Seatback Display Lighting Gap for Mood Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current passenger seat designs lack integrated mood lighting solutions that can enhance the visual comfort and emotional experience of passengers, particularly in aircraft cabins, where controlled lighting can improve the ambiance but is not effectively incorporated into seatback areas used for entertainment and storage.
Innovation Solution
A display assembly for passenger seats comprising a display, a video shroud, and a light apparatus with adjustable LED lighting, where the lighting element can be powered by the in-flight entertainment system or a separate source, and controlled to change color, intensity, and patterns to convey different moods and atmospheres, and even communicate unsafe conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If mood lighting is incorporated into passenger seat backs, then visual comfort and emotional experience are enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the lighting apparatus with the display assembly by integrating the light source, diffuser, and control circuitry into the existing seatback structure. The lighting elements are positioned around the display perimeter and merged with the display housing, creating a unified assembly that provides both entertainment and mood lighting functions without requiring separate installation systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The display assembly serves multiple functions: it provides In-Flight Entertainment display functionality while simultaneously serving as a housing for the mood lighting apparatus. The same structural components that support the display also support the lighting elements, allowing a single assembly to fulfill both entertainment and ambient lighting purposes.
2Illumination intensity
If multiple lighting elements with adjustable color and intensity are installed, then passenger experience is enhanced, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system employs dynamic control capabilities where the intensity and color of individual LED elements can be adjusted based on operational conditions. The controller modulates the lighting output to match different phases of flight and passenger needs, reducing energy consumption during phases when full illumination is not required while maintaining visual comfort when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes lighting parameters (intensity and color temperature) based on different operational scenarios. During sleep phases, lighting intensity is reduced and color temperature is adjusted to support circadian rhythms. During safety announcements or critical phases, intensity is increased. This dynamic parameter adjustment optimizes energy usage while maintaining passenger comfort and safety.
3Shape
If lighting apparatus is integrated with display assembly, then aesthetic appeal is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting apparatus is divided into multiple discrete lighting elements positioned at specific locations around the display perimeter. Each lighting element is independently mounted to the display housing at predetermined positions, allowing for modular assembly. This segmentation enables precise positioning of individual elements while simplifying the overall manufacturing process compared to a monolithic lighting system.
Solution Approach 2:
A diffuser element is introduced as an intermediary component between the LED light sources and the passenger viewing area. The diffuser is positioned between the lighting elements and the external environment, serving as a mediator that evenly distributes light from multiple discrete sources to create a uniform aesthetic appearance. This intermediary component masks minor positioning variations and simplifies the precision requirements for mounting individual lighting elements.
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
The solution enhances passenger experience by providing aesthetically pleasing and mood-enhancing lighting that can be adjusted based on passenger preferences or aircraft events, improving comfort and safety communication through customizable lighting patterns.
Implementation Method 1
a light apparatus (16) coupled to the back (18), the display (12), and/or the video shroud (14), the light apparatus (16) including at least one lighting element (34)
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3~5
AI summary
Described are display assemblies having a display coupled to a passenger seat back, a video shroud coupled to the passenger seat back and with an inner opening positioned adjacent the display, wherein a gap is positioned between an outer edge of the display and an edge of the inner opening, and a light apparatus having at least one lighting element coupled to the passenger seat back, wherein the at least one lighting element is positioned to emit light through the gap. The display assembly may also include a diffuser coupled to the video shroud and positioned adjacent the gap.