Abstract:
Passenger interface units include individual passenger modules having co-located controls for passenger comfort and entertainment systems. The modules will include a glass panel having front and rear surfaces, a structural support panel bonded to the rear surface of the glass panel and a light-emitting unit supported by the support panel behind the rear surface of the glass panel. The rear surface of the glass panel may include an opaque printed coating layer having at least one unpainted region that is transparent to visible light emitted by the light-emitting unit thereby allowing the visible light to be transmitted through the glass panel and visible at the front surface thereof.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based on and claims domestic priority under 35 USC §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/824,733 and is related to commonly owned U.S. Design Patent Application No. 29/455,208, each being filed on filed on May 17, 2013, the entire contents of each such prior filed application being expressly incorporated hereinto by reference 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to passenger interface systems employed in interiors of transport vehicles, especially aircraft interior cabins. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The traditional Passenger Service Units (PSUs) for executive transport aircraft typically comprise an individual assembly that merges the functions of providing the passenger with an overhead reading light and an air outlet. Usually the PSUs are set apart by concealed compartments containing either an oxygen mask (that by certification is also required to be available to each individual passenger) or a speaker (which allows the passenger to hear audio from the on-board PA or personal entertainment systems). Sometimes, the PSU will be provided with a screen or monitor for displaying images associated with a GPS-driven “moving map” of the aircraft route or video images associated with the passenger&#39;s in-flight entertainment system (e.g., movies, games and the like). Traditionally, the moving map and the in-flight entertainment system share the same screen or monitor. Thus, in order to change from one screen input to another, the passenger will need to operate a hand-held controller that is within reach. 
     In typical executive aircraft interior configurations, the reading light, air vent and oxygen masks are located in an overhead console while the personal screen associated with in-flight entertainment systems are located in front of or at the side of the passenger&#39;s seat to provide optimum viewing angles. The controls for all such systems are thus typically distributed about the passenger in different locations such that navigation between all systems requires different switches and controls. These distributed controls for the various passenger-operated comfort and entertainment systems therefore can result in an undesirable travel experience for the passenger. 
     What has been needed in this art, therefore, is a more unified control of on-board passenger comfort and entertainment systems. It is towards fulfilling such a need that the embodiments of the present invention are directed. 
     SUMMARY 
     In general, the embodiments disclosed herein are directed toward passenger interface units comprised of individual passenger modules having co-located controls for passenger comfort and entertainment systems. According to some embodiments, the modules will include a glass panel having front and rear surfaces, a structural support panel bonded to the rear surface of the glass panel and a light-emitting unit supported by the support panel behind the rear surface of the glass panel. The rear surface of the glass panel may include an opaque printed coating layer having at least one unpainted region that is transparent to visible light emitted by the light-emitting unit thereby allowing the visible light to be transmitted through the glass panel and visible at the front surface thereof. 
     According to certain embodiments, the light-emitting unit comprises a touch screen unit supported by the support panel behind (and in some embodiments in contact with) the rear surface of the glass panel. Such embodiments will be provided with a support panel having a touch screen cut-out region sized and configured to allow the touch screen unit to be positioned therein such that the touch screen unit is in contact with the rear surface of the glass panel. The opaque printed coating layer will thus have an unpainted transparent region that is in registry with the touch screen cut-out region. 
     Other embodiments may include a reading light unit and an air vent unit. In such embodiments, the glass panel and the support panel will have respective registered reading light and air vent cut-out regions to accommodate the reading light and air vent units therein so that each protrudes outwardly from the front surface of the glass panel to allow manual manipulation and access by the passenger. 
     According to certain embodiments, the light-emitting unit will comprise an accent lighting unit for providing visible accent light through the glass panel. In such embodiments, the support panel will include an accent lighting unit cut-out region for accommodating at least a part of the accent lighting unit and the opaque printed coating layer will comprise an unpainted transparent accent lighting unit window in registry with the accent lighting unit cut-out region of the support panel. In such a manner, visible light emitted by the accent lighting unit will be visibly perceived from a front surface of the glass panel. 
     According to other embodiments, the light-emitting unit may comprise an advisory lighting unit. In such embodiments, the printed opaque layer includes an advisory window comprised of indicia corresponding to desired passenger advisory information when illuminated by the advisory lighting unit. The support panel will thus include an advisory light unit cut-out region sized and configured to allow the advisory light unit to be positioned therein such that the advisory light unit is supported by the support panel behind (and in some embodiments in contact with) the rear surface of the glass panel. 
     Passenger interface units may include multiple modules, e.g., pairs of mirror image modules. In preferred embodiments, the passenger interface units will be employed in an aircraft cabin. In such embodiments, the passenger service unit may include a valence which houses at least one oxygen mask for delivery of oxygen to a passenger, and a removable panel covering the oxygen mask. 
     These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more clear after careful consideration is given to the following detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiments thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS 
       The disclosed embodiments of the present invention will be better and more completely understood by referring to the following detailed description of exemplary non-limiting illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an overhead aircraft interior valence which includes a passenger interface system according to an embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded rear perspective view of a passenger interface module employed in the system depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Accompanying  FIG. 1  depicts a front perspective view (i.e., as viewed by a passenger) of a passenger service unit PSU provided in an overhead valence assembly  10 . The valence assembly  10  provides a housing structure to contain oxygen masks (not shown) behind removable panels  12 . As is conventional, should the need arise to supply passengers with oxygen (e.g., in case of aircraft depressurization), the oxygen masks can be deployed by the automated release of the panels  12 . 
