On-board communication system and aircraft with on-board communication system

Abstract

The invention relates to a communication system (1) for communication among the crew of an aircraft (100), as well as to an aircraft (100) with a corresponding communication system. The communication system (1) comprises at least two communication terminals (3.1, 3.2, 3.3), each of which is assigned to a specific crew member or a group of crew members, wherein at least one filter mode is provided for at least one of the communication terminals (3.1, 3.2, 3.3), the activation of which does not result in an active indication of corresponding incoming messages for messages from another communication terminal (3.3, 3.2, 3.1) below an importance predetermined for the filter mode.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a communication system for communication among the crew of an aircraft, in particular a commercial aircraft, and to an aircraft with a corresponding communication system.

[0002] For communication between the crew members on board a commercial aircraft, i.e. an aircraft that is operated in public transport and whose main purpose is the transport of passengers or cargo, intercom systems are known which enable voice communication between the cockpit crew and the cabin crew, as well as between different operational positions for the cabin crew.

[0003] Communication via known intercom systems is subject to restrictions. For example, in certain flight situations or phases of flight, such as severe turbulence or during takeoff and landing, the cabin crew is only permitted to contact the cockpit crew in exceptional circumstances. It is the cabin crew's job to judge when contact is permitted, which leads to great uncertainty and, as a result, often to a lack of information being passed on to the cockpit crew. On the other hand, contact via the intercom system by the cockpit crew can disrupt processes in the cabin, or important information may be delayed. For example, if the cabin crew adheres to the rules, the cockpit crew may not be able to communicate with the cockpit crew.during service phases away from the intercom, the service must be interrupted if a member of the cabin crew perceives the cockpit crew's attempt to establish communication as such, or - if this is not the case - the information is not passed on to the cabin crew or is passed on only with a delay, namely in the course of a later communication.

[0004] It has been shown that due to the uncertainties surrounding the use of the intercom system when contacting the cockpit crew, as well as the limited accessibility of the cabin crew at least at times, less information is exchanged than would be desirable, especially between the cockpit crew and cabin crew. This is especially true with regard to possible emergency situations in which efficient communication is essential.

[0005] The document US 2007 / 0 255 850 A1 concerns a communication system for an aircraft with mobile communication devices in which messages can be classified according to importance and urgency.

[0006] The document US 9,371,140 B1 describes a system for communication with an aircraft cockpit in which a filter can be set on a cockpit-side communication device in order to select from received messages depending on predetermined criteria or to display them textually or acoustically.

[0007] The document EP 2 434 727 A1 is directed to a communication system in which incoming messages can be examined, for example by means of text analysis, for their situation-dependent relevance, for example taking into account sensor-determined avionics data, and can be prioritized if necessary.

[0008] Document EP 4 050 586 A1 proposes a system for post-processing recorded cockpit conversations using an intermediary system for context-based message identification.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide a communication system in which the disadvantages known from the prior art no longer occur or only occur to a reduced extent.

[0010] This object is achieved by a communication system according to claim 1 and an aircraft according to claim 11. Advantageous further developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0011] Accordingly, the invention relates to a communication system for communication among the crew of an aircraft with at least two communication terminals, each of which is assigned to a specific crew member or a group of crew members, wherein at least one filter mode is provided for at least one of the communication terminals, upon activation of which filter mode at least no active indication of corresponding messages is given for incoming messages from another communication terminal below an importance level predetermined for the filter mode, wherein the communication system comprises a connection module for communication with an external communication terminal, and wherein the connection module has a filter mode, upon activation of which filter mode the connection module only forwards messages from another communication terminal above a predetermined importance to an external communication terminal.

[0012] Furthermore, the invention relates to an aircraft comprising a communication system according to the invention.

[0013] The communication system according to the invention comprises at least two communication terminals. If two communication terminals are provided, one of them will normally be provided for joint use by the cockpit crew, while the other communication terminal is jointly available to the cabin crew. If more than two communication terminals are provided, several communication terminals can be distributed throughout the cabin to ensure better accessibility by the cabin crew. It is also possible for at least parts of the crew, e.g. the individual members of the cockpit crew, the purser or purser assistants, to receive individual communication terminals. Are there special communication terminals for members of a specific group of crew members, e.g. cockpit crew or cabin crew incl.Purser, intended for individual communication terminals, is preferred if the communication terminals can be addressed both individually and as members of the respective group. In other words, a message sent to a group should be sent to all individual communication terminals of the members of that group and / or to communication terminals shared by that group.

[0014] The communication terminals can be stationary—i.e., permanently mounted in the aircraft. However, particularly in the case of individual communication terminals, it is preferred if at least some of the communication terminals are mobile—i.e., devices that communicate wirelessly and are equipped with their own power supply.

