Patent Description:
Airlines may wish to provide their economy-class passengers, e.g., those passengers occupying seats in the main cabin as opposed to premium lie-flat convertible seats or enclosed compartments such as partitioned seats or suites, with access to bunk facilities comparable to those provided by a CRC for use on similar long-haul flights. Clearly such compartments must meet regulatory requirements for passenger use (e.g., similarly to CRCs, passenger rest compartments may not be used during taxi, takeoff and landing (TTL) flight segments). As an additional challenge, however, airlines must make passenger rest facilities easily accessible to participating passengers from the main cabin (e.g., when the aircraft has reached a safe cruising altitude and passengers are permitted to enter the rest compartments) while minimizing added weight as well as minimizing disruption to the interior space and passenger seating within the main cabin displaced by said means of access.

The incorporation of rest cabins for pilots and crew of an aircraft, and occasionally for passengers as well, includes a variety of approaches. For example, <CIT> discloses a removable sleeping compartment assembly that may nest together several different modules incorporating sleeping berths, restroom facilities, and other convenience features. The modules may have an exterior configuration or form factor similar to that of a cargo container. Entry to the sleeping compartments may be achieved by a pivotable staircase or lift system from the main deck. Additionally, <CIT>; <CIT>; and <CIT> disclose a variety of configurations for a crew rest station contoured to occupy the overhead space between the curved top hull of the aircraft and the lowered ceiling and providing bunk portions, lavatory facilities, and storage space. The crew rest station may be located in the approximate midsection of the aircraft and accessible via an entry ladder, with forward, aft, or side bunk facilities arranged around a central deck. Further, <CIT> discloses a crew rest station including an overhead crew rest portion with forward and aft bunk portions arranged around a central deck portion. The central deck portion includes an emergency escape hatch, a fold-down jump seat, and a fold-down entry door capable of covering a stairway of a central entry vestibule, via which the overhead crew rest portion may be accessed from the passenger seating area. Rest compartments are also disclosed in <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>.

Such compartments may be required to meet regulatory requirements for crew rest compartments in aircraft as set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States Government. In addition, the passenger rest facilities should be easily accessible to participating passengers occupying the premium areas while minimizing added weight and minimizing disruption to the interior space and passenger seating within the premium areas.

To rest comfortably a passenger must have a sense of privacy. It is nevertheless important to monitor the passenger rest compartment for the safety of the passenger and all other aircraft occupants.

According to the invention, there is provided a passenger rest cabin monitoring system as defined by claim <NUM>.

As used herein a letter following a reference numeral is intended to reference an embodiment of the feature or element that may be similar, but not necessarily identical, to a previously described element, or feature bearing the same reference numeral (e.g., <NUM>, 1a, 1b).

This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the inventive concepts, and "a' and "an" are intended to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

Broadly, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to a passenger aircraft capable of providing rest compartments for passengers within remote areas of the aircraft, and to a non-intrusive passenger rest cabin/compartment monitoring system. "Remote areas" refers to portions of the aircraft outside the main passenger cabin potentially occupiable by passengers. For example, passenger rest compartments (e.g., berths, bunks) may be incorporated into the overhead crown area of the fuselage, directly above the main passenger cabin. Additionally or alternatively, rest compartments may be incorporated into a lower lobe area under the main passenger cabin, such as a cargo deck. In either case, passenger rest compartments may be incorporated into a larger cabin structure above or below the main passenger cabin and accessible therefrom by passengers, e.g., when the aircraft reaches a safe cruising altitude. Unlike rest cabins dedicated to use by aircraft pilots and cabin crew, the passenger rest cabins may be accessible from the main passenger cabin rather than isolated therefrom. Similarly, the passenger rest cabins and their individual rest compartments may incorporate additional safety features and amenities developed with passenger use in mind.

