Passenger seat voice recording unit
An aircraft seat group is described. The aircraft seat group includes first and second aircraft seats. The seat group also includes a center console between the aircraft seats. The center console includes a microphone unit including an audio transducer. The audio transducer generates a voice recording of a passenger sitting on one of the seats in response to a signal, thereby reducing privacy concerns. The signal is received by one or more of a record button or a communication interface. The voice recording may thus provide one or more of passenger recommendation or flight recordings during emergency conditions. The microphone unit is embedded in one or more of an armrest or a seat back divider of the center console.
1. An aircraft seat group comprising:
a first aircraft seat and a second aircraft seat laterally adjacent to the first aircraft seat, each of the first aircraft seat and the second aircraft seat including a seat pan and a seat back, each of the first aircraft seat and the second aircraft seat configurable between an upright position and a lie-flat position;
a center console disposed between the first aircraft seat and the second aircraft seat, the center console comprising an arm rest including a top surface disposed above the seat pan for resting an arm of a passenger sitting on the first aircraft seat, the center console further comprising a seat back divider disposed between the seat back of the first aircraft seat and the seat back of the second aircraft seat, the center console further comprising a deployable partition moveable within the seat back divider in a stowed state, the deployable partition including a fully deployed state; and
a microphone unit embedded on the seat back divider adjacent to the seat back of the first aircraft seat, wherein the microphone unit is embedded on the seat back divider adjacent to a headrest of the seat back of the first aircraft seat when the first aircraft seat is in the upright position, wherein the microphone unit is disposed above the deployable partition, wherein the microphone unit does not interfere with movement of the deployable partition between the fully deployed state and the stowed state, the microphone unit comprising:
a communication interface by which the microphone unit is communicatively coupled with an aircraft network, wherein the communication interface is configured to receive a signal from the aircraft network;
an audio transducer configured to receive the signal from the communication interface and convert a soundwave generated by the passenger to an electrical signal, the soundwave converted to the electrical signal in response to receiving the signal from the communication interface; and
a memory for storing the electrical signal associated with the soundwave generated by the passenger; wherein the communication interface is further configured to transmit the electrical signal to the aircraft network from the memory.
2. The aircraft seat group of claim 1 , the fully deployed state providing a damping of a transmission of the soundwave generated by the passenger to the second aircraft seat.
3. The aircraft seat group of claim 1 , wherein the signal is generated in response to a landing of the aircraft for receiving a passenger feedback response associated with the flight.
4. The aircraft seat group of claim 3 , wherein the microphone unit further comprises a speaker; wherein the speaker is configured to generate a soundwave for a passenger feedback request between the communication network receiving the signal from the aircraft network and the audio transducer converting the soundwave to the electrical signal.
5. The aircraft seat group of claim 1 , wherein the memory is configured to erase the electrical signal in response to transmission of the electrical signal to the aircraft network.
6. The aircraft seat group of claim 5 , wherein the memory comprises a non-volatile memory configured to store the electrical signal associated with the soundwave and maintain the electrical signal in the memory subsequent to power-loss.
7. The aircraft seat group of claim 6 , wherein the microphone unit is electrically powered from at least one of a power distribution system or a battery.
8. The aircraft seat group of claim 6 , wherein the signal received from the aircraft network is a cabin-depressurization signal.
9. The aircraft seat group of claim 1 , wherein the microphone unit further comprises a record button configured to generate a signal in response to the passenger pressing the record button, wherein the audio transducer is further configured to receive the signal from the record button and convert the soundwave generated by the passenger to the electrical signal in response to receiving the signal from the record button.
10. The aircraft seat group of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface by which the microphone unit is communicatively coupled with the aircraft network comprises one of a wireless communication interface configured to transmit the electrical signal by a waveform in a frequency band between 2.4 and 5 GHz or a wireline communication interface.
11. The aircraft seat group of claim 1 , wherein the microphone unit is embedded on the divider for receiving the soundwave generated by the passenger when the first seat is in the upright position.
12. The aircraft seat group of claim 1 , wherein the microphone unit further comprises a processor configured to execute program instructions maintained on the memory, wherein the processor includes a voice-to-text module for converting the electrical signal associated with the soundwave generated by the passenger.
13. The aircraft seat group of claim 1 , further comprising a privacy shell surrounding a rear portion of the seat back of the first aircraft seat and the seat back of the second aircraft seat.
14. The aircraft seat group of claim 13 , wherein each of the first aircraft seat and the second aircraft seat face in a substantially similar direction.
15. The aircraft seat group of claim 1 , further comprising an in-flight entertainment unit disposed on the arm rest, wherein the in-flight entertainment unit is disposed below the deployable partition.
16. An aircraft seat group comprising:
a first aircraft seat and a second aircraft seat laterally adjacent to the first aircraft seat, each of the first aircraft seat and the second aircraft seat including a seat pan and a seat back, each of the first aircraft seat and the second aircraft seat configurable between an upright position and a lie-flat position;
a center console disposed between the first aircraft seat and the second aircraft seat, the center console comprising an arm rest including a top surface disposed above the seat pan for a passenger sitting on the first aircraft seat to rest an arm, the center console further comprising a seat back divider, the center console further comprising a deployable partition moveable within the seat back divider in a stowed state, the deployable partition including a fully deployed state;
an in-flight entertainment unit embedded on the arm rest, wherein the in-flight entertainment unit is disposed below the deployable partition, the in-flight entertainment unit communicatively coupled with an aircraft network, the in-flight entertainment unit comprising:
a record button configured to generate a signal in response to the passenger pressing the record button;
an audio transducer configured to receive the signal from the record button and convert a soundwave generated by the passenger to an electrical signal in response to receiving the signal from the record button;
a memory for storing the electrical signal associated with the soundwave generated by the passenger; and
a communication interface by which the in-flight entertainment unit is communicatively coupled with the aircraft network, wherein the communication interface is configured to transmit the electrical signal to the aircraft network; and
a microphone unit embedded on the seat back divider adjacent to the seat back of the first aircraft seat, wherein the microphone unit is embedded on the seat back divider adjacent to a headrest of the seat back of the first aircraft seat when the first aircraft seat is in the upright position, wherein the microphone unit is disposed above the deployable partition, wherein the microphone unit does not interfere with movement of the deployable partition between the fully deployed state and the stowed state, the microphone unit comprising:
a second communication interface by which the microphone unit is communicatively coupled with the aircraft network, wherein the second communication interface is configured to receive a signal from the aircraft network;
a second audio transducer configured to receive the signal from the second communication interface and convert the soundwave generated by the passenger to an electrical signal in response to receiving the signal from the communication interface; and
a second memory for storing the electrical signal associated with the soundwave generated by the passenger; wherein the second communication interface is further configured to transmit the electrical signal stored in the second memory to the aircraft network.
17. The aircraft seat group of claim 16 , the in-flight entertainment unit further comprising a touchscreen display, wherein the record button is displayed on the touchscreen display, wherein the touchscreen display is configured to display a recording-in progress message subsequent to the signal generated by the record button.