Service system for mass transit

Abstract

Service system (10) for mass transit vehicles for catering to passengers or distributing other items, in particular pillows, blankets or headphones, upon individual request from passengers, with a robot-based service unit (28) for interacting with passengers and a fastening device (30) connected to the robot-based service unit (28), wherein the fastening device (30) is attached to the ceiling (22) of the mass transit vehicle, characterized by the fact that the robot-based service unit (28) is a robot arm, the robot arm having a multitude of segments which are connected to each other by joints, for position-accurate and precise catering and supply of all passengers, especially also away from the aisle, the fastening device (30) is arranged in the area of ​​an aisle (18) between respective rows of seats (16) and is movable along the aisle (18), The service system (10) additionally includes a motion sensor and / or a camera for detecting passenger movements, and the robot-based service unit (28) has gesture recognition and / or speech recognition and a touch display for interacting with passengers.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a service system for mass transit vehicles for entertaining passengers and to a mass transit vehicle with such a service system.

[0002] Passenger service and catering on mass transit vehicles like airplanes is typically provided by a human flight attendant. Flight attendants take requests from passengers and deliver food and drinks directly to them. However, human flight attendants result in high personnel costs. Another disadvantage is that aisles are sometimes inaccessible for extended periods, for example, while meals are being served. This restricts passengers and reduces safety, as emergency exits are blocked when a service cart obstructs the aisle.

[0003] While the use of robots to serve and feed passengers reduces personnel costs, it does not solve the problem that the aisles are sometimes blocked for extended periods, severely restricting passengers' freedom of movement, especially in an emergency.

[0004] From EP 3 052 382 A1, a food distribution vending machine is known in which the necessary technology is housed in the floor. While this keeps the aisles largely clear, such a system requires considerable installation space, thus consuming valuable room that could otherwise be used, for example, for the necessary technology of the public transport vehicle or its loading. Even if the food distribution vending machine is not in constant use, the required installation space is still unavailable. Furthermore, due to the integrated design of the food distribution vending machine in the floor of the public transport vehicle, retrofitting is very complex.

[0005] US 5 159 994 A discloses a food storage and dispensing system for passenger vehicles with a plurality of seats separated by at least one aisle, comprising a rail attached to the top of the vehicle and extending parallel to the aisle along its length, a trolley suspended from the rail, a food container on the trolley movable along the length of the aisle, and a horizontal platform to the side of the rail for holding a plurality of food containers, each of which can be aligned with the trolley to convey the food container there.

[0006] WO 2016 / 164 362 A1 discloses a disinfection device for disinfecting surfaces in multi-row aircraft. The disinfection device comprises a mobile unit configured to move along the aircraft aisle, with an arm extending laterally from the mobile unit over the seats, and a UV radiation source attached to the disinfection device, directed over the seats and exposing the surfaces in the passenger area to UV radiation. A data collector is located in the aircraft to gather information. A passive RFID tag attached to components can be read by an RFID reader. The device may contain one or more sniffer cells to scan the aircraft for unwanted or hazardous devices or chemicals.

[0007] US 2003 / 0208409A1 discloses a portable computer device for assisting a person in locating a food retailer with respect to the person's food preference, comprising a display; a wireless transmitter-receiver for communication with a communications network; a location tracking device; and a software application program adapted to transmit the person's food preference and location over a communications network to a remote computer system, receive data from the remote computer, and display to the person on the computer device's display locations of food retailers and menus corresponding to the food preference.

[0008] US Patent 5,496,000 A discloses a system for storing and transporting food and beverages on board an aircraft, which is equipped with a centrally located container in the configuration of a cargo container for holding meal boxes and beverage boxes, with at least one distribution station or serving area, and with a transport channel that connects the container and the serving area. The transport channel includes at least one vertical conveyor, so that the container can be placed on a lower cargo deck while the serving area is located on the passenger deck.

[0009] DE 10 2011 052 299 A1 discloses a robot in a cargo hold of an aircraft with at least one robot arm, wherein the robot arm has a picking tool for picking up cargo items and is slidably arranged on a ceiling structure of the cargo hold.