It is noted herein that an aircraft including an aircraft suite with an overhead passenger rest cabin and a lower lobe passenger rest cabin may be configured to meet or exceed regulatory requirements for crew rest compartments in aircraft as set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States Government. The regulatory requirements may be codified (e.g., including, but not limited to, regulations codified in <NUM> C. <NUM>: Airworthiness Standards: Transport Category Airplanes and <NUM> C. <NUM>: Flight and Duty Limitations and Rest Requirements: Flight Crew Members). In addition, the regulatory requirement may include special condition regulations set forth for specific aircraft (e.g., including, but not limited to, regulations such as those found in <NUM> FR <NUM>: Special Conditions: Boeing Model <NUM> Series Airplanes; Overhead Crew Rest Compartments, and <NUM> FR <NUM>: Special Condition: Airbus Model A350-<NUM> Series Airplane Crew Rest Compartments). Further, the regulatory requirements may be provided in advisory circulars (e.g., including, but not limited to, Advisory Circular AC117-<NUM>).

It is contemplated that passenger rest compartments will not be occupied by passengers during taxi, takeoff and landing (TTL) flight segments. Rather, passengers will occupy their assigned seats in the main passenger cabin during said flight segments. When the aircraft reaches a safe cruising altitude (e.g., when passengers are generally permitted to leave their seats), those passengers having access to a rest compartment may be permitted to access their assigned rest compartment if they so choose. Passenger access to rest compartments may be via a dedicated vestibule adjacent to one or more central aisles (e.g., adjacent to, and accessible via, both aisles of a double-aisle aircraft). Access doors in the vestibule may lead to compact staircases or similar means of ascent or descent by which passengers may reach the overhead or lower-lobe rest cabins. Each remote area of the aircraft wherein rest cabins are incorporated (e.g., the overhead crown area or lower-lobe cargo deck) may have a dedicated ascent/descent device, such that the progress of passengers wishing to ascend into an overhead cabin is not obstructed by that of passengers wishing to descend into the lower lobe area. Rest cabins may incorporate a transitional space or landing between the ascent/descent staircase and the individual bunks, which space may include a station space where flight attendants and crew may access emergency equipment storage (e.g., first aid supplies, fire containment bags) and communications facilities. Alternatively, the transitional space may include temporary seating facilities for an on-site crewmember, proximate to storage and facilities. The transitional space may temporarily accommodate a passenger entering or leaving the rest cabin. It is contemplated that under normal conditions, one or more cabin crewmembers may be dedicated to monitoring the rest cabins inflight; however, said crewmembers may remotely monitor the rest cabin from the main deck (e.g., via the aforementioned sensor system), responding to the rest cabin if their attention is required as described below. A flight attendant/crew station as described above may be positioned at either vertical end of a bidirectional entry vestibule, e.g., at the respective entrances to the overhead passenger rest cabin (at its aft end) and the lower lobe rest cabin. Additional crew stations may be positioned, e.g., at the opposing forward end of the overhead passenger rest cabin and in the portion of the lower lobe rest cabin most distant from the entry station. For example, additional lower lobe rest stations may be positioned at the opposing end of a corridor passing through a single lower lobe rest cabin module, or at the point of transition between two adjacent lower lobe rest cabin modules. In some embodiments, a second entry vestibule may be positioned at the forward or terminal end of the overhead passenger rest cabin, via which passengers and crew may enter or exit the overhead passenger rest cabin.

Each rest cabin may include additional access hatches for the emergency use of passengers or crew. Should the aircraft encounter severe turbulence or other adverse conditions, passengers may be instructed to return to the main cabin and occupy their assigned seats. In some cases, cabin crew may advise those passengers occupying rest compartments to remain there, e.g., until it is determined that passengers may safely return to their seats. Each rest compartment may include a bunk occupiable by a passenger in a prone or reclined position, allowing the passenger to rest or sleep therein. Individual bunks may be arranged within a rest cabin so as to maximize the amount of standard bunks within a rest cabin of a given size (e.g., equivalent in volume to a standard cargo compartment) without truncating the size of any individual bunk. For example, two or more bunks may be stacked atop each other within a rest cabin. Individual bunks may be disposed at a fixed angle to others, e.g., substantially parallel or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (roll axis) of the aircraft. Alternatively, individual bunks may be arranged longitudinally on either side of a central aisle, by which each bunk may be accessed.