[0015] The messages that can be exchanged with the communication system according to the invention can be text-based messages (text messages), audio-based messages (voice messages), and / or audio-visual messages (video messages). The communication system must be designed to be suitable for the various types of messages, as must the communication terminals, which must be designed to both input or receive corresponding messages and to display or play them back. For this purpose, the communication terminals can comprise screens, preferably touch-sensitive screens, keyboards, cameras, microphones, and / or loudspeakers.

[0016] The communication terminals are also designed to provide an active notification upon receipt of a message. This active notification can be an acoustic notification (e.g., an alert tone), a visual notification (e.g., an alert light illuminating or a notification displayed on a screen), or a tactile notification (e.g., a vibration alarm). Any combination of these notification types is also possible. Different communication terminals can also be configured for different active notifications or combinations thereof.

[0017] The actual transmission of messages from one communication terminal to one or more other communication terminals can be carried out in any manner known from the prior art. The communication terminals can communicate directly with each other. However, it is also possible to provide an intermediary to which the communication terminal sending a message first transmits the message before the intermediary then forwards the message to the communication terminal(s) intended to receive the message.

[0018] According to the invention, a filter mode can be activated if necessary for at least one of the communication terminals, usually at least one communication terminal assigned to the cockpit crew, the activation of which does not result in an active reference to corresponding messages for messages from another communication terminal below an importance level predetermined for the filter mode.

[0019] The importance of a message can be determined or identified by the sending communication device, a possible intermediary and / or the receiving communication device, whereby in the first two cases the importance of a message must be transmitted to the receiving communication device.

[0020] The importance of a message can be manually set by a crew member on the sending communication device when composing or sending a message.

[0021] If this option is not used or is not provided for, the sending or receiving communication terminal, but preferably an intermediary, can determine the importance of the message by analyzing the message. The analysis can also be performed in a distributed system by one or more communication terminals and / or one or more intermediaries.

[0022] To analyze a message, the content of the message can be examined, for example, for the presence of certain keywords such as "emergency," "fire," or "problem." Alternatively or additionally, it is also possible to evaluate the choice of words or the tone of the message. For example, especially with audio-based or audio-visual messages, in cases of increased importance, an increased speaking speed and - depending on the content of the message - an increased speaking volume or even a whisper could be detected. Corresponding analyses can be performed rule-based. However, it is preferable to provide a suitable trained artificial intelligence for the analysis.

[0023] If no importance is specified or determined for a message (e.g. because no automated message analysis is planned), a preset standard importance can be assumed for the message.

[0024] The importance of messages can be expressed as a numerical value based on a predefined scale. In this case, a filter mode will include a numerical importance level as a predefined importance.

[0025] If a filter mode is activated on a communications terminal, active notifications about the receipt of a message whose importance lies below the specified priority can be suppressed in various ways. For example, it is possible that the receiving terminal simply does not trigger an active notification upon receipt of a corresponding message. However, the message is still generally available on the receiving terminal and can generally be viewed even when the filter mode is activated. Alternatively, it is possible that a designated intermediary, when the filter mode is activated for a communications terminal, refrains from forwarding messages with an importance below the priority specified for the filter mode to the communications terminal in question.In this case, not only is an active notification of a corresponding message avoided, but – since the message is not actually received initially on the communication device – it also prevents a user from being distracted by manually accessing messages for which no active notification is provided. Messages not delivered by the intermediary due to a filter mode can be delivered after the filter mode is deactivated, whereby, if necessary, an active notification can also be provided for subsequently delivered messages.

[0026] Different filter modes can be configured for one or more communication devices. The filter modes can differ, in particular, in the priority assigned to messages for which no active notification should be issued.

[0027] A filter mode can be activated and / or deactivated manually, particularly on the communications terminal for which the filter mode is to be set. If the actual filtering of messages, as described above, is not performed directly by the communications terminal itself, the activation or deactivation of a filter mode must be transmitted to the component of the communications system performing the filtering, e.g., an intermediary.

[0028] Alternatively or additionally, it is possible for the activation and / or deactivation of a filter mode to be at least partially time-controlled. For example, after a filter mode has been manually activated for a cabin crew communication device due to a service being performed, it can be automatically deactivated again after a specified time, after which the service in question should be completed. This can prevent a filter mode from accidentally remaining permanently active.

