US 12,091,190 B2
Aircraft passenger service unit
Anil Kumar Jha, Lippstadt (DE); Jens Leuschner, Möhnesee (DE); and Carsten Pawliczek, Lippstadt (DE)
Assigned to GOODRICH LIGHTING SYSTEMS GMBH & CO. KG, Lippstadt (DE)
Filed by Goodrich Lighting Systems Gmbh & Co. KG, Lippstadt (DE)
Filed on Mar. 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/703,062.
Claims priority of application No. 21164890 (EP), filed on Mar. 25, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0306316 A1, Sep. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. B64D 45/00 (2006.01); A62B 7/14 (2006.01); B64D 11/06 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 45/00 (2013.01) [A62B 7/14 (2013.01); B64D 11/06 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aircraft passenger service unit for being installed in an overhead position in an aircraft passenger cabin, the aircraft passenger service unit comprising:
an infrared sensor, which is configured for detecting infrared radiation and for providing a corresponding sensor output; and
a controller, which is configured for receiving and evaluating the sensor output provided by the infrared sensor;
wherein the infrared sensor is an infrared sensor array, comprising a plurality of sensor elements and configured for detecting infrared radiation emitted within a plurality of spatial sectors covering a detection area below the aircraft passenger service unit;
wherein the infrared sensor array is configured for detecting the infrared radiation individually for each spatial sector and for providing individual sensor signals for the plurality of spatial sectors;
wherein the infrared sensor array is configured such that each passenger seat arranged within the detection area is covered by at least two of the plurality of spatial sectors, respectively; and
wherein the controller is configured for determining a passenger seating position within a passenger seat from the individual sensor signals;
wherein the controller is configured for selectively operating in one of a learning mode and an evaluation mode,
wherein operating in the learning mode includes generating at least one individual passenger heat signature from the individual sensor signals, and
wherein operating in the evaluation mode includes determining the passenger seating position by comparing a currently received sensor output with the at least one individual passenger heat signature.