It is contemplated that cabin crew may not be physically present to monitor rest cabins in person, although some rest cabins may be configured to include a seating element temporarily occupiable by a crewmember. The rest cabins may be monitored remotely by cabin crew on the main deck, who may be alerted if conditions therein merit a response. For example, "rough" or low-resolution infrared sensors may monitor the rest cabin and individual compartments without intruding upon the privacy of occupying passengers, while visual cameras may monitor common areas of the rest cabin. Sensors and/or cameras may monitor the presence or absence of passengers, movement, and heat signatures, alerting the cabin crew if conditions warrant. If, for example, conditions consistent with an unauthorized presence (e.g., a passenger is present within a rest cabin or rest compartment when s/he should not be), an altercation between passengers, adverse environmental conditions, a medical emergency (e.g., as determined by anomalous movement of a given passenger over time), or a potential fire (e.g., excessive heat persisting over time) are detected, the crew may be alerted or summoned to the rest cabin depending upon the severity of the scenario. Rest cabins may incorporate preventative safety measures in order to prevent or reduce the risk of such emergency scenarios. For example, as the charging of mobile devices (in particular, the rechargeable batteries of cellular phones or tablets) may contribute to the risk of onboard fire, charging devices (e.g., inductive wireless charging devices) may be provided for passengers occupying the rest cabin within a fireproof enclosure, such that a device may not be charged unless placed therein. Such fireproof charging facilities may be placed proximate to an infrared sensor for added safety. Similarly, portable fire containment bags (FCB) will be securely stored throughout the overhead and lower lobe rest cabins for the containment of any mobile devices or batteries thereof that are catching fire or determined to be at risk of combustion. Infrared temperature sensors may further be positioned to cover the whole of the common area (e.g., shared spaces or common access corridors). The temperature sensors, in concert with onboard smoke detectors, may determine not only the presence of a fire, but its location, such that cabin crew may respond quickly and passengers evacuated to the main cabin by unobstructed routes.

Each bunk may incorporate a privacy partition and may be equipped with safety features comparable to a main-deck seat, such as a safety belt and deployable oxygen mask, as well as a passenger service unit (PSU) incorporating a positionable reading light, call button, panic button, and adjustable gasper outlet. Each rest compartment may further include a two-way audio connection so that the occupant may communicate with cabin crew. Rest compartments may incorporate work surfaces that fold out or down into the compartment from the wall or ceiling for the temporary use of occupants. As individual rest compartments may lack a physical window, the compartments may incorporate a "virtual window", whereby a display surface connected to exterior cameras or image sensors provides attitude cues to the occupant via externally captured images. The display surface may be embedded into the compartment wall or pivotably attached, such that a single display surface may serve as a virtual window while substantially flush with the wall but may be pivoted out or down for access to the inflight entertainment system.

A passenger rest cabin incorporated into the overhead crown area may be modular (e.g., comprising one or more connected or linked modules), such that the size of the rest cabin may be scaled up or down depending on the size of the embodying aircraft or the desired number of rest compartments. Similarly, one or more modular overhead rest compartments may be easily installed into the aircraft during an outfit or refit, with portions of the modular overhead passenger rest cabins dedicated to electrical, ventilation, or other service connections between modules. The overhead passenger rest cabin may be proportioned to maximize the available space for individual rest compartments and access corridors while minimally intruding upon the space of main cabin passengers. For example, in order to maximize the height of the overhead cabin access corridor, the main cabin ceiling may be lowered, e.g., over the centermost seats. Similarly, main cabin lavatories may be "notched", or partially reduced in height or truncated, to accommodate the overhead passenger rest cabin.