     The valence  10  of the PSU also contains pairs of passenger interface units  14   a ,  14   b  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As will be observed in the depicted embodiment, the units  14   a,    14   b  are generally mirror images of one another for aesthetics but each respectively provides for co-located control units including a reading light unit  16   a ,  16   b , an air vent unit  18   a ,  18   b  and a touch screen unit  20   a ,  20   b  positioned therebetween. An accent light  22   a ,  22   b  may also be provided in each of the modules  14   a ,  14   b , respectively, so as to highlight the passenger-controlled reading light units  16   a ,  16   b , air vent units  18   a ,  18   b  and touch screen units  20   a ,  20   b . In the depicted embodiment, the accent light  22   a ,  22   b  is in the form of a generally elongated U-shaped lighting trace to provide suitable aesthetics as well as functional illumination of the co-located control units. Selected ones of the passenger interface units  14   a  and/or  14   b  may also be provided with advisory indicators  24   a ,  24   b  (e.g., signage and/or indicia which advises the passenger of certain in-flight requirements such as no smoking, seat belt use and the like). 
     In the embodiment depicted, the modules  14   a ,  14   b  are separated from one another by an audio speaker unit  26  which may provide audio output from the on-board passenger address and on-board entertainment systems. 
     The PSU may also be provided with an auxiliary passenger interface unit  30  which unlike the unit  10  does not include a module  14   a  or  14   b , but instead may include only a reading light unit  30   a  and an air vent unit  30   b . The passenger interface unit  30  may be provided in those instances where spatial constraints dictate that less functionality is required. 
     Accompanying  FIG. 2  depicts an exploded rear perspective view of a representative module  14   b , it being understood that the module  14   a  is substantially identical to but a mirror image of the depicted module  14   b . As is shown, the module  14   b  is a laminated structure comprised primarily of a rigid exterior glass panel (preferably high ion exchange glass panel, e.g., HIE™ glass commercially available from Abrisa Technologies) panel  40  which is bonded to an interior composite support panel  42  by way of a suitable adhesive layer (schematically depicted by the double dash line identified by reference numeral  44  in  FIG. 2 ). According to preferred embodiments, the glass panel  40  may have a thickness in the range of about 0.1 mm to about 2.0 mm, preferably about 1.0 mm. The interior composite support panel  42  may have a thickness in the range of about 3.0 mm to about 12.7 mm, preferably about 6.35 mm. 
     The back surface of the glass panel  40  includes an opaque painted coating layer (schematically depicted by reference numeral  46 ) which masks visible light except in those unpainted (and hence light transparent) regions corresponding to a generally elongate U-shaped accent light window  46   a , a touch screen window  46   b  and an advisory light window  46   c . Each of the windows  46   a ,  46   b  and  46   c  are thus aligned with am accent lighting unit  50 , a touch screen unit  52  and an advisory light unit  54  mounted physically to the support panel  42  in cut out regions  42   a,    42   b  and  42   c , respectively. In a similar manner, the glass panel  42  (and the painted layer  46  thereon) and the support panel  42  are provided with aligned cut-out regions  60  and  62  therein so as to permit the mounting of the air vent and reading light units  18   b ,  16   b , respectively. In such a manner, therefore, the air vent and reading light units  18   b ,  16   b  will each protrude outwardly from the front surface of the glass panel  40  so as to be capable of physical manipulation and access by the passenger. 
     The accent light unit  50  may, for example, be an elongated strip of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) of desired color(s) that can be illuminated as desired to provide accent lighting to the interior cabin space in the vicinity of the passenger. 
     The touch screen unit  52  is in and of itself conventional and is either connected to or integrally includes a suitable processor for displaying control icons corresponding to the comfort and/or entertainment units that are subject to passenger control. Thus, for example, the touch screen unit  52  may display a menu of connected devices which can be touched to access submenus for further control of the selected device. The advisory light unit can simply be an on-off type of LED light illumination which can then be visibly perceived through printed indicia of the layer  46  via windows  46   c  thereby communication the desired passenger advisory information (e.g., no smoking, seat belt fastened and the like). 
     The touch screen unit  52  may be in the form of a monitor which provides quick feedback from the moving map or other summarized flight information (e.g., time to arrival, current location and/or flight data such as altitude ground speed and the like) without disrupting on-going entertainment. Alternatively (or additionally), the touch screen unit  52  may provide redundancy for the main function buttons in the cabin, such as the passenger&#39;s table light, reading light and flight attendant call button that is displayed on the unit  52  when activated by the unit&#39;s proximity sensor. 
     The support panel  42  is preferably a relatively light weight but high strength carbon and/or glass fiber-reinforced resin composite panel. The support panel  42  may itself be formed of a lightweight but stiff composite honeycomb core structure laminated to exterior composite skin layers. 
     The module  14   b  will thus be presented to the passenger as essentially a flat glass panel representing the front surface of the glass panel  40  through which the accent light provided by accent light unit  50 , touch screen controls provided by the touch screen panel unit  52  and advisory indicators provided by the advisory light unit  54  are visible. Moreover the touch screen panel  52  may be controlled by the passenger by virtue of its operative interaction with the glass panel  40 . In such a manner therefore, all of the controls for the on-board passenger comfort and entertainment systems may be co-located within the module  14   b.  That is, the controls for the light via light unit  16   b , air volume via air vent  18   b  and entertainment systems (not shown) connected operatively to the touch screen unit  52  may be operated from the same location. As a result, the passenger&#39;s enjoyment of the travel experience can be heightened. 
     It will be understood that the description provided herein is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope thereof.