Active Focused Field Sound System

Abstract

A passenger suite for an aircraft cabin includes a seat with an adjustable backrest, a plurality of forward sound drivers, a left driver, a right driver, at least one sensor to detect the position of the backrest, and a controller in communication with the drivers, the controller being operable to adjust the output of at least one driver based on the position of the backrest. A third driver may be located inside or behind the seat and in communication with the controller. The forward driver may be a tweeter driver; the side driver may be a midrange driver; and the third driver may be a bass driver. In some embodiments, a specific left driver and a specific aligned right driver are activated to deliver audio content based on the position of the backrest. The surround sound system may be installed in an aircraft cabin, such as in an aircraft passenger suite.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Aircraft seating arrangements are often closely spaced for the sake of economy and space efficiency. Such arrangements seat passengers in close proximity. Passenger suites and bulkheads are sometimes provided, for example in connection with seat class, so that some passengers experience limited privacy. However, regardless of whether direct eye contact and other visibility between partitioned passenger areas is limited or prevented, the escape of sound from one passenger area and into another can have a negative impact on passenger privacy and comfort.

[0002] Historically, airlines have selected media in-flight, so once passengers have purchased their travel tickets, they have little or no opportunity to select the media content to view on the shared screen. Music can sometimes be selected from a limited number of audio content channels provided via a headphone port and armrest-mounted selector. However, modern travelers expect to stream content, or at least expect to use their own media devices. Therefore, if passengers are seated in close proximity and each passenger is enjoying a particular preferred media, headphones are often used to isolate the sound of the media.

[0003] However, passengers do not always have their own headphones, and some passengers simply prefer to enjoy media without headphones. Thus, the comfort and media enjoyment of nearby passengers conflict.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need to improve privacy between passengers to allow each person to enjoy specific media without sound conflicts and without disturbing each other. Summary of the invention

[0005] To achieve the above and other advantages, aspects of the invention disclosed herein relate to a passenger suite for an aircraft cabin, the passenger suite comprising: a seat having an adjustable backrest capable of pivoting from an upright position to at least one reclined position; a plurality of first actuators positioned in front of the seat; a plurality of left second actuators positioned on a left side relative to a center plane of the seat; a plurality of right second actuators positioned on a right side relative to a center plane of the seat; at least one sensor for detecting a backrest position; and a controller communicating with the first actuator, the left second actuator, the right second actuator and at least one sensor, the controller being operable to adjust an output of at least one of the actuators based on the backrest position.

[0006] In some embodiments, at least one third actuator is mechanically coupled to the seat and in communication with the controller.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first driver comprises a tweeter driver, the second driver comprises a midrange driver, and the at least one third driver comprises a bass driver.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first drivers are laterally spaced relative to each other.

[0009] In some embodiments, the plurality of first drives include: a left first drive positioned forward relative to the seat and positioned on a left side relative to a center plane of the seat; and a right first drive positioned forward relative to the seat and positioned on a side relative to a center plane of the seat.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first drivers are oriented to focus their respective sound fields toward a center plane of the seat.

[0011] In some embodiments, the left second actuators are spaced relative to each other and are located at positions corresponding to at least the upright position and at least one tilted position of the backrest, and the right second actuators are spaced relative to each other and are located at positions corresponding to at least the upright position and at least one tilted position of the backrest.

[0012] In some embodiments, the left second actuators are spaced apart along an arc corresponding to the path of travel of the backrest when it pivots from an upright position to at least one inclined position, and the right second actuators are spaced apart along an arc corresponding to the path of travel of the backrest when it pivots from an upright position to at least one inclined position.

[0013] In some embodiments depending on the position of the backrest, a specific left second driver and a specific right second driver are active to transmit audio content.

[0014] In some embodiments, a particular left second driver and a particular right second driver are aligned with each other.

[0015] In some embodiments, the controller activates a specific left second actuator and a specific right second actuator based on the position of the backrest.

[0016] In some embodiments, the third actuator is mounted within the backrest.

[0017] In some embodiments, the third actuator is mounted in a headrest mounted on the backrest.

[0018] In some embodiments, the controller provides active noise cancellation via at least one of the first driver, the left second driver, the right second driver, and the third driver.

[0019] In some embodiments, the sound sensor is in communication with a controller, wherein the controller provides active noise cancellation based at least on the sound samples provided by the sound sensor.