As noted above, it is contemplated that the overhead passenger rest cabin will not be occupied by passengers during any flight segment, or under any conditions, where immediate evacuation of the aircraft may be necessary (e.g., TTL phases or periods of excessive turbulence or other adverse environmental conditions). Accordingly, the overhead passenger rest cabin may be equipped with bi-directional hatches deployable into an aisle of the main cabin. For example, should conditions within the overhead cabin warrant the evacuation of passengers or the rapid intervention of cabin crew, the bi-directional hatches may include access ladders that deploy downward into the main cabin. Passengers may rapidly exit the overhead cabin, and cabin crew may likewise rapidly ascend into the overhead cabin, via the access ladders. Bi-directional hatches may be easily deployable by passengers; e.g., a single lever or button may release the access ladder from its restraints while activating any necessary emergency lights or warnings.

The overhead passenger rest cabins, as noted above, may incorporate individual rest compartments situated along either side of a central corridor and accessible therefrom. It is contemplated that due to the limited interior space available for incorporating the overhead passenger rest cabin into an aircraft interior while minimally intruding upon main cabin space, the central access corridor may be of limited height, such that passengers of average size may not be able to traverse the access corridor without crouching to some extent. Accordingly, the central access corridor may incorporate handholds at regular intervals therealong, sized and placed to reduce strain associated with remaining in a crouched position while traversing the corridor. Similarly, the access corridor may include shifts in lighting or ventilation along its length to prevent claustrophobia; transitional spaces may be positioned along the corridor to "break up" the space.

Similarly to the overhead crown rest cabin, the lower lobe rest cabins may be modular in nature. For example, the lower lobe rest cabins may be sized and shaped to match the proportions of a cargo container, such that one or more such rest cabins may be easily incorporated into the lower cargo deck. The modular rest cabins may likewise include dedicated entry and exit portals and electrical, airflow, and other service connections therebetween, such that the overall amount of available lower lobe bunk space may be scaled up or down as needed or desired. For example, passengers may descend into a first lower lobe rest cabin, which may include transitional space and/or temporary crew seating facilities, and pass therefrom into successive rest cabins through the entry and exit portals. Lower lobe rest cabins may include additional ceiling hatches deployable if rapid evacuation of the rest cabins upward into the main cabin is necessary. In some embodiments, lower lobe rest cabins may include modular pairs of interconnected rest cabins. For example, a first cabin and a second cabin may be interconnected such that a first space within the first cabin and a second adjoining space within the second cabin may be combined into a full-size rest compartment or bunk shared between the two cabins, where neither the first space nor the second space would alone be large enough to accommodate a full rest compartment.

Additionally or alternatively, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to a passenger aircraft incorporating additional reserved spaces adjacent to, and accessible from, selected lay-flat or tracked aircraft seats. For example, first-class, business-class, or equivalent passengers may be assigned main-deck seats capable of tracking backward or forward, or of reconfiguration into a lay-flat state whereon the passenger may occupy the seat in a prone position. Such lay-flat seats or tracking mechanisms may conceal a hatch set into the main deck floor, whereby the occupying passenger may access a private or semi-private compartment, e.g., on the cargo deck immediately below the main deck. Said private or semi-private compartment (e.g., two adjacent seats may share a compartment) may provide an alternative seating area or bunk area for the passenger while preserving available space on the main deck for other seating facilities; compartments may be windowless but equipped with "virtual windows" as described above.

Referring to <FIG>, an example embodiment of a passenger aircraft <NUM> according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein may include overhead passenger rest cabins <NUM> and lower lobe passenger rest cabins <NUM>. For example, the aircraft <NUM> may include only overhead passenger rest cabins <NUM>, only lower lobe passenger rest cabins <NUM>, or both. Overhead passenger rest cabins <NUM> may be incorporated into the overhead crown area of the aircraft <NUM>, above the main passenger cabin <NUM> (e.g., main deck) and the passenger seats <NUM>, overhead bins <NUM>, and monuments <NUM> (e.g., storage monuments, galley monuments, audio-visual monuments housing an inflight entertainment system, lavatories). Lavatories, monuments <NUM>, zone dividers, or other structures proximate to the longitudinal center of the main passenger cabin <NUM> may be notched or otherwise modified to accommodate the overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM>. Similarly, lower lobe passenger rest cabins <NUM> may be incorporated on a cargo deck directly underneath the main passenger cabin <NUM>. Passengers may access the overhead passenger rest cabins <NUM> or lower lobe passenger rest cabins <NUM> via an entry vestibule <NUM> located within the main passenger cabin <NUM>. The vestibule <NUM> includes at least one staircase or ladder for accessing an overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM> or a lower lobe passenger rest cabin <NUM>. In some embodiments, the vestibule includes a first chamber with a first staircase for accessing the overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM> and a second chamber with a second staircase for accessing the lower lobe passenger rest cabin <NUM>. For example, the vestibule can include side-by-side chambers (e.g., separated by one or more wall structures) and/or vertically stacked chambers (e.g., separated the (first) staircase for accessing the overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM>).

