Galley insert wireless communication system

A system for wirelessly communicating with aircraft galley inserts is disclosed. In one or more embodiments, a galley insert includes a communication interface configured to establish connectivity with an on-board WiFi router. The galley insert may further include a controller communicatively coupled to the communication interface. The controller may be configured to communicate with at least one device (e.g., a portable electronic device, another galley insert, etc.) in the aircraft cabin via the on-board WiFi router. In some embodiments, the communication interface may additionally or alternatively be configured to establish connectivity with at least one device in the aircraft cabin via at least one short-range wireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), or the like). In this regard, the controller may additionally or alternatively be configured to communicate with at least one device via the short-range wireless communication protocol.

BACKGROUND

Current aircraft, including commercial aircraft, are typically configured with a galley for food and beverage preparation. A galley of an aircraft may include multiple galley inserts, including beverage brewing machines (e.g., coffee makers), ovens, bun warmers, water heaters, refrigerators, freezers, wine chillers, air chillers, beverage carts, trash compactors, or the like. In order to ensure proper galley insert operation for optimal passenger experience, it may be desirable for a flight attendant (FA) to interact with a galley insert for many reasons including monitoring status of a catering process (brewing, heating, etc.), diagnosing fault conditions, changing catering settings (heating time, temperature settings, etc.), or the like. Some of these functions are currently accessed via a respective human machine interface (HMI) of the galley insert itself, but the HMI is limited in size and functionality, so there is a need for a greater amount of data and visibility into and control of the operation of the galley insert.

SUMMARY

A system for wirelessly communicating with aircraft galley inserts is disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the system includes an on-board WiFi router in an aircraft cabin and one or more galley inserts in the aircraft cabin. The one or more galley inserts may be communicatively coupled to the on-board WiFi router. For example, a galley insert of the one or more galley inserts may include a communication interface configured to establish connectivity with the on-board WiFi router. The galley insert may further include a controller communicatively coupled to the communication interface. The controller may be configured to communicate with at least one device (e.g., a portable electronic device, another galley insert, etc.) in the aircraft cabin via the on-board WiFi router.

In some embodiments, the communication interface may additionally or alternatively be configured to establish connectivity with at least one device (e.g., a portable electronic device, another galley insert, etc.) in the aircraft cabin via at least one short-range wireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, Near Field Communication, or the like). In this regard, the controller may additionally or alternatively be configured to communicate with at least one device via the short-range wireless communication protocol.

This Summary is provided solely as an introduction to subject matter that is fully described in the Detailed Description and Drawings. The Summary should not be considered to describe essential features nor be used to determine the scope of the Claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing Summary and the following Detailed Description are provided for example and explanatory only and are not necessarily restrictive of the subject matter claimed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Current aircraft, including commercial aircraft, are typically configured with a galley for food and beverage preparation. A galley of an aircraft may include multiple galley inserts, including beverage brewing machines (e.g., coffee makers), ovens, bun warmers, water heaters, refrigerators, freezers, wine chillers, air chillers, beverage carts, trash compactors, or the like. In order to ensure proper galley insert operation for optimal passenger experience, it may be desirable for a flight attendant (FA) to interact with a galley insert for many reasons including monitoring status of a catering process (brewing, heating, etc.), diagnosing fault conditions, changing catering settings (heating time, temperature settings, etc.), or the like. Some of these functions are currently accessed via a respective human machine interface (HMI) of the galley insert itself, but the HMI is limited in size and functionality, so there is a need for a greater amount of data and visibility into and control of the operation of the galley insert. In general, wired bus communication and HMIs (e.g., device-mounted displays) do not allow for a rich interactive environment with the flight attendant. Furthermore, most galley inserts, particularly during flight, do not communicate via either wire or wireless.

Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed at curing one or more of the shortfalls of previous approaches identified above. Broadly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems for wirelessly communicating with aircraft galley inserts. For example, some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a galley insert with a communication interface configured to wirelessly couple the galley insert to an on-board WiFi router that establishes communication between the galley insert and at least one device (e.g., a portable electronic device, another galley insert, etc.) in the aircraft cabin. In some embodiments, the communication interface may additionally or alternatively be configured to establish connectivity with at least one device (e.g., a portable electronic device, another galley insert, etc.) in the aircraft cabin via at least one short-range wireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), or the like). Communication between the galley insert and another device (e.g., portable electronic device) may allow for a much greater amount of data and visibility into and control of the operation of the galley insert.

FIG. 1illustrates an aircraft environment including a galley of an aircraft cabin101, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown inFIG. 1, an aircraft cabin101may include an aircraft galley with one or more galley inserts102. The one or more galley inserts102a,102b,102cmay include any galley insert known in the art including, but not limited to, beverage brewing machines (e.g., coffee maker galley insert102a), ovens (e.g., oven galley insert102b), chillers (e.g., chiller galley insert102c), bun warmers, water heaters, refrigerators, freezers, wine chillers, air chillers, beverage carts, trash compactors, or the like.

FIG. 2illustrates a galley insert102, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As noted previously herein, galley insert102may include any galley insert known in the art including, but not limited to, a beverage brewing machine (e.g., coffee maker galley insert102a), an oven (e.g., oven galley insert102b), a chiller (e.g., chiller galley insert102c), bun warmers, water heaters, refrigerators, freezers, wine chillers, air chillers, beverage carts, trash compactors, or the like. The galley insert102may include, but is not limited to, a controller104including one or more processors106, a memory108, and a communication interface110. The galley insert102may further include one or more sensors112, one or more heating elements114, one or more cooling elements116, a power supply118, and one or more actuators120.

In embodiments, the galley insert102includes a controller104. The controller104may include, but is not limited to, one or more processors106, a memory108, and a communication interface110. The one or more processors106provide processing functionality for the galley insert102and can include any number of processors, micro-controllers, circuitry, field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other processing systems, and resident or external memory for storing data, executable code, and other information accessed or generated by the galley insert102. The or more processors106may be configured to execute one or more software programs or program instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium (e.g., memory108) that implement techniques described herein. The controller104and/or or more processors106are not limited by the materials from which it is formed or the processing mechanisms employed therein and, as such, can be implemented via semiconductor(s) and/or transistors (e.g., using electronic integrated circuit (IC) components), or the like.

The memory108can be an example of tangible, computer-readable storage medium that provides storage functionality to store various data and/or program code associated with operation of the galley insert102, such as software programs and/or code segments, or other data to instruct the or more processors106and/or other components of the galley insert102(e.g., one or more sensors112, one or more heating elements114, one or more cooling elements116, a power supply118, and one or more actuators120, or the like) to perform the functionality described herein. Thus, the memory108can store data, such as a program of instructions for operating galley insert102, including its components (e.g., controller104, one or more processors106, a memory108, and a communication interface110. The galley insert102may further include one or more sensors112, one or more heating elements114, one or more cooling elements116, a power supply118, and one or more actuators120, etc.). It should be noted that while a single memory108is described, a wide variety of types and combinations of memory (e.g., tangible, non-transitory memory) can be employed. The memory108can be integral with the controller104and/or one or more processors106, can comprise stand-alone memory, or can be a combination of both. Some examples of the memory108can include removable and non-removable memory components, such as random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory (e.g., a secure digital (SD) memory card, a mini-SD memory card, and/or a micro-SD memory card), solid-state drive (SSD) memory, magnetic memory, optical memory, universal serial bus (USB) memory devices, hard disk memory, external memory, or the like.

The communication interface110can be operatively configured to communicate with components of the galley insert102. For example, the communication interface110can be configured to retrieve data from the controller104, one or more processors106, memory108, or other components of the galley insert102(e.g., one or more sensors112, one or more heating elements114, one or more cooling elements116, a power supply118, one or more actuators120, or the like). In embodiments, the communication interface110is configured to transmit data for storage in the memory108, retrieve data from storage in the memory108, and so forth. The communication interface110can also be communicatively coupled with the controller104to facilitate data transfer between components of the galley insert102. It should be noted that while the communication interface110is described as a component of the galley insert102and controller104, one or more components of the communication interface110can be implemented as external components communicatively coupled to the galley insert102and/or controller104via a wired and/or wireless connection.