[0010] US 2013 / 0 199 402 A1 discloses a tray trolley for serving refreshments in an aircraft, comprising a load-bearing railing coupled to a fuselage section of the aircraft, the railing extending from a first end of the aircraft to a second end across an aisle section of the aircraft, and a trolley for carrying the refreshments, the trolley being suspended from the railing by means of one or more suspension wires and being able to slide along the railing by means of one or more gears. The trolley is suspended to a predetermined length above the floor of the aisle section of the aircraft, the length of the suspension allowing a flight attendant to remove the refreshments placed in the trolley without having to bend down. The object of the invention is to provide a service system for mass transit vehicles that is space-saving and can be easily retrofitted.

[0011] The problem is solved by the service system according to claim 1 and by the mass transit vehicle according to claim 4.

[0012] The service system according to the invention for mass transit vehicles for passenger service comprises a robot-based service unit for interacting with passengers. This robot-based service unit can, for example, distribute beverages or meals, or provide additional items to individual passengers upon request to enhance their comfort, such as pillows, blankets, headphones, etc. According to the invention, the service system includes a mounting device connected to the robot-based service unit for securing the unit. This mounting device is attached to the ceiling of the mass transit vehicle. Thus, the interior space of the mass transit vehicle is used efficiently. In particular, no installation space under the passenger floor is wasted.Furthermore, this allows aisles and emergency exits / escape routes to be kept clearer, and passengers' freedom of movement, for example during meal distribution, is not restricted. This increases passenger comfort, as they can move around freely at all times, and also improves safety compared to current technology, since no serving cart or similar obstructs the way to any of the emergency exits.

[0013] According to the invention, the robot-based service unit is a robotic arm. This makes it possible to serve all passengers, not just those seated directly on the aisle. By providing a robotic arm with a large number of robotic arm segments, precise and accurate service and provision of food and drinks to passengers is possible.

[0014] According to the invention, the fastening device is arranged in the area of ​​an aisle between the respective rows of seats. This does not further restrict the headroom above the rows of seats, which is already occupied by overhead luggage racks, particularly in aircraft. A modification of the means of public transport is also usually unnecessary, as the aisles have a greater overall height.

[0015] According to the invention, the mounting device is movable, in particular movable along an aisle. Thus, it is sufficient to provide only one robot-based service unit per aisle, which can then move along the aisle to serve or cater to individual passengers, for example by distributing meals. In particular, the service unit is movable in such a way as to be repositioned from one aisle to another.

[0016] According to the invention, the service system includes a motion sensor to detect passenger movements and to execute a corresponding movement to avoid a collision with a passenger. In particular, a camera can be provided for this purpose.

[0017] Preferably, the service system includes an inertial measuring unit to compensate for spontaneous accelerations of the mass transit vehicle. Particularly in aircraft, the inertial measuring unit can detect turbulence and compensate for it by moving the service unit in such a way as to prevent, for example, spillage of beverages.

[0018] Preferably, the service system includes a force-torque sensor and / or a contact sensor to detect collisions and to control the robot-based service unit in such a way that it behaves compliantly in order to prevent damage from the collision or injury to a passenger.

[0019] According to the invention, the robot-based service unit features gesture recognition and / or speech recognition and / or a touch display for interacting with passengers. For example, gesture recognition allows the service unit to detect when a passenger holds up trash, enabling the robot-based service unit to recognize the passenger and collect the trash. Speech recognition allows passengers to express wishes and orders to the robot-based service unit, which then executes them. In particular, a translation program is provided, enabling speech recognition to recognize a variety of languages. The touch display allows passengers to interact directly with the service unit, for example, by selecting a menu item or a beverage.

[0020] Preferably, the robot-based service unit has an interface for connecting to a terminal, allowing the passenger to interact with the robot-based service unit via the terminal. The terminal is, in particular, a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or similar device. These devices can have an app through which the passenger can interact with the robot-based service unit, for example, by selecting a menu item or a beverage. The connection between the terminal and the interface of the robot-based service unit can be established via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GSM, 3G, 4G, LTE, Ultra Broadband Communication, or similar technologies.

[0021] Ideally, the service system is stocked by a human flight attendant. However, it is particularly desirable for the system to be stocked automatically, for example with meals and drinks, thus saving further costs. Specifically, the system is stocked in the order of the passengers according to their preferences, ensuring rapid meal distribution.

[0022] Preferably, the service system has an overload clutch so that it can be moved even without power in an emergency, thus ensuring that passengers are not blocked under any circumstances.

