IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,365,007
Granted Patent B2
US 11,365,007 · App. 16/663,265 · Granted Jun 21, 2022

Systems and methods for providing a wake-up user interface for a night mode on transportation vehicles

Inventor: Eric H. Wu (Irvine, CA)
Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation
B64D11/00155B64D11/00153B64D11/00154B64D11/06G06F3/0346G06F3/04842G09G3/34H04N5/57H04N21/2146
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,365,007
App. No.
16/663,265
Granted
Jun 21, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for a transportation vehicle. One method includes enabling by a processor, a night mode for a seat device of an in-flight entertainment system (IFE) on an aircraft based on a night mode trigger; displaying by the processor, during the night mode, a wake-up user interface on the seat device for a passenger, when a seat device monitor backlight has turned on after the backlight was turned off, or a seat device backlight timer has triggered, where a brightness of the wake-up user interface is lower than a brightness of a default user interface of the seat device; and enabling by the processor a first set of functions of the seat device accessible from the wake-up user interface, the first set of functions being less than a second set of functions accessible from the default user-interface.

Claims (38)

1. A method, comprising:

enabling by a processor, a night mode for a seat device of an in-flight entertainment system (IFE) on an aircraft based on a night mode trigger;

displaying by the processor, during the night mode, a wake-up user interface on the seat device for a passenger, when a seat device monitor backlight has turned on after the backlight was turned off, or a seat device backlight timer has triggered;

wherein a brightness of the wake-up user interface

is lower than a brightness of a default user

interface of the seat device; and

enabling by the processor a first set of functions of the seat device accessible from the wake-up user interface, the first set of functions being less than a second set of functions accessible from the default user-interface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the brightness of the wake-up user interface is configurable by the passenger between 0 to 75% of available brightness of the seat device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of functions provide an option to turn on and turn off an attendant call light from the wake-up user interface.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of functions comprises an option to turn on and turn off an overhead light at a passenger seat from the wake-up user interface, turn off a backlight from the wake-up user interface, order one or both of food and drink from the wake-up user interface and provide flight information from the wake-up user interface.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the night mode is triggered by a command executed from a crew member interface provided on a crew member device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the night mode is triggered based on a cabin control message indicating cabin lights have been dimmed or turned off.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the night mode is triggered based on a seatback ambient light sensor detecting that cabin lights have been dimmed or turned off.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the night mode is triggered by detecting that a passenger is asleep based on tracking passenger eye, passenger eyelid behavior and passenger head position by a seat device camera.

9. A method, comprising:

activating by a processor, a default mode for a media device of a transportation vehicle in response to receiving a wake command, and a night mode for the media device in response to receiving a sleep command;

launching by the processor, a default user interface on the media device upon receipt of a power-up command to power-up the media device, when the media device is in the default mode, and a wake-up user interface, when the media device is in the night mode; wherein the wake-up user interface enables a subset of functions of the default interface on the media device; and

executing by the processor, the default user interface on the media device upon receipt of an execute command by the wake-up user interface.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the sleep command is received from at least one of:

a crew terminal interface;

a switch intercept interface; and

an ambient light sensor interface.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving by the processor, image data from a camera directed at a passenger on the transportation vehicle;

identifying by the processor, passenger sleep behavior from the image data; and

generating by the processor, the sleep command based on the identified passenger sleep behavior.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the wake-up user interface comprises a lower brightness level than a brightness level of the default user interface.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein a screen of the media device is deactivated by the processor for the night mode, when a threshold period of inactivity of a passenger of the transportation vehicle is detected by the media device.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the media device saves a state of the media device in a memory upon detecting a threshold period of inactivity of a passenger of the transportation vehicle.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for performing a method, comprising machine executable code which, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to:

activate a default mode for a media device of a transportation vehicle, in response to receiving a wake command, and a night mode for the media device in response to receiving a sleep command;

launch a default user interface on the media device upon receipt of a power-up command to power-up the media device, when the media device is in the default mode, and a wake up user interface, when the media device is in the night mode; wherein the wake-up user interface enables a subset of functions of the default interface on the media device; and

execute the default user interface on the media device upon receipt of an execute command by the wake-up user interface.

16. The storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the wake-up user interface is configured to receive a command to request an attendant from a passenger of the transportation vehicle and transmit a notification comprising a unique identifier of the passenger to an attendant device.

17. The storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the wake-up user interface presents functionality of the media device based on stored passenger profile of a passenger of the transportation vehicle.

18. The storage medium of claim 15 , wherein a passenger of the transportation vehicle is monitored using a sensor of the media device; and a screen of the media device is shut down, when the sensor detects a sleep condition of the passenger and when the night mode is activated.

19. The storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the wake-up user interface comprises a lower brightness level than a brightness level of the default user interface.

20. The storage medium of claim 15 , wherein a state of the media device is saved in a memory upon detecting a threshold period of inactivity of a passenger of the transportation vehicle.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2019
From: WU, ERIC
To: PANASONIC AVIONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 050952/0673 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210122469A1 · Apr 29, 2021