[0020] In some embodiments, the sound sensor is positioned or oriented to sample sounds outside of or entering the passenger suite.

[0021] In some embodiments, the sound sensor is positioned or oriented to sample sounds within or within the passenger suite.

[0022] In some embodiments, at least one wall portion of the passenger suite includes a sound absorbing material.

[0023] In some embodiments, vision-based sensors communicate with the controller to determine seat position, suite occupancy, or passenger head position.

[0024] In some embodiments, the controller automatically adjusts the output of at least one actuator based on information from the vision-based sensor.

[0025] Embodiments of the inventive concept may include one or more or any combination of the above-mentioned aspects, features, and configurations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The implementation of the inventive concepts disclosed herein may be better understood when considering the following detailed description of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. Such description refers to the included drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, in which some features may be exaggerated, and in which some features may be omitted or may be represented schematically for clarity. Like reference numerals in the drawings may represent and refer to the same or similar elements, features, or functions. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 is a top view of a passenger suite having an active focused field sound system according to the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 side view of the passenger suite and sound system, with sound drivers selectively activated and directed based on the upright position of the passenger seat;

[0029] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 a side view of a passenger suite and sound system with sound drivers selectively activated and directed based on a first recline position of a passenger seat;

[0030] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 a side view of a passenger suite and sound system of the type shown, with sound drivers selectively activated and directed based on another second recline position of the passenger seat;

[0031] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 side view of the passenger suite and sound system, with sound drivers selectively activated and directed based on the passenger seatback position;

[0032] Figure 6 yes Figure 1A stereogram of the passenger suite and sound system; and

[0033] Figure 7 is a perspective view of an interior of a passenger suite according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended to describe various illustrative embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. Specific features and functions are described in conjunction with each illustrative embodiment; however, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the disclosed embodiments may be practiced without each of these specific features and functions. The aspects, features, and functions described below in conjunction with one embodiment are intended to apply to the other embodiments described below, unless explicitly stated or an aspect, feature, or function is incompatible with an embodiment.

[0035] The following description, of which the accompanying drawings are a part, details one or more embodiments of an active focused field sound system installed in a passenger suite for private use by an occupant or multiple occupants. By actively focusing or directing sound, particularly to the intended listening area, such as into or proximate to the occupant's head and upper torso, sound leakage beyond the intended listening area (e.g., into an adjacent aisle or other adjacent seats and passenger suites) is minimized. The active aspects of the sound system are complemented by passive elements of the seating arrangement, such as acoustic treatments that absorb or otherwise attenuate unwanted sound transmissions and / or reflections. Thus, a high quality audio listening environment is defined for the occupants of the passenger suite while minimizing or preventing sound leakage that might otherwise be disruptive or distracting to other passengers.

[0036] The descriptions detailing various active sound system elements and various passive acoustic treatments should be considered cumulative and non-limiting such that any and all elements and treatments may be implemented in any combination without departing from the scope of these descriptions.

[0037] Reference now Figure 1, a non-limiting example of a passenger suite is generally shown, such as in an aircraft cabin environment. The passenger suite 20 includes a passenger seat 22 and a partition portion that collectively at least partially surrounds the seat. The partition arrangement shown includes a first end wall 24 that is longitudinally forward and a second end wall 26 that is longitudinally rearward opposite to the first end wall 24. A left first side wall 28 and an opposite right second side wall 30 extend longitudinally between the first and second end walls 24 and 26. The walls shown are shown as being generally planar, connected at right angles, and together define an interior space that is partitioned in a rectangular manner for use by passengers of the seat 22. Walls in other examples may be contoured, non-planar, and may be joined by arc connections to define a partitioned interior space of any shape. Although a single seat 22 is illustrated, these descriptions also relate to suites having multiple single seats and multiple single furniture (e.g., benches and sofas).

[0038] The wall may be of any height from floor to ceiling, or may extend vertically generally above the head of the seat occupant to facilitate a passenger sense of enclosure or privacy, such as in or below the passenger's generally horizontal viewing plane. The passenger left side wall 28 is shown as having a fixed forward portion 32 and a fixed rearward portion 34, with a door 36 or other movable privacy partition sliding between the two to allow opening of the side wall for ingress and egress purposes, as well as enclosing the interior space for private use separation. The representation of left and right sides should be understood to be reversible with another embodiment of the passenger suite 20 having entry and exit through the right side from the perspective of the seat occupant.

