Seat Occupancy Display Using Self-Actuated Visual State Change
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Solution Overview
Problem
Passengers in vehicles for passenger transport face difficulty in determining the occupancy status of seats, especially in crowded conditions where some seats are obscured, leading to inconvenience and burden in finding free seats.
Innovation Solution
A device with a display element on each seat that changes states to indicate occupancy, using a mechanical lever or electronic connection, allowing passengers to quickly identify occupied or unoccupied seats by a visual cue, thereby simplifying the process of finding available seating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If passengers physically search through the passenger compartment to find free seats, then they can identify available seating, but this increases the time and effort required, especially in crowded vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The display element changes its visual state (color or illumination) to indicate occupancy status. When the seat is unoccupied, the display element remains in a first state (e.g., not illuminated or showing one color). When occupied, it transitions to a second state (e.g., illuminated or showing a different color), allowing passengers to quickly identify available seats without physically searching through the compartment.
2Loss of information
If display elements are added to each seat to indicate occupancy, then seat status becomes visible, but this increases the complexity of the seating system
Solution Approach 1:
The display element is directly coupled to the seat structure itself, allowing the seat to automatically indicate its own occupancy status without requiring external sensors, control systems, or power supplies. The mechanical coupling between the seat surface and display element enables the seat to self-report its state, minimizing additional system complexity.
3Ease of operation
If passengers enter the passenger compartment to search for free seats, then they can find available seating, but this increases the burden on already seated passengers and narrows aisles
Solution Approach 1:
The display element provides occupancy information in advance, allowing passengers to assess seat availability from outside the passenger compartment or from a distance. This preliminary information enables passengers to make informed decisions about whether to enter the compartment, reducing the number of people who need to navigate through narrow aisles and disturbing seated passengers.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device and a method for displaying the occupancy of a seat (19) in a vehicle (1) for transporting passengers. In order to increase the comfort of passengers during a journey and in order to improve the display of the occupancy of a seat, the device comprises a display element (20, 10, 120), which is arranged on the seat (19) and which is designed to assume a first state (22), in which the display element (20, 120) displays the seat (19) as unoccupied, and a second state (24), in which the display element (20, 120) displays the seat (19) as occupied. A seat squab (26) of the seat (19) is intended for occupation by a person (14) or an object. An operative connection (30, 130) between the seat squab (26) and the display element (20, 120) is designed to cause the second state (24) to be assumed when the seat (19) is occupied.