Aircraft Cabin Fault Location Interface for Unified Crew Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft cabin control systems operate independently for environmental and passenger comfort functions, lacking a consolidated and efficient method for crew members to manage these aspects from a mobile interface.
Innovation Solution
A distributed architecture with a graphical user interface (GUI) on a mobile computing device allows crew members to control various aircraft cabin functions, including fault detection, parameter modification, and dynamic adjustments based on time phases, using a crew IO node that provides a unified interface for environmental and comfort settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If environmental functions and passenger comfort functions are controlled independently through separate systems, then each system can be optimized for its specific function, but the overall device complexity increases and operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges environmental control functions and passenger comfort control functions into a single unified control system accessible through one GUI interface. This consolidation allows crew members to manage both function types through a single device, reducing the number of separate control systems while maintaining the ability to independently control each function type, thereby resolving the contradiction between system reliability and device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate control interfaces are provided for different cabin functions, then each interface can be specialized for its function, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to crew members needing to switch between multiple interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal control interface (GUI on mobile computing device) that can access and control both environmental functions and passenger comfort functions. This single multi-functional interface eliminates the need for crew members to switch between multiple separate interfaces, while still providing specialized control capabilities for each function type through the unified interface, thus resolving the contradiction between control versatility and operational convenience.
3Measurement precision
If fixed control panels are installed at specific locations in the cabin, then control precision for specific zones is improved, but adaptability deteriorates when crew members need to control functions from different locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces fixed control panels with a dynamic control system based on mobile computing devices that can be moved to any location in the cabin. The system dynamically adapts to the crew member's location while maintaining precise control over specific cabin zones through the mobile interface, thereby resolving the contradiction between zone control precision and location independence.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a distributed architecture for controlling functions of an aircraft comprising: a controller, an Input/Output (IO) node and a processor configured to display a graphical user interface component representing at least a portion of an aircraft cabin divided into at least two sections on the IO node and receive, by the IO node, a first and a second input from a user for selecting one of the at least two sections and selecting a preset of at least one controllable parameter respectively. Upon determining that the user requests a modification of the selected preset for the selected section, a preset setting menu including the at least one controllable parameter associated with the selected preset is displayed; a third input from the user for modifying the at least one controllable parameter is received and a modified preset based on the modified at least one controllable parameter is generated.