[0039] A deployed table 40 is shown extending from the first end wall toward the seat 22 for use by the passengers. The table 40 can be stowed into a stowage area or aligned with the wall in a low profile configuration by translation and / or rotational movement. A display screen 42 for viewing media content such as movies, news and other video feeds and graphic content is shown in front of the seat 22 and mounted on the first end wall 24 at the front. The display screen 42 can be used with the active focus field sound system described below to display the video portion of the multimedia content. Thus, the display screen 42 can be used to view the video portion of a movie, clip, music video, etc., while the occupants of the partitioned arrangement utilize the sound system to listen to the audio portion. However, the active focus field sound system described below can be used without the display screen 42 and can be used to listen to audio content without visual content.

[0040] For purposes of describing the individual elements of the active focused field sound system, the seat 22 is shown having a cushioned seat bottom 44, armrests 46 shown as being combined with or on top of the side support elements, a backrest 50, and a headrest 52. The backrest 50 and headrest 52 are shown as a single structure that together are oriented relative to the seat bottom 44 and armrests 46 in a generally upright position ( Figure 1-2) rotates to the first tilt position ( Figure 3 ), the second more inclined position ( Figure 4 ), and lying or bed position ( Figure 5 ). The seat 22 is for example Figure 2-5 The pivot leg 54 shown in the corresponding position in FIG. 1 is shown as having an articulated adjustment member.

[0041] The following description relates to the intended listening area 60, which is defined in front of the headrest 52 and the upper portion of the backrest 50 of the seat 22, near the head and upper body of the occupant, especially the chest, shoulders and ears. Figure 2-5 Therefore, for the head of a sitting or reclining passenger, the expected listening area 60 defined in this way can also move with the headrest 52 and the upper part of the backrest 50. Therefore, whether or not the passenger uses the seat 22, the expected listening area 60 can be defined based on the seat and its position.

[0042] Now refer to the active focus field sound system 70 ( Figure 1 ), a first driver or speaker array (e.g., a high frequency driver or speaker) is mounted in front of the seat 22 and generally faces the seat. Figure 1 , as emanating from each first driver. The first drivers may be arranged in a line array as shown in the figure. The first drivers may be acoustically coupled together to define a directional combined sound field to a listening area 60 of a seated passenger. Figure 1 Three first drivers are specifically shown in the figure. The first driver 82 is on the left side of the center plane 23 of the seat and has a directional sound field 83 when activated. The center first driver 84 having a directional sound field 85 when activated is generally aligned with the center plane 23. The right first driver 86 having a directional sound field 87 when activated is generally located on the right side of the center plane. The first drivers (82, 84, 86) are shown along or near the front first end wall in the longitudinal direction forward of the seat, horizontally or longitudinally spaced relative to each other. The left first driver 82 and the right first driver 86 can transmit corresponding left and right portions of the stereo audio content. As shown Figure 1 As shown, the first drivers ( 82 , 84 , 86 ) are oriented to focus the respective sound fields ( 83 , 85 , 87 ) horizontally toward the center plane 23 of the seat 22 to merge at the intended listening area 60 .

[0043] The sound fields (83, 85, 87) of the first drivers are generally aligned vertically in the figure and are directed together from the respective first drivers to the intended listening area 60 at approximately equal heights. Figure 2-5 When tilted as shown, the position of the intended listening area can change with the position of the seat 22. Thus, as shown from Figure 2-5As shown in the stepwise representation, the vertically aligned sound field (83, 85, 87) of the first driver (82, 84, 86) can be steered to follow the intended listening area 60 in a variable direction as the seat 22 is reclined. In at least one embodiment, the first driver (82, 84, 86) is coupled to a respective controlled actuator 88 that directs the first driver to deliver its sound field to the intended listening area 60 at any position of the seat 22. Thus, as Figure 2-5 As shown, when the backrest is gradually tilted, the sound field (83, 85, 87) of the first driver (82, 84, 86) gradually tilts downward toward the backrest 50 or the intended listening area 60. For ease of explanation, Figure 2-5 , the sound fields ( 83 , 85 , 87 ) of the first driver ( 82 , 84 , 86 ) are collectively labeled as sound field 90 .

