Haptic Cabin Touchscreen Controls for Compact Context-Aware Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional passenger cabin controls in business jets are static and bulky, requiring additional buttons for new functions which add weight and bulk, making it difficult to incorporate in configurations like armrests.
Innovation Solution
A cabin control module with haptic display devices that simulate mechanical button feedback, featuring touchscreens for multiple functions, context-aware operation modes, and connectivity options like audio jacks and USB-C ports for remote device control, allowing for compact and modular control of cabin systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional buttons are added to provide new cabin control functions, then functionality is improved, but weight and bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The touchscreen display is designed to perform multiple cabin control functions dynamically. A single touchscreen controller can display and control different cabin systems (lighting, temperature, entertainment, etc.) by changing its interface and functionality based on user interaction and detected context, eliminating the need for separate dedicated buttons for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The control interface transitions from static mechanical buttons to a dynamic touchscreen that can change its displayed functions and controls in real-time. The system adapts its interface based on the detected operating context (time of day, flight phase, passenger preferences) to provide relevant controls without requiring physical buttons for every possible function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional buttons are added to provide new cabin control functions, then functionality is improved, but device bulk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The touchscreen display serves as a universal control interface for multiple cabin systems. Instead of having separate physical buttons for lighting, temperature, entertainment, and other cabin functions, a single touchscreen controller provides access to all these functions through software-based interfaces that can be dynamically configured.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical button systems with an electronic touchscreen interface. This substitution eliminates the need for physical buttons, switches, and knobs, thereby reducing the overall volume and complexity of the control module while maintaining or enhancing functionality.
3Ease of operation
If mechanical buttons are used for cabin control, then tactile feedback is provided, but adaptability to different functions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The touchscreen system incorporates haptic feedback mechanisms that simulate tactile sensations when users interact with the display. This feedback provides users with tactile confirmation of their selections and actions, maintaining the ease of operation associated with mechanical buttons while enabling the flexibility of software-based control interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces haptic feedback technology as an intermediary between the touchscreen interface and the user's sense of touch. This intermediary layer provides tactile sensations through the touchscreen surface, bridging the gap between the flexibility of electronic interfaces and the tactile satisfaction of mechanical button feedback.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides dynamic and context-aware control of cabin systems like IFE, lighting, and crew calls with tactile feedback, reducing bulk and weight while enabling flexible functionality and passenger-specific control.
Implementation Method 1
each haptic display device includes haptic actuators, e.g., linear resonant actuators
Implementation Method 2
each haptic display device includes haptic actuators, e.g., eccentric rotating mass actuators
Implementation Method 3
each haptic display device includes haptic actuators, e.g., piezoelectric actuators
Data Source
AI summary
A cabin control apparatus for installation in a cabin surface of an aircraft or other vehicle includes a set of haptic display devices in a housing, each haptic display device having a compact touch-sensitive display surface via which a passenger or user may provide control input for cabin services (e.g., lighting, seat adjustment, crew call, in-flight entertainment (IFE)). Each haptic display device includes haptic actuators for simulating the movement and feel of a mechanical button or switch. Each haptic display device provides information to the user as to the currently controlled cabin service or system, and the set of devices may be toggled between different operating modes wherein the set of devices controls a different set of services. Cabin services and systems controlled by the cabin control module may include passenger-specific context as well as network context, e.g., based on the time of day or the position of the vehicle.