Self-configuring Cabin Management System Dynamic Linking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cabin management systems for vehicles require manual generation and maintenance of custom databases, are time-consuming, costly, complex, and heavy, and often necessitate the use of in-flight-entertainment systems for communication, which increases overhead and weight.

Innovation Solution

A self-configuring system that dynamically links passenger control units to passenger service units using programming code stored on a computer readable medium, eliminating the need for custom databases and in-flight-entertainment systems by creating a real-time database that allows passengers to control service units without pre-configured layouts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a custom database is manually generated for each vehicle layout, then the system can map cabin controls to controller functions, but the system becomes time-consuming and costly to generate, maintain, and deploy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem functionalityVSAvoiddatabase generation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automatic self-configuration by having control units and service units autonomously discover and link to each other based on their identifiers and capabilities, eliminating the need for manual database generation while maintaining full system functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from a static database-based mapping approach to a dynamic parameter-based approach where control units and service units exchange capability parameters and identifiers, allowing automatic configuration without manual intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If in-flight-entertainment systems are used to route messages, then communication between passenger controls and service units is achieved, but the system overhead and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication capabilityVSAvoidsystem overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the communication function from the in-flight-entertainment system and implements a dedicated message routing protocol directly between control units and service units, eliminating the unnecessary overhead of using the IFE system for this purpose

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces a lightweight message routing mechanism that acts as an intermediary between control units and service units, enabling direct communication without requiring the in-flight-entertainment system while maintaining reliable message delivery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If a static database is used to map controls to functions, then the system structure is simple, but the system becomes heavy and expensive to maintain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem structureVSAvoidsystem weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces the static database with a dynamic configuration approach where control units and service units automatically establish connections based on real-time capability exchange, eliminating the need for large static database structures while maintaining system simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9278758B2Self-configuring cabin management system

Publication Date: 2016.03.08 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

A passenger cabin system includes a plurality of passenger control units, a plurality of passenger service units, and a programming code. The programming code is stored on a computer readable medium for dynamically linking each of the passenger control units to a separate one of the passenger service units.