[0023] Preferably, the service unit has mechanically compliant joints, allowing it to be moved in an emergency. This also reduces contact forces in the event of collisions with people or objects.

[0024] The invention further relates to a mass transit vehicle for transporting a large number of passengers with a large number of seats, wherein at least one aisle is provided between the seats, the aisle preferably running substantially in the direction of travel of the mass transit vehicle. The mass transit vehicle has at least one service system as described above. Preferably, a large number of service systems are provided.

[0025] Preferably, when multiple service systems are provided within a single aisle, they are mounted on a common rail system. Providing more than one service system per aisle makes passenger service more efficient, while the common rail, to which the mounting devices of the respective service systems are connected, minimizes the conversion effort.

[0026] Preferably a rail is provided so that the service unit can move from one aisle to another aisle, in particular one running parallel to it, for example by means of rail crossings and the like.

[0027] Preferably, the mass transit vehicle is a coach, an airplane, a rail vehicle such as a train or a passenger ferry.

[0028] The invention is explained below with reference to a preferred embodiment and the accompanying figure.

[0029] The figure shows a service system according to the invention using an aircraft as an example.

[0030] The service system 10 according to the invention is arranged within an aircraft 12, with only the fuselage 14 shown in cross-section for clarity. The aircraft has a plurality of seats 16, with each row of seats divided by an aisle 18. The cabin 20 of the aircraft 12 has a cabin ceiling 22 and a cabin floor 24. Storage space 26 is arranged below the cabin floor 24.

[0031] The service system 10 according to the invention comprises a robot-based service unit 28, which is designed as a robot arm. The robot arm has a plurality of segments which are connected to one another by joints. A mounting device 30 is connected to the robot-based service unit 28, by means of which the service system is attached to the cabin ceiling 22. For this purpose, a rail 32 is provided on the cabin ceiling 22, to which the mounting device 30 is connected. By providing the rail 32, the mounting device, and thus the service system, is movable along the aisle 18. This keeps the headroom above the seats 16 clear. Attaching the service system to the cabin ceiling 22 also does not reduce the storage space 26. By providing the rail system 32 for the movable service system 10, all rows of seats 16 can be reached.By providing the robot arm as a robot-based service unit 28, not only the passenger sitting in the aisle can be served, but also the passengers sitting further away from the aisle.

[0032] Preferably, another service system is connected to rail 32 (not shown), which makes the supply and catering of passengers more efficient.

[0033] By attaching the service system 10 to the cabin ceiling 22, aisle 18 remains clear, so that the passengers' freedom of movement is not restricted. In particular, the service system 10 has, for example, a motion sensor, so that the robot arm can be moved into a space-saving position as soon as a passenger approaches.

Claims

[1] Service system (10) for mass transit vehicles for catering to passengers or distributing other items, in particular pillows, blankets or headphones, upon individual request from passengers, with a robot-based service unit (28) for interacting with passengers and a fastening device (30) connected to the robot-based service unit (28), wherein the fastening device (30) is attached to the ceiling (22) of the mass transit vehicle, characterized by , that the robot-based service unit (28) is a robot arm, the robot arm having a multitude of segments which are connected to each other by joints, for position-accurate and precise catering and supply of all passengers, especially also away from the aisle, the fastening device (30) is arranged in the area of ​​an aisle (18) between respective rows of seats (16) and is movable along the aisle (18), The service system (10) additionally includes a motion sensor and / or a camera for detecting passenger movements, and the robot-based service unit (28) has gesture recognition and / or speech recognition and a touch display for interacting with passengers. [2] Service system (10) according to claim 1, characterized by an inertial measuring unit to compensate for spontaneous accelerations of the mass transport vehicle. [3] Service system (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized by , that the robot-based service unit (28) has an interface to which a terminal can be connected, so that the passenger can interact with the service system (10) via the terminal. [4] Mass transit vehicles for transporting a large number of passengers, with a plurality of seats (16), wherein at least one aisle (18) is provided between the seats (16), wherein in particular the aisle (18) runs substantially in the direction of travel of the mass transit vehicle, characterized by at least one service system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3. [5] Mass transit vehicle according to claim 4, characterized by that the mass transit vehicle is a coach, an airplane, a train or a passenger ferry.

Images