The entry vestibule <NUM> may connect the overhead passenger rest cabins <NUM> and the lower lobe passenger rest cabins <NUM> (when both are incorporated within the aircraft <NUM>) while providing a separate path for passengers to access each rest cabin from the main passenger cabin <NUM> (e.g., via ascending or descending staircases). It is contemplated that the entry vestibule <NUM> will be the primary means of passenger access to the overhead passenger rest cabins <NUM> and the lower lobe passenger rest cabins <NUM>, and the sole means of access during non-emergency conditions. In some embodiments, the entry vestibule <NUM> may be located at the aft end of the overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM>, and an auxiliary vestibule (114a) may provide a secondary entrance and exit to and from the main passenger cabin <NUM> and the overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM>. The overhead passenger rest cabins <NUM> may include additional escape hatches (not shown) providing an emergency escape route (e.g., to main aisles <NUM> of the main passenger cabin <NUM>) for passengers to rapidly exit the overhead passenger rest cabins. The lower lobe passenger rest cabins <NUM> may similarly include escape hatches for emergency return to the main passenger cabin <NUM>. In some embodiments, the aircraft <NUM> may incorporate additional lower lobe rest compartments <NUM> situated on the lower cargo deck. For example, the additional lower lobe rest compartments may be located substantially underneath selected partitioned premium seats <NUM> or premium compartments <NUM> in premium seating sections of the aircraft <NUM> and accessible to the occupants of said premium seats or premium compartments (e.g., during safe cruising segments) via proximate hatches in the main deck floor.

Referring to <FIG>, the passenger aircraft 100a may be implemented and may function similarly to the aircraft <NUM> of <FIG>, except that the aircraft 100a may include an overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM> and a lower lobe passenger rest cabin <NUM> connected by an entry vestibule <NUM> to the main passenger cabin <NUM>. For example, the overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM> may be incorporated into remote space above the main passenger cabin <NUM> such that the floor of the central corridor <NUM> of the overhead passenger rest cabin corresponds substantially to the ceiling of the main passenger cabin <NUM> (e.g., over the centermost portion of the main cabin). The height of the overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM> that a passenger <NUM> of average height may remain comfortably standing, e.g., in a main aisle <NUM> (<FIG>) of the main passenger cabin. However, space limitations within the aircraft 100a may require passengers 126a and 126b respectively traversing the overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM> and lower lobe passenger rest cabin <NUM> to do so in a partially crouched position. The overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM> may include individual passenger rest compartments <NUM> or bunks extending along either side of the central corridor <NUM>, substantially parallel to the longitudinal or roll axis of the aircraft 100a. The overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM> may include a transitional space <NUM> between the entry vestibule <NUM> and the central corridor <NUM>; the transitional space may include emergency equipment storage <NUM> and an emergency handset <NUM> for communicating with the cockpit or cabin crew, or additional steps 130a linking the entry vestibule and the central corridor. Similarly, the lower lobe passenger rest cabin <NUM> may incorporate individual passenger rest compartments <NUM> aligned substantially parallel to the roll axis as well as passenger rest compartments 128a aligned at an angle to the roll axis, e.g., perpendicular to the roll axis or substantially parallel to the pitch axis of the aircraft 100a.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the passenger rest compartment 128b (bunk) may be implemented and may function similarly to the passenger rest compartments <NUM>, 128a of <FIG>, except that the passenger rest compartment 128b may include a safety belt <NUM>, a privacy partition <NUM> (e.g., privacy curtain), ambient lighting <NUM>, interior stowage compartments <NUM>, an emergency oxygen drop <NUM>, ventilated shoe stowage compartments <NUM> (which may, for example, be situated or accessed immediately outside or adjacent to the rest compartment), and a passenger service unit <NUM> (PSU). For example, the PSU <NUM> may be positioned proximate to the head end of the rest compartment 128b (e.g., where a pillow <NUM> may be provided for the passenger's head). The PSU <NUM> may include a positionable reading light <NUM> and gasper outlet <NUM>, temperature controls <NUM>, a panic/crew call button <NUM>, lighted signage <NUM> (e.g., signaling the occupying passenger to return to his/her seat, fasten his/her safety belt <NUM>, no smoking). The PSU may further include a speaker/microphone <NUM> and call button <NUM> allowing private two-way audio communication between the occupying passenger and the cabin crew.