[0044] The active focused field sound system 70 also includes a plurality of second drivers or speakers, such as mid-range drivers or full-range drivers, which are generally positioned laterally relative to the center plane 23 of the seat 22. That is, a plurality of laterally left second drivers (102, 104, 106, 108) are mounted near the left side of the seat, and a plurality of laterally right second drivers (92, 94, 96, 98) are mounted near the right side of the seat. Figure 2-5 1 and 2 clearly show a plurality of lateral right second actuators (92, 94, 96, 98) mounted on or in the right side wall 30 and spaced apart along the arc of the right side wall 30, corresponding to the positions of Figure 2-5 The gradually inclined position of the seat 22 is shown in FIG. Figure 2-5 , the arcuate trajectory followed by the right second actuator corresponds to or approximately follows the path of travel of the intended listening area 60 and the headrest 52 of the seat 22 when the backrest is tilted.

[0045] The particular right second drive 92 is close and oriented to a generally upright position ( Figure 2 ) of the listening area 60. The other right second driver 94 is close to and oriented to the first tilted position ( Figure 3 ) of the intended listening area 60. Another right second driver 96 is close to and oriented to a second tilted position ( Figure 4 ) of the intended listening area 60. Another right second driver 98 is close to and directed to the lying or bed position ( Figure 5 )'s expected listening area 60.

[0046] These descriptions of the right second driver (92, 94, 96, 98) extend symmetrically to the left second driver ( Figure 1 ), wherein the right second drive is respectively approached and oriented to be in an upright position ( Figure 2 ), the first tilt position ( Figure 3), the second tilt position ( Figure 4 ), lying or bed position ( Figure 5 ) of the intended listening area. For example, the right second driver and the left second driver can be aligned with each other, respectively, at opposite ends along respective horizontally extending line segments spanning the two side walls. Thus, the left second drivers (102, 104, 106, 108) as shown are mounted on or in the fixed rearward portion 34 of the left side wall 28 and are spaced apart along the arc of the left side wall 28 at positions corresponding to the positions of the tilted seat 22, so that when the seat is tilted, a particular left second driver is close to and oriented to the intended listening area 60 for any seating position.

[0047] In at least one embodiment of the active focused field sound system, at any given position of the intended listening area 60 based on the position of the backrest 50 of the adjustable seat 22 and its headrest 52, such as Figure 1-5 As shown, only one left second driver and the corresponding aligned right second driver are active to deliver audio content, wherein when the seat position is adjusted, the controllably selectable left second driver and right second driver are selected to follow and correspond to the intended listening area 60. Figure 2-5 As shown, when the seat 22 is approximately in the corresponding position, only the specific left second driver (102, 104, 106, 108) closest to the expected listening area 60 is active to deliver audio content, which is Figure 1 and only the specific right second driver (92, 94, 96, 98) closest to the intended listening area 60 is active to provide audio content, which is represented by the right sound field 110 directed to the intended listening area 60. Therefore, in Figure 1-2 In FIG. 1 , when the seat is in the upright position, the right second drive 92 is shown as active; in FIG. Figure 3 In FIG. 1 , when the seat is in the first tilt position, the right second drive 94 is shown as active; in FIG. Figure 4 In FIG. 1 , when the seat is in the second tilt position, the right second drive 96 is shown as active; and, in FIG. Figure 5 In FIG. 1 , the right second drive 98 is shown as being active when the seat is in the lying position.

[0048] Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, at any given seating position, only one second driver pair, defined by a paired left second driver and a corresponding aligned right second driver, is fully active. The active left second driver and the active right second driver can each deliver independent but coordinated left and right stereo content.

[0049] The active focused field sound system also includes a low frequency third driver or speaker, such as a bass driver, which is mechanically coupled to the seat to transmit low frequency audio directly to or near the seat or seat occupant. For example, a headrest mounted third driver 62 is shown embedded in the headrest 52 for direct transmission to or from the cushion of the headrest to the head of the seat occupant or the intended hearing area 60. A backrest mounted third driver 64 is also shown embedded in the backrest 50 for direct transmission to or from the cushion of the backrest to the lumbar region or intended hearing area 60 of the seat occupant.

[0050] The sound field of the third driver, whether a headrest mounted third driver, a backrest mounted third driver or a third driver located behind the seat, is oriented according to the reclined position of the seat 22. Thus, the sound field 66 of the backrest mounted third driver 64 is shown as being oriented outward from the backrest 50 at different positions of the reclined seat ( Figure 2-5 ). The sound field 66 of the backrest mounted third driver is explicitly shown, while the sound field of the headrest mounted third driver is understood to be directed to the intended listening area 60, but is not explicitly shown. The third drivers 62 and 64 do not need to be activated specifically. The third drivers 62 and 64 can be activated simultaneously or alternately, such as depending on the audio content being transmitted. The active focused field sound system can also include an additional or alternative low frequency third driver, such as mounted in a wall or armrest. Figure 6 In the example of FIG. 5 , a third drive 68 mounted on the rear wall is shown.

