Smart aircraft overhead luggage bin system

A system for displaying storage capacity status information for one or more passenger storage bins in an aircraft, comprising:

• at least one first sensor coupled to each of the passenger storage bins for providing a first output signal proportional to a first type of capacity level of the associated passenger storage bin;
• a processor coupled to each of the at least one first sensors and configured to calculate, for each of the at least one first sensors and based upon the output signal from the at least one first sensor, whether or not the storage bin associated with the at least one first sensor is filled to capacity, the processor also configured to provide an output signal for each of the at least one first sensors indicating whether or not the storage bin associated with the at least one first sensor is filled to capacity;
• and
• a display device for each passenger storage bin coupled to receive the output signal from the processor and for providing a visual indication whether or not the associated passenger storage bin is filled to capacity.

A method for displaying storage capacity status information for one or more passenger storage bins in an aircraft, comprising the steps of:

• determining, for each of the passenger storage bins, a weight of items within the associated passenger storage bin;
• determining, for each of the passenger storage bins, an amount of empty space available within the associated passenger storage bin;
• calculating, based upon the weight of items within the associated passenger storage bin and the amount of empty space available within the associated passenger storage bin, whether or not the associated storage bin is filled to capacity;
• and
• providing, based upon the calculating step, a visual indication whether or not the associated storage bin is filled to capacity.