Passenger Seat Pairing via Manifest Validation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for pairing personal electronic devices with vehicle seats lack secure and efficient methods to ensure that only the intended passenger can control seat functions, leading to unauthorized access and control issues.

Innovation Solution

A passenger seat pairing system that utilizes an on-board management system with a data server, wireless communication module, and device pairing software to pair personal electronic devices with specific seats using electronic boarding passes or passenger manifests, ensuring secure authorization through wireless communication links and seat identification devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If existing pairing systems use NFC, Bluetooth, or barcode scanning to connect personal electronic devices with local bases, then device connectivity is achieved, but security is compromised allowing unauthorized access to seat functions

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoidpairing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by validating the passenger's seat assignment through the passenger manifest database before establishing the pairing connection. The on-board management system checks whether the passenger is actually assigned to the seat they are attempting to access, and only after this validation does it authorize the pairing between the personal electronic device and the local base. This preliminary verification step prevents unauthorized access while maintaining a relatively simple pairing interface for legitimate users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the system allows any device to pair with a local base for seat control, then ease of operation is improved, but unauthorized access to seat functions occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice pairing easeVSAvoidunauthorized access
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The on-board management system acts as an intermediary between the personal electronic device and the seat functions. Instead of allowing direct pairing between the device and local base without verification, the management system intercepts the pairing request, validates the passenger's seat assignment through the passenger manifest, and then authorizes or denies the connection. This intermediary layer maintains ease of operation for legitimate users while blocking unauthorized access attempts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If the system validates passenger seat assignment through passenger manifest, then security against unauthorized access is improved, but processing time and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthorization accuracyVSAvoidpairing setup time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The passenger manifest database is pre-loaded with seat assignment information before the pairing process begins. When a passenger attempts to pair their device, the system performs a quick lookup in this pre-existing database rather than performing complex real-time validations. This preliminary preparation of data allows for fast authorization decisions that do not significantly increase pairing setup time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3086301B1Passenger seat pairing system
Publication Date: 2019.06.05 PANASONIC AVIONICS CORP
  • EP3086301B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3086301B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3086301B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system for pairing a personal electronic device of a passenger with a passenger seat in a vehicle, and for allowing the personal electronic device to control passenger in-seat functions and features such as entertainment systems in vehicles. The system comprises an on-board management system for installation in a vehicle. The on-board management system is configured to receive pairing information from the personal electronic device via a wireless communication link. The on-board management system can then pair the personal electronic device to the passenger seat and authorize the personal electronic device to control one or more passenger seat functions associated with the passenger seat. A device pairing software application is stored on a non-transitory carrier and is configured to program the personal electronic device to transmit the pairing information to the on-board management system, and transmit a command or control instruction to control one or more passenger seat functions.