of the passenger service unit and a control input for each of the one or more selected devices, wherein the message comprises a wireless control message transmitted from the mobile personal device directly to the passenger service unit without going through a cabin network control system to control operation of the one or more selected devices, and wherein the wireless control message comprises one of a visible light communication (VLC) wireless control message or a radio frequency wireless control message.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.