[0029] Alternatively or additionally, it is possible for the activation and / or deactivation of a filter mode to be at least partially automated. The automated activation and / or deactivation of a filter mode on a communications terminal can be based on the content of received or sent messages. For example, the start or end of special flight phases, such as takeoff or landing, or flight situations, such as turbulence, can be determined from messages sent from the cockpit crew to the cabin crew, either based on rules or using suitable artificial intelligence. A designated filter mode can then be activated or deactivated.

[0030] Preferably, the communication system is connected to the aircraft's avionics and configured to activate and / or deactivate a filter mode based on measurement and / or status values read from the avionics. For example, measurement and status values from the avionics can indicate a specific flight phase, such as takeoff and landing, for which a specific filter mode must be activated. Various warnings from the avionics, reflected in status values, can also lead to the activation of a suitable filter mode.

[0031] Preferably, an intermediary and / or a communication bot is provided, which is configured to evaluate messages distributed via the intermediary and / or addressed to a communication bot and to execute or trigger specified actions based on the evaluation results. The evaluation can be rule-based or using artificial intelligence. To execute or trigger actions, the intermediary in question or the communication bot can be connected to the required systems on board an aircraft. For example, the cabin lighting and / or cabin temperature can be adjusted by a message sent from a mobile communication device to the communication bot containing specific code words, which can be evaluated by the communication bot using a suitable rule.Corresponding settings can be made from any communication device in the cabin, especially from a mobile communication device, without a crew member having to operate the panel provided for this purpose in the state of the art. In another example, in the event of communication between the cabin crew and the cockpit crew regarding an emergency, an intermediary evaluating the relevant messages can initiate the activation of the seatbelt signs for passengers and play an announcement appropriate to the situation.

[0032] It is preferred if the communication system is connected to a call system for passengers and is designed to trigger a message to one or more predetermined communication terminals in the event of a call notification.

[0033] Passenger call systems are particularly common in passenger aircraft, i.e. commercial aircraft used to transport passengers. In such systems, push buttons are provided above a row of passenger seats or integrated into the armrests of each passenger seat. These push buttons can be used to send a signal to the cabin crew on board the aircraft that service is required. In the current state of the art, the push buttons, which are often provided with a self-explanatory symbol, generate an acoustic signal in the aircraft cabin or at least in the cabin crew lounge area, such as a galley, when pressed. The cabin crew also receives a visual indication of which call module - and therefore which passenger seat or row of seats - triggered the call notification. This visual indication can be provided by a display of the position of the call module in question, e.g.in the form of the row of seats or the passenger seat, on a display in the cabin crew lounge area. Alternatively or additionally, indicator lights can be arranged in the area above the passenger seats, which illuminate as soon as a call notification is triggered.

[0034] If the passenger call system is connected to the communications system, when a call notification is triggered, a message can be sent to designated communications terminals assigned to the cabin crew member(s). Particularly in the case of individual mobile communications terminals, this allows one or more cabin crew members to be immediately notified of a passenger call.

[0035] Corresponding messages triggered by the call system can have a standard priority. However, it is also possible for the call system or the communication system, e.g., by an intermediary or at least one of the communication terminals, to assign a higher or lower priority to messages triggered by the call system based on predefined criteria. For example, messages triggered via special emergency push buttons on the call system can be assigned a higher priority. Messages repeatedly triggered via a call system push button within a short period of time can also be combined into a message of higher priority.

[0036] The communication system comprises a connection module for communication with an external communication terminal, i.e., one located outside the aircraft. In particular, the external or outside-the-aircraft communication terminal can be located on the ground, e.g., in an airport control tower.

[0037] The connection module has a filter mode, according to which the connection module forwards messages from another communication terminal above a specified level of importance to an external communication terminal. Activating the filter mode of the connection module can be configured analogously to activating the filter mode of a communication terminal. When the filter mode is activated, the forwarding of messages from the communication system to external communication terminals can be suppressed analogously to the active notifications of incoming messages on communication terminals. For example, the filter mode of the connection module can only forward messages identified or identified as extremely important, e.g., concerning an emergency, to an external communication terminal.However, this forwarding need not be limited to messages from the cockpit crew; rather, with an appropriate communication system, it is also possible for the cabin crew to send messages directly to an external communication device in an emergency and, if necessary, also receive them from there.

[0038] For an explanation of the aircraft according to the invention, reference is made to the above explanations. The aircraft can be, in particular, a commercial aircraft, preferably a passenger aircraft.

[0039] The invention will now be described by way of example using an advantageous embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing. It shows: Fig. 1: a schematic representation of an aircraft according to the invention comprising a communication system according to the invention.

[0040] In Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic, practically only outline, representation of an aircraft 100 according to the invention. The aircraft 100 is a passenger aircraft, i.e., a commercial aircraft for transporting passengers.