[0051] The first driver providing high frequency or treble audio content may be a tweeter driver particularly suited for the high frequency treble sound range (above 2,000 Hz). The second driver delivering full range audio content may be a mid-frequency driver particularly suited for the mid-frequency range (200 Hz to 2000 Hz). The third driver delivering low frequency, bass or sub-bass content may be a bass driver particularly suited for the low frequency bass range (below 200 Hz). The drivers communicate with the controller 120 to receive the corresponding audio content and power. For example, if Figure 1Schematically, respective wired signal transmission paths 122, 124, and 126 may extend from the controller 120 to the first, second, and third drivers, respectively, and each path may be multi-wire or multi-channel to accommodate multiple drivers. In other embodiments, the drivers receive signals wirelessly from the controller. The controller 120 may include: a receiver for wired or wireless reception of content transmitted via audio; an amplifier for transmitting a powered audio signal to the drivers; a multi-channel device or processor for separating or managing multi-channel (stereo, treble, midrange, bass) content; and an interface device 128 in electronic communication with the controller 120 for allowing a user to control the active focused field sound system to, for example, select media for visual display and audio playback, and adjust sound system parameters such as volume and stereo balance.

[0052] The active focused field sound system 70 may include one or more sensors to detect seat position and / or passenger occupancy. Figure 2-5 As shown, a seat position sensor 130 in electronic communication with the controller 120 detects the reclined position of the seat, and the controller automatically activates a corresponding actuator, such as a second actuator, to deliver audio content to the intended listening zone 60 at any position of the seat 22 .

[0053] The active focused field sound system 70 may provide active noise cancellation via the first, second and third drivers or any subset thereof, for example, depending on whether high frequency, mid frequency or low frequency sounds are to be cancelled. Figure 2-5 As shown, sound sensors or microphones 140 and 142 (both in electronic communication with controller 120) can provide sound sample data for use by the controller to identify audio noise and generate corresponding canceled audio content or signals for transmission by the driver. Figure 2 A first microphone 140 is shown positioned and / or oriented to sample sounds outside or upon entering the passenger suite 20 , and a second microphone 142 is shown positioned and / or oriented to sample sounds within or inside the passenger suite 20 .

[0054] The active focused field sound system 70 may include a vision-based sensor 144 that electronically communicates with the controller 120 to determine seat position, suite occupancy (defined as whether there are passengers in the suite), or passenger head position so that the controller can automatically adjust the directional speakers to project sound only to the current position of the passenger's head, such as indicated by the intended listening area 60.

[0055] Figure 1-6 The arrangement of the drives shown is not exclusive or limiting. Other arrangements and other types of passenger suites are within the scope of this description. For example, Figure 7The passenger suite 150 includes a plurality of left first actuators 152 arranged along a curved left side wall 154 and a plurality of right first actuators 156 arranged along a curved right side wall 158 .

[0056] Thus, the sound system can be described as an active field array because the location of the active audio sources (the currently active drivers in any seating position) is changed based on the expected location of the passenger's ears in the intended listening area 60. This reduces the driver power output required to meet the listener's volume expectations while ensuring minimal audio leakage outside of the passenger environment defined by the passenger suite 20.

[0057] Now refer to the active focus field sound system 70 ( Figure 1 ), the acoustic treatment of the passenger environment defined by the suite 20 may include a variety of materials and geometries with the goal of absorbing stray sound waves and preventing audio from leaking from the interior of the suite to nearby areas, such as other suites and passenger seats. Sound absorbing, sound attenuating, or blocking materials, referred to as treatment panels 160, are shown embedded in portions of walls 28 and 30 or mounted to portions of the walls 28 and 30. Treatment panels 160 and other sound absorbing, sound attenuating, or blocking treatment elements and materials may be included in other areas and structures of the passenger suites 20 and 150, including walls, floors, and ceiling areas, and including seats and other passenger comfort items.