In embodiments, the communication interface110includes or is coupled to a transmitter, receiver, transceiver, physical connection interface, or any combination thereof. It is contemplated herein that the communication interface110may be configured to communicatively couple to various other components of system100in any manner known in the art. For example, the communication interface110may be configured to transmit and/or receive data using any wired or wireless communication protocol/technique known in the art including, but not limited to, copper wire, fiber optic cable, RF coupling, IR coupling, Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) protocols/Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) protocols (e.g., WiFi, WiMax, Bluetooth, ZigBee, X-Bee, Z-Wave, M-Bus, or the like), medium range Wireless Neighborhood Area Network (WNAN) protocols (e.g., Wi-SUN, WM-Bus, or the like), or long-range wireless protocols (e.g., 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G, or the like).

In some embodiments, the communication interface110includes a WiFi transceiver configured to establish connectivity between the galley insert102and an on-board WiFi router (e.g., the on-board WiFi router122shown inFIG. 3, or the like). The communication interface110may additionally or alternatively include a wireless transceiver for short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), or the like). For example, the communication interface110may include a Bluetooth transceiver, NFC transceiver, or the like. In some embodiments, the communication interface110is configured to establish connectivity between the galley insert102and another device (e.g., the portable electronic device124shown inFIG. 3, another galley insert102, or the like) via at least one short-range wireless communication protocol.

In some embodiments, the galley insert102may include various components communicatively coupled to the controller104. In a general sense, the various components of the galley insert102communicatively coupled to the controller104may include any component configured to carry out one or more of the functions of the respective galley insert102. For example, as shown inFIG. 2, the galley insert102may include, but is not limited to, one or more sensors112, one or more heating elements114, one or more cooling elements116, a power supply118, and one or more actuators120. The one or more sensors112may include any sensor known in the art including, but not limited to, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, humidity sensors, flow rate sensors, level sensors, or the like. In embodiments, the one or more sensors112are configured to generate, collect, and transmit data to the controller104. For example, a temperature sensor of the one or more sensors112may be configured to collect temperature readings on a regular, semi-regular, or irregular basis, and transmit the collected temperature readings to the controller104. The one or more processors106of the controller104may then be configured to receive the data/sensor readings from the one or more sensors112and store the received data in memory108.

Similarly, the one or more heating elements114and the one or more cooling elements116may include any heating/cooling elements or systems known in the art including, but not limited to, resistive heaters, radiant heaters, compressors, evaporators, heat sinks, or the like. In embodiments, one or more heating elements114and the one or more cooling elements116are configured to generate, collect, and transmit data to the controller104regarding operational data of the one or more heating elements114and the one or more cooling elements116. The one or more processors106of the controller104may then be configured to receive the data/readings from the one or more heating elements114and the one or more cooling elements116and store the received data in memory108.

The power supply118may include any power supply module or power supply system known in the art. In this regard, the power supply118may include or may be configured to receive electrical power from a power source (e.g., electrical outlet, battery, or the like). The power supply118may be configured to distribute electrical power from a power supply to other components of the galley insert102(e.g., controller104, memory108, communication interface110, one or more sensors112, one or more heating elements114, one or more cooling elements116, a power supply118, one or more actuators120, any combination thereof, or the like).

In embodiments, the power supply118is configured to generate, collect, and transmit data to the controller104regarding operational data of the power supply118. For example, operational data generated, collected, and transmitted by the power supply118may include, but is not limited to, galley insert102power consumption, power supply118power level (e.g., battery level), or the like. The one or more processors106of the controller104may then be configured to receive the data/readings from the power supply118and store the received data in memory108.