[0041] A communication system 1 according to the invention is provided on board the aircraft 100. The communication system 1 comprises a series of communication terminals 3, each of which is data-connected to an intermediary 2. Some of the communication terminals 3.1, 3.2 are in contact with the intermediary 2 via wired connection, while another communication terminal 3.3 is in contact with the intermediary 2 via wireless connection.

[0042] The communication terminals 3 each have a touch-sensitive display 30 and a keyboard 31, and are also configured as intercommunicating stations, i.e., they have a microphone and a loudspeaker for outputting voice recordings. With this configuration, the communication terminals 3 are generally suitable for composing or recording, as well as outputting or playing text-based and audio-based messages.

[0043] The communication terminals 3 further comprise an indicator 32, which can be used to output an indication of the receipt of a message on the communication terminal 3. The indicator 32 can be configured differently for the individual communication terminals 3. For example, in the case of wired and thus essentially stationary communication terminals 3.1, 3.2, the indicator 32 can be configured to output acoustic or visual indications. The indicator 32 can also be configured to output acoustic indications via the loudspeaker provided for the function as a call station and to use the display 30 to output visual indications. In the case of mobile communication terminals 3.3, the indicator 32 can comprise a vibration element in order to be able to output tactile indications.

[0044] Of the Fig.Of the communication terminals 3 shown in FIG. 1, one communication terminal 3.1 is arranged in the cockpit of the aircraft 100 and is subsequently assigned to the cockpit crew of the aircraft 100. Other communication terminals 3.2 are arranged in the area of the galleys or seats for the cabin crew during takeoff and landing. The mobile communication terminal 3.3 shown in the illustrated embodiment is intended for a member of the cabin crew, in particular for the purser. It is of course possible to provide additional wired or wireless communication devices 3.

[0045] Text-based and audio-based messages can be exchanged between the communication devices 3. For this purpose, the messages are first transmitted from the transmitting communication terminal 3 to the intermediary 2 and from there forwarded to the communication terminals 3 designated as recipients. The transmitting communication terminal 3 can send a message to a specific communication terminal 3 or to a group of communication terminals 3. For example, a message can be addressed to the entire cabin crew from the communication terminal 3.1 in the cockpit, which is then delivered to all communication terminals 3.2, 3.3 located in the cabin or assigned to the cabin crew.

[0046] At the sending communication terminal 3, the importance of a message can be determined before it is sent, using a numerical value on a scale of 1 to 5, with a value of 1 meaning low importance and a value of 5 meaning high importance.

[0047] If intermediary 2 receives a message for which no importance has been assigned at the sending communication terminal 3, the content of the message is analyzed by intermediary 2. For this purpose, in addition to the information contained in the message, the tone of the message can also be analyzed, particularly in the case of audio-based messages. The content of a message can also be taken into account in contact with previously exchanged messages between the sending communication terminal and the communication terminal intended as the recipient of the message in order to determine the importance of a message. Even though it is fundamentally possible to perform the check in a rule-based manner, where, for example, certain keywords are searched for in the message, the check in the present exemplary embodiment is carried out using a suitably trained artificial intelligence.If the importance of a message cannot be determined with sufficient certainty in this way, a predefined standard importance is assumed for the message.

[0048] Regardless of how the importance of a message is specified or determined, a message received by the intermediary 2 is only immediately forwarded to the communication terminals 3 intended for reception if the importance is sufficiently high at the time of forwarding. If this criterion is not initially met, the message is temporarily stored by the intermediary 2 and only forwarded to the communication terminals 3 intended for reception once the threshold for the required importance has been lowered so far that the importance of the message is sufficient for its forwarding.

[0049] In order to achieve the direct or delayed delivery of messages outlined above, the communication terminals 3 can have filter modes activated and deactivated as required. Such a filter mode comprises a threshold which at least defines the importance that a message must have in order to be immediately forwarded to the communication terminal intended for reception. Messages which do not reach this importance level are only delivered when the filter mode in question is deactivated or another filter mode with a lower threshold is activated. In this way, it can be ensured that the crew members who are generally intended to receive a message are not disturbed in certain situations by the receipt of less important messages and the active notifications triggered as a result. For example,During critical flight phases, such as take-off or landing, only messages of such high importance that the cockpit crew should be concerned with the content of the message during this flight phase, e.g., an indication of damage to the aircraft, etc., are delivered to the cockpit crew. Outside of these flight phases, less important messages can also be exchanged with the cockpit crew via communication system 1.