[0058] When the above four systems (primary driver, secondary driver, tertiary driver and acoustic treatment) are implemented together, they help to form a highly focused full-range sound system that will reproduce very low frequencies to very high frequencies for passengers to hear while minimizing audio leakage outside the passenger environment.

[0059] The sensors described above may include sensors of the types described above, such as visual sensors, audio sensors, position sensors, and state sensors. Each sensor may be a device or subsystem capable of detecting a change in a condition in the aircraft cabin environment and communicating with a processor 170, which is within or in communication with the controller 120.

[0060] The system sensors transmit information to the processor, and the processing logic of the processor analyzes the received data to control the drives and actuators. The processor 170 can be a component of a server, such as a digital computer that also includes an input / output (I / O) interface, a network interface, a data storage device, and a memory. The components can be communicatively coupled via a local interface such as one or more buses or other wired or wireless connections. The local interface can have additional elements, such as controllers, buffers (caches), drivers, repeaters, and receivers, etc. to ensure communication. In addition, the local interface can include address, control and / or data connections to ensure proper communication between components.

[0061] Processor 170 is a hardware device for executing software instructions such as sorting algorithms. The processor can be any custom or commercial processor, a central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary processor of several processors associated with the server, a semiconductor-based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chipset), or generally any device for executing software instructions. When the server is working, the processor is configured to execute software stored in the memory, communicate data with the memory, and generally control the operation of the server according to the software instructions. The I / O interface can be used to receive user input from one or more devices or components (such as the sensors, aircraft networks, and flight crew equipment described or inferred) and / or provide system output thereto. The I / O interface can include a serial port, a parallel port, a small computer system interface (SCSI), a serial ATA (SATA), a fiber channel, a wireless bandwidth, iSCSI, a PCI Express interface (PCI-x), an infrared (IR) interface, a radio frequency (RF) interface, and / or a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

[0062] The network interface can be used to enable the server to communicate on a network, such as the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), a local area network such as a secure aircraft network. The network interface may include address, control and / or data connections to enable appropriate communication on the network. Data storage can be used to store data. The data storage may include volatile memory elements (such as random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.), non-volatile memory elements (such as ROM, hard disk drives, tapes, CDROM, etc.) and combinations thereof. In addition, the data storage may include electronic, magnetic, optical and / or other types of storage media. In one example, the data storage may be located inside the server, such as an internal hard disk drive connected to a local interface in the server. In addition, in another embodiment, the data storage may be located outside the server, such as an external hard disk drive connected to an I / O interface (e.g., a SCSI or USB connection). In another embodiment, the data storage may be connected to the server via a network (e.g., a network-attached file server).

[0063] The memory may include volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.), non-volatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard disk drive, tape, CDROM, etc.), and combinations thereof. In addition, the memory may include electronic, magnetic, optical and / or other types of storage media. The software in the memory may include one or more software programs, each of which includes an ordered list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. The software in the memory includes an appropriate operating system (O / S) and one or more programs. The operating system primarily controls the execution of other computer programs, such as one or more programs, and provides scheduling, input and output control, file and data management, memory management, communication control, and related services. One or more programs may be configured to implement various processes, algorithms, methods, techniques, etc. described or inferred herein.

[0064] Although the above description provides embodiments of the present invention by way of example only, it is foreseeable that other embodiments can perform similar functions and / or achieve similar results. Any and all such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the scope of the present invention and are covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A passenger suite for an aircraft cabin, the passenger suite comprising: a seat having a backrest adjustable between an upright position and at least one reclined position; a plurality of first actuators positioned in front of the seat; a plurality of left second actuators positioned on a left side relative to a center plane of the seat; a plurality of right second actuators positioned on the right side relative to the center plane of the seat; at least one sensor for detecting the position of the backrest; as well as a controller in communication with the first actuator, the left second actuator, the right second actuator, and at least one sensor, the controller being operable to adjust an output of at least one of the first actuator and the second actuator based on a position of the backrest; wherein the left second actuators are spaced relative to each other and are located at positions corresponding to at least an upright position and at least one inclined position of the backrest, and the right second actuators are spaced relative to each other and are located at positions corresponding to at least an upright position and at least one inclined position of the backrest; and Wherein, the left second drives are spaced apart along an arc, which corresponds to the travel path of the backrest when the backrest is pivoted from the upright position to the at least one inclined position, and the right second drives are spaced apart along an arc, which corresponds to the travel path of the backrest when the backrest is pivoted from the upright position to the at least one inclined position.

