US 12,246,759 B2
Method for controlling the occupancy of vehicle seats by passengers, and associated devices
Bastian Simoni, Nogent sur Marne (FR); and Luc Jung, Bron (FR)
Assigned to ALSTOM Holdings, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine (FR)
Filed by ALSTOM Holdings, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine (FR)
Filed on May 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/302,817.
Claims priority of application No. 20 04944 (FR), filed on May 18, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0354732 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. B61D 41/04 (2006.01); B60Q 3/233 (2017.01); G06Q 10/02 (2012.01); G08B 5/00 (2006.01); H04B 10/116 (2013.01)
CPC B61D 41/04 (2013.01) [B60Q 3/233 (2017.02); G08B 5/00 (2013.01); H04B 10/116 (2013.01); G06Q 10/02 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling the occupancy of the seats of one or more vehicle(s) by passengers using a device controller for controlling the occupancy of the seats,
the vehicle comprising a plurality of seats, each of the seats equipped with a reading light, the device controller comprising the reading lights, a modulator for controlling the reading lights, and a server,
the method comprising:
the reading light associated with one of the seats emitting a first piece of data related to a reservation status of the one of the seats toward an electronic device of a passenger of the vehicle, the piece of data being emitted using a wireless optical communication technique, the technique being the technique of visible light communication, the emission of the at least one piece of data related to the seat being carried out by the reading light of the seat controlled by the modulator;
the server receiving an identifier of the passenger and an identifier of the one of the seats from the electronic device;
the server generating a second piece of data related to the reservation status of the at least one seat for the passenger; and
the reading light associated with the one of the seats emitting an indication of the reservation status of the one of the seats for the passenger toward the passenger based on the second piece of data.