The one or more actuators120communicatively coupled to the controller104may include any actuators known in the art configured to carry out one or more of the functions of the galley insert102. For example, the one or more actuators may include a pump, a compressor, a mechanical arm, or the like. In embodiments, the one or more actuators120are configured to generate, collect, and transmit data to the controller104regarding operational data of the one or more actuators120. The one or more processors106of the controller104may then be configured to receive the data/readings from the one or more actuators120and store the received data in memory108.

FIG. 3illustrates a system100for wirelessly communicating with aircraft galley inserts102, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The system100may include, but is not limited to, one or more galley inserts102a,102b,102c, an aircraft on-board WiFi router122, and one or more portable electronic devices124.

The system100depicted inFIG. 3may be configured to collect, store, and generate data associated with the one or more galley inserts102and transmit the collected data, via the on-board WiFi router122, to one or more portable electronic devices124, other galley inserts102, or the like. It is contemplated herein that the ability to transmit galley insert102data to one or more portable electronic devices124may provide for in-flight galley insert data monitoring and/or fault detection. Furthermore, by enabling the transmission of data to and/or from the galley inserts102, system100may facilitate timely, efficient, and cost-effective maintenance, updating, and repair of the one or more galley inserts102.

In embodiments, one or more galley inserts102a,102b,102cwithin an aircraft cabin101may be communicatively coupled to an on-board WiFi router122. In this regard, the controller104of a galley insert102may be configured to communicatively couple, via the communication interface110, to the on-board WiFi router122utilizing WiFi communication protocols, as described previously herein. In embodiments, the on-board WiFi router122may include an on-board WiFi router122which provides WiFi connectivity to passengers aboard the aircraft (e.g., passengers within aircraft cabin101).

The one or more galley inserts102a,102b,102cmay be configured to transmit data stored in memory108via the communication interface110. For example, as shown inFIG. 3, the one or more galley inserts102a-102cmay be configured to transmit data stored in memory to one or more additional galley inserts102a-102c, the on-board WiFi router122, and/or the one or more portable electronic devices124. The one or more galley inserts102may be configured to communicatively couple with various other components of system100(e.g., another galley insert102, on-board WiFi router122, portable electronic device124) via any short-range wireless communication protocol known in the art. For example, in embodiments, a galley insert102may communicatively couple to the on-board WiFi router122via WiFi communication protocols, and may communicatively couple with other galley inserts102and/or one or more portable electronic devices124via Bluetooth communication protocols, NFC communication protocols, or the like.

The one or more galley inserts102a,102b,102cmay be configured to transmit data to the on-board WiFi router122at any regular, semi-regular, or irregular interval known in the art. For example, in embodiments, the galley insert102amay be configured to transmit data stored in memory108to another device of system100(e.g., another galley insert102, on-board WiFi router122, portable electronic device124) every ten minutes. For example, in embodiments, the galley insert102amay be configured to transmit data stored in memory108to the on-board WiFi router122only when data collected and stored in a memory108of a galley insert102indicates a galley insert102is malfunctioning or deteriorating in performance. Accordingly, it is contemplated herein that the galley inserts102may be configured to transmit data at regular intervals and/or specified times in order to provide regular status updates, malfunctioning alerts, maintenance alerts, maintenance reminders, or the like.

The data stored and transmitted by the one or more galley inserts102may include data collected by the one or more sensors112, data collected by the heating elements114and cooling elements116, data associated with the power supply118, data associated with the one or more actuators120, or the like. In this regard, the data transmitted by the one or more galley inserts102may include any data associated with the one or more galley inserts102including, but not limited to, galley insert102status, performance, usage, health, or the like.

In embodiments, the on-board WiFi router122is configured to receive data from the one or more galley inserts102and transmit the received data to other components of system100. For example, the on-board WiFi router122may be configured to receive data from a first galley insert102a, and transmit the received data to a second galley insert102b. In this regard, system100may be used to share data and information between various galley inserts102of system100. In another example, the on-board WiFi router122may be configured to receive data from a first galley insert102a, and transmit the received data to one or more portable electronic devices124.