2. The passenger suite of claim 1 further comprising at least one third actuator positioned in or behind the seat, the at least one third actuator being in communication with the controller.

3. The passenger suite according to claim 2, wherein: The first driver comprises a tweeter driver, the second driver comprises a midrange driver, and the at least one third driver comprises a bass driver.

4. The passenger suite according to claim 1, wherein: The first drivers are laterally spaced relative to each other and include: a left first actuator positioned forwardly relative to the seat and positioned to the left relative to a center plane of the seat; and a right first actuator positioned forward relative to the seat and positioned to the right side relative to a center plane of the seat; Therein, the first drivers are oriented to focus their respective sound fields towards a center plane of the seat.

5. The passenger suite according to claim 1, wherein: Depending on the position of the backrest, a specific left second actuator and a specific right second actuator are active to transmit audio content.

6. The passenger suite according to claim 5, wherein: The specific left-side second actuator and the specific right-side second actuator are aligned with each other, and wherein the controller activates the specific left-side second actuator and the specific right-side second actuator based on the position of the backrest.

7. The passenger suite of claim 2, further comprising a sound sensor in communication with the controller, wherein: The controller provides active noise cancellation based at least on sound samples provided by the sound sensor, wherein the sound sensor is positioned or oriented to sample sounds outside of a passenger suite or sounds entering a passenger suite or sounds within a passenger suite, and wherein the controller provides active noise cancellation through at least one of the first driver, the left second driver, the right second driver, and the at least one third driver.

8. The passenger suite of claim 1, further comprising at least one wall portion comprising sound absorbing material.

9. The passenger suite of claim 1 , further comprising a vision-based sensor in communication with the controller for determining at least one of a seatback position, suite occupancy, and a passenger head position, the controller being configured to adjust an output of at least one of the first, second, and third actuators based on information from the vision-based sensor.

10. A surround sound system capable of being installed in a passenger suite, comprising: a plurality of first actuators positionable in front of a seat having a backrest adjustable between an upright position and at least one reclined position; a plurality of left second actuators positionable on a left side relative to a center plane of the seat; a plurality of right side second actuators positionable on the right side relative to the center plane of the seat; at least one sensor positionable in the passenger suite for detecting at least one of a seat back position and suite occupancy; as well as a controller in communication with the first actuator, the left second actuator, the right second actuator, and the at least one sensor, the controller being operable to adjust an output of at least one of the actuators based on the seatback position or suite occupancy, wherein the left second actuators are spaced relative to each other and are located at positions corresponding to at least an upright position and at least one inclined position of the backrest, and wherein the right second actuators are spaced relative to each other and are located at positions corresponding to at least an upright position and at least one inclined position of the backrest, wherein the left second actuators are spaced apart along an arc corresponding to a path of travel of the backrest when the backrest is pivoted from an upright position to the at least one inclined position, and the right second actuators are spaced apart along an arc corresponding to a path of travel of the backrest when the backrest is pivoted from an upright position to the at least one inclined position, and Wherein, according to the position of the backrest, a specific left second driver and a specific right second driver are activated by the controller to transmit audio content.

11. The surround sound system of claim 10, further comprising at least one third driver in communication with the controller, the third driver being positionable behind or within the seat.

12. The surround sound system according to claim 10, wherein: The first drivers are laterally spaced relative to each other and include: a left first driver, which is positionable forwardly relative to the seat and on a left side relative to a center plane of the seat; a right first driver, which is positionable forwardly relative to the seat and on a right side relative to the center plane of the seat; and a center driver, which is positionable forwardly relative to the seat and aligned with the center plane of the seat, wherein the first drivers are oriented to focus their respective sound fields toward the center plane of the seat.

13. The surround sound system of claim 11, further comprising a sound sensor in communication with the controller, wherein: The controller provides active noise cancellation based at least on sound samples provided by the sound sensor, wherein the sound sensor can be positioned or oriented to sample sounds outside the passenger suite or sounds entering the passenger suite or sounds within the passenger suite, and wherein the controller provides active noise cancellation through at least one of the first driver, the left second driver, the right second driver, and at least one third driver.

14. The surround sound system of claim 11, further comprising a vision-based sensor in communication with the controller for determining at least one of a seatback position, a suite occupancy, and a passenger head position, the controller being configured to adjust an output of at least one of the first driver, the second driver, and the third driver based on information from the vision-based sensor.

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