Referring in particular to <FIG>, the foot end of the passenger rest compartment 128b may include an air return <NUM> and one or more infrared sensors <NUM> (e.g., infrared camera(s), light emitting diode (LED) sensor(s)/sensor array(s), or the like, operating in the infrared illumination spectrum (e.g., <NUM> - <NUM>)). The passenger rest compartment 128b may include additional sensors or devices for monitoring passenger status, for example, a safety belt monitor <NUM> for detecting buckled/unbuckled status of the safety belt <NUM>, a force sensor <NUM> in the bed <NUM> for detecting a weight of the passenger and other contents disposed in the passenger rest compartment 128b, a visual camera <NUM> (which, in some configurations, may be selectively enabled/disabled, as described below), and/or a hazard detector <NUM> (e.g., a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector, a radiation detector, an electric field detector, and/or a magnetic field detector, or the like). In some embodiments, the passenger rest compartment 128b can also include an inflight entertainment display and/or a virtual window, e.g., as described in <CIT>.

In embodiments, the sensory devices (e.g., infrared sensor <NUM>, force sensor <NUM>, camera <NUM>, hazard detector <NUM>, safety belt monitor <NUM>, etc.), PSU <NUM>, display/virtual window, and other electronics in each passenger rest compartment 128b are input/output devices of a passenger rest cabin monitoring system, such as the passenger rest cabin monitoring system <NUM> described below.