[0050] A corresponding filter mode can be activated or deactivated in various ways. It is generally possible to manually activate or deactivate a corresponding filter mode on each of the communication terminals 3. Information about activation and deactivation is transmitted from the communication terminal 3 in question to the intermediary 2 so that the intermediary can properly filter messages according to their importance, as described above.

[0051] It is intended that a time period is specified for predefined filter modes, after which the filter mode in question is automatically deactivated. For example, a filter mode can be provided for the cabin crew for individual service processes, such as serving food and / or drinks, in which at least messages of the lowest priority level are not delivered immediately, but only after the filter mode has ended. Such a filter mode can be automatically deactivated after a predefined time period, after which it can be assumed that the service in question has ended, to prevent the filter mode in question from remaining inadvertently activated.

[0052] Intermediate 2 is also connected to the aircraft's avionics (not shown) via port 4. Using measurement and / or status data received from the avionics, intermediary 2 can recognize certain flight phases or flight states based on rules or using artificial intelligence and automatically activate filter modes intended for specific situations. For example, an extended landing gear with engines running can indicate that the aircraft is taking off, landing, or taxiing, whereupon a filter mode is activated in which important messages can still be delivered. If the landing gear is retracted or the engines are shut down, the filter mode can also be automatically deactivated with a time delay, if necessary. Of course, the filter modes and the states in which they should be activated can be configured as precisely as desired.

[0053] A filter mode can also be activated based on an analysis of one or more messages. If an analysis of the messages processed via intermediary 2 provides sufficient indications of a critical situation on board aircraft 100, a filter mode can be activated automatically. Alternatively or additionally, certain actions can be triggered directly by intermediary 2 based on such an analysis. For example, if a critical situation is detected, any existing window darkening can be automatically deactivated. Intermediary 2 is connected to the necessary on-board systems for this purpose.

[0054] Also connected to the communication system 1 is a connection module 5 for communication with an external communication terminal (not shown). The connection module 5, whose filter mode is generally active, enables the forwarding of messages from one of the communication terminals 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 located on board the aircraft 100 to an external communication terminal, provided the importance of the message exceeds a predetermined level. The importance of a message can be set or determined analogously to the importance between the on-board communication terminals 3.1, 3.2, 3.3. This makes it possible to send messages of correspondingly high importance from each of the communication terminals 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, for example in the event of an emergency, to an external communication terminal, which is located, for example, in a control tower.

Claims

[1] Communication system (1) for communication among the crew of an aircraft (100) with at least two communication terminals (3.1, 3.2, 3.3), each assigned to a specific crew member or a group of crew members, wherein at least one filter mode is provided for at least one of the communication terminals (3.1, 3.2, 3.3), upon activation of which no active indication of corresponding incoming messages is given for messages from another communication terminal (3.3, 3.2, 3.1) below an importance predetermined for the filter mode, characterized bythat the communication system (1) comprises a connection module (5) for communication with an external communication terminal, wherein the connection module (5) has a filter mode, upon activation of which the connection module (5) only forwards messages from another communication terminal (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) above a predetermined importance to an external communication terminal. [2] Communication system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the importance of a message can be set manually on the sending communication device (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) and / or determined by analysis of the message by a communication terminal (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) and / or an intermediary (2). [3] Communication system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one filter mode of at least one communication terminal (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) can be activated and / or deactivated manually, time-controlled and / or automatically. [4] Communication system according to claim 3, characterized by that the communication system (1) can be connected to the avionics of the aircraft (100) and is designed to activate and / or deactivate a filter mode on the basis of measurement and / or status values read from the avionics. [5] Communication system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that when the filter mode is activated for a communication terminal (3.1, 3.2, 3.3), upon receipt of a message with an importance below the specified importance, the communication terminal (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) suppresses the output of an active message or the forwarding of the message to an intermediary (2) is delayed until the filter mode is deactivated. [6] Communication system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the communication system (1) comprises an intermediary (2) and / or a communication bot which is designed to evaluate messages distributed via the intermediary (2) and / or addressed to a communication bot and to execute or trigger predetermined actions on the basis of the evaluation result. [7] Communication system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that an active cue includes an auditory cue, a visual cue and / or a tactile cue. [8] Communication system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the messages are text-based messages, audio-based messages and / or audio-visual messages. [9] Communication system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the communication terminals (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) are at least partly mobile communication terminals (3.3). [10] Communication system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the communication system (1) is connected to a call system for passengers and is designed to trigger a message to one or more predetermined communication terminals (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) in the event of a passenger call. [11] Airplane (100), characterized by that the aircraft (100) comprises a communication system (1) according to one of the preceding claims. [12] Aircraft according to claim 11, characterized by that the aircraft (100) is a commercial aircraft, preferably a passenger aircraft.

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