The one or more portable electronic devices124may include any portable electronic device known in the art including, but not limited to, a smart phone, a smart watch, pendant, or other wearable smart device, a tablet, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop, or the like. For example, a portable electronic device124may include a tablet controlled and operated by a flight attendant of the aircraft cabin101. In this regard, the one or more portable electronic devices124may be configured to receive data directly from the one or more galley inserts102and/or indirectly via the on-board WiFi router122. It is contemplated herein that data received from the one or more galley inserts102may be shown and displayed to a user (e.g., flight attendant) via a display/user interface of the portable electronic device124. As compared to currently available HMI's of galley inserts102, a portable electronic device124may provide a larger, more efficient, and more streamlined user interface with which a user may view galley insert102data, and interact with the galley inserts102a-102c.

In embodiments, the controller104of a galley insert102may be configured to receive one or more control commands via one or more control signals transmitted from a portable electronic device124. The one or more input commands may be transmitted directly from the portable electronic device124and/or indirectly via the on-board WiFi router122or another galley insert102. For example, a user (e.g., a flight attendant) may input one or more input commands into a user interface of the portable electronic device124. The portable electronic device124may then be configured to transmit one or more control commands to one or more galley inserts102(either directly or indirectly). The one or more control commands may be configured to adjust one or more characteristics of the one or more galley inserts102. It is contemplated herein that the one or more control commands may be configured to adjust any characteristic of the one or more galley inserts102including, but not limited to, heating times, temperature settings, brewing settings, or the like. Furthermore, system100may be used to update and/or adjust one or more operating parameters or characteristics of the one or more galley inserts102wirelessly while the aircraft is on the ground or in flight. Adjusting one or more characteristics of the galley inserts102may include, but is not limited to, storing programmable cooking profiles in memory108, adjusting one or more characteristics of the one or more sensors112, adjusting one or more characteristics of the one or more heating elements114or cooling elements116, adjusting one or more characteristics of the power supply118, adjusting one or more characteristics of the one or more actuators120, or the like. In this regard, a user (e.g., flight attendant) may be able to view and adjust operational data and characteristics of the one or more galley inserts102within the aircraft cabin101from a portable electronic device124(e.g., smart phone, smart watch, tablet, laptop, or the like).

In some embodiments, a passenger may be able to place orders or otherwise control one or more galley inserts102via a portable electronic device124(e.g., smart phone, smart watch, tablet, laptop, or the like). For example, a passenger may be able to order and/or control preparation of beverages, heated items, or chilled items from a galley insert102(e.g., beverage maker/brewer, oven/microwave, refrigerator/chiller, and/or vending machine) via the portable electronic device124. In this regard, the portable electronic device124may be configured to transmit passenger-input orders or instructions to the galley insert102(e.g., via WiFi and/or short-range wireless communication). In some embodiments, the portable electronic device124may be further configured to collect payment (e.g., via mobile payment application, mobile credit card processing, or the like) for items ordered (e.g., vended items) and/or for use of the galley insert102(e.g., to warm foods).

It is noted herein that data communications regarding aircraft and aircraft component performance typically must adhere to stringent communication protocol guidelines and regulations set by multiple agencies/organizations (e.g., Federal Aviation Administration). Adherence to strict communication protocols are used to ensure efficient data transmission, and to prevent interference with communications to and from surrounding aircraft. However, adherence to these stringent communication protocols may not be required, or even desirable, in the context of non-safety-critical transmissions, such as transmissions regarding aircraft galley inserts102. In this regard, it is contemplated herein that data generated by galley inserts102may be collected and transmitted to various other components of system100(e.g., other galley inserts102, on-board WiFi router122, portable electronic devices124) without adhering to the stringent communication protocols required for most aircraft communications. For example, it is contemplated herein that the system100of the present disclosure may utilize communication techniques (e.g., WiFi communication protocols, Bluetooth communication protocols, NFC communication protocols, or the like) which prevent the need to adhere to strict communication protocol regulations/standards put forth by various governing bodies including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), additional/alternative flight certification organizations, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated (ARINC), the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA), and/or additional/alternative aircraft guidelines organizations, or the like.