Aircraft passenger service unit, aircraft passenger service unit assembly, and method of determining spatial positions and/or orientations of a plurality of aircraft passenger service units

An aircraft comprising:

• a passenger cabin;
• and
• an aircraft passenger service unit assembly comprising:
• a plurality of aircraft passenger service units, wherein each aircraft passenger service unit comprises:
• at least two near field communication interfaces;
• wherein each of the at least two near field communication interfaces is configured for a wireless exchange of messages with a corresponding near field communication interface of a neighboring aircraft passenger service unit;
• and
• wherein the messages include information that identifies the aircraft passenger service unit and the near field communication interface sending the respective message;
• and
• a master controller;
• wherein each of the plurality of aircraft passenger service units is coupled to the master controller via its master communication interface;
• wherein each of the plurality of aircraft passenger service units is configured to send identification information about itself and identification information about its respective neighboring aircraft passenger service units, which has been obtained by exchanging messages with its respective neighboring aircraft passenger service units, to the master controller;
• and
• wherein the master controller is configured to process said identification information, received from the plurality of aircraft passenger service units, for generating a virtual map of the arrangement of the plurality of aircraft passenger service units, wherein the virtual map indicates spatial positions and/or orientations of the plurality of aircraft passenger service units with respect to each other;
• wherein the plurality of aircraft passenger service units of the aircraft passenger service unit assembly are installed within the passenger cabin of the aircraft.

A method of determining spatial positions and/or orientations of a plurality of aircraft passenger service units in a passenger cabin of an aircraft, wherein each of the plurality of aircraft passenger service units comprises at least two near field communication interfaces, and wherein the method includes that

• neighboring aircraft passenger service units exchange messages with each other in a wireless manner via their respective near field communication interfaces, wherein the messages include information that identifies the aircraft passenger service unit and the near field communication interface sending the respective message;
• each of the plurality of aircraft passenger service units transmits identification information about itself and identification information about its neighboring aircraft passenger service units to a master controller;
• and
• the master controller processes said identification information, which the master controller received from the plurality of aircraft passenger service units, for generating a virtual map of the arrangement of the aircraft passenger service units, wherein the virtual map indicates the spatial positions and/or orientations of the plurality of aircraft passenger service units with respect to each other.