On-board luggage space availability indicators

A system for providing space availability indications for an overhead bin in an aircraft, comprising:

• a plurality of sensors configured to enable detection of a parameter indicative of a usable amount of space within the overhead bin, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise two or more cameras, and wherein signals into the two or more cameras of the plurality of sensors span an interior space of the overhead bin;
• an infrared lighting unit comprising a plurality of infrared emitters;
• a light-emitting means configured to display a plurality of visual indicators, wherein each of the plurality of visual indicators is indicative of a different available capacity of the overhead bin, wherein a first visual indicator of the plurality of visual indicators is indicative of the overhead bin being empty, wherein a last visual indicator of the plurality of visual indicators is indicative of the overhead bin having no more space for additional luggage, and wherein the light-emitting means is located adjacent to a seat number plate associated with the overhead bin;
• a power supply coupled to the plurality of sensors and the light-emitting means;
• and
• at least one processor configured to:
• initialize each of the plurality of sensors by adjusting its camera such that an overlap of a field-of-view of each camera spans the interior space of the overhead bin;
• initialize the infrared lighting unit;
• use each camera to acquire a signal that comprises a reflection of an infrared signal emitted by the infrared lighting unit and corresponds to an image of the field-of-view for a respective camera;
• determine, based on the signal, the parameter comprising a composite image of the interior space of the overhead bin generated by combining images from each camera;
• select, based on the parameter, an overhead bin visual indicator from the plurality of visual indicators,
• display the overhead bin visual indicator using the light-emitting means, and transmit the overhead bin visual indicator for the overhead bin to an on-board server and/or a crew tablet.

An apparatus for providing space availability indications for an overhead bin in an aircraft, comprising:

• at least one processor configured to:
• initialize each of a plurality of sensors, wherein each of the plurality of sensors comprises a camera, wherein signals into receivers of the plurality of sensors span an interior space of the overhead bin when the overhead bin is empty, and wherein initializing the camera comprises adjusting the camera such that an overlap of a field-of-view of each camera spans the interior space of the overhead bin;
• and
• initialize an infrared lighting unit;
• for each of the plurality of sensors,
• use the camera to acquire a signal that comprises a reflection of an infrared signal emitted by the infrared lighting unit and corresponds to an image of the field-of-view for a respective camera, and
• determine, based on the signal, a parameter indicative of an amount of empty space corresponding to a respective sensor of the plurality of sensors, wherein the parameter comprises a composite image of the interior space of the overhead bin generated by combining images from each camera,
• wherein determining an overhead bin visual indicator comprises selecting, based on the parameter from each of the plurality of sensors, a visual indicator from a plurality of visual indicators, wherein each of the plurality of visual indicators is indicative of a different available capacity of the overhead bin, wherein a first visual indicator of the plurality of visual indicators is indicative of the overhead bin being empty, wherein a last visual indicator of the plurality of visual indicators is indicative of the overhead bin having no more space for additional luggage;
• and
• display, using a light-emitting means, the overhead bin visual indicator.