Referring to <FIG>, the lower lobe passenger rest cabin 104b may be implemented and may function similarly to the lower lobe passenger rest cabin <NUM> of <FIG>, except that the lower lobe passenger rest cabin 104b may be accessed by a descending staircase <NUM> connecting the lower lobe passenger rest cabin to the entry vestibule <NUM> (<FIG>) and thereby to the main passenger cabin <NUM>. For example, the staircase <NUM> may descend into the center of the lower lobe passenger rest cabin 104b at a predetermined angle. The passenger rest compartments 128c-e may be implemented and may function similarly to the passenger rest compartments 128b of <FIG>/B, except that the passenger rest compartments 128c, <NUM> e and the passenger rest compartment 128d may be respectively oriented substantially parallel or at an angle to (e.g., substantially perpendicular to) the longitudinal/roll axis of the aircraft <NUM> (<FIG>) and positioned around the perimeter of the lower lobe passenger rest cabin 104b. The passenger rest compartments 128d may be positioned in substantially vertical stacks of two or more bunks, depending on the height of the bunks relative to the height of the lower lobe passenger rest, cabin 104b. The passenger rest compartment 128e, for example, may be stacked atop the passenger rest compartment 128c in a staggered fashion, set back from the passenger rest compartment <NUM> by a shelf <NUM>. For example, the passenger rest compartment 128e may combine space from two adjacent modular lower lobe passenger rest cabins 104b, where neither rest cabin on its own may include sufficient space for a full passenger rest compartment. Lower lobe passenger rest cabins <NUM>, 104a may be proportioned for a form factor compatible with standard cargo containers; individual lower lobe passenger rest cabins may be palletized or otherwise capable of addition to, or removal from, the aircraft <NUM> via the existing cargo loading/unloading system. Further, depending on size, configuration, and desired capacity, the aircraft <NUM> may incorporate lower lobe passenger rest cabins (104a) either forward or aft of the lower lobe passenger rest cabin <NUM> connected to the main passenger cabin <NUM> via the entry vestibule <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, the overhead passenger rest cabin 102a and individual rest compartments 128f may be implemented and may function similarly to the overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM> of <FIG> and the individual rest compartments 128c-e of <FIG>, except that the individual passenger rest compartments 128f of the overhead passenger rest cabin 102a may be sequentially arranged along either side of the central corridor <NUM> extending forward (e.g., substantially parallel to the longitudinal/roll axis of the aircraft <NUM> (<FIG>)). For example, the overhead passenger rest cabin 102a may comprise twenty (<NUM>) passenger rest compartments 128f: ten compartments on the port side of the central corridor <NUM> and ten opposite compartments on the starboard side. The transitional space <NUM> (<FIG>) between the entry vestibule <NUM> (<FIG>) and the overhead passenger rest cabin 102a may include handles <NUM> graspable by cabin crew or passengers entering the overhead passenger rest cabin via the entry vestibule. Further, graspable handles <NUM> may be spaced along the central corridor <NUM>; passengers 126a (<FIG>) traversing the central corridor (e.g., after entering the overhead passenger rest cabin 102a via the entry vestibule <NUM> and proceeding to their assigned passenger rest compartment 128f) may use the graspable handles to reduce strain while traversing the central corridor in a crouched position. A crew station <NUM> may be located at the forward end of the overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM> (including, e.g., emergency storage for first aid and fire containment supplies, communications facilities, and/or temporary jump seating). Similar crew stations may be located within the transitional space (<NUM>, <FIG>) at the aft end of the overhead passenger rest cabin <NUM> and throughout the lower lobe passenger rest cabin (<NUM>, <FIG>; e.g., proximate to the staircase or the point at which the entry vestibule <NUM> enters the lower lobe passenger rest cabin).

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the main passenger cabin 106a may be implemented and may function similarly to the passenger cabin <NUM> of <FIG> and <FIG>, except that the passenger cabin 106a may include one or more displays <NUM>, speakers <NUM>, and two-way communication devices <NUM> (e.g., wired/wireless handsets, speaker phones, etc.) for providing alerts/notifications and communications for flight attendants. As shown in <FIG>, a display <NUM> (e.g., LED/LCD display, or the like) may be located in a flight attendant station. In embodiments, the display <NUM> can be mounted to an articulating base <NUM> that can swivel, tilt, turn, and/or deploy to make the display <NUM> easier to view by a flight attendant. The display <NUM> can be used to show statuses and/or images of passenger rest compartments <NUM>, messages, alerts, notifications, and so forth. In some embodiments (e.g., as shown in <FIG>), the display <NUM> may be mounted on a wall opposite a flight attendant chair (e.g., deployable/stowable chair) so that the display <NUM> is in direct view of a seated flight attendant. Such a configuration can be beneficial during turbulence or rapid decompression when flight attendants must be seated for their own safety.

Speakers <NUM> may be disposed throughout the passenger cabin 106a for providing audible alerts (e.g., chimes, broadcast messages, etc.). These speakers <NUM> may be part of an aircraft system and/or part of a monitoring system integrated within the aircraft. In some implementations, different audible alerts (e.g., different chimes) can be associated with different types of alerts (e.g., passenger discomfort, fire/excessive heat, unauthorized passenger activity, etc.). Cabin lighting may also be used to indicate different types of alerts, for example, by changing color and/or intensity of cabin lighting to provide a notification or indicate a critical status (e.g., fire, explosion, passenger threat, or other hazard).

Flight attendant stations can also include two-way communication devices <NUM> (e.g., wired/wireless handsets) that enable flight attendants to communicate with other flight attendant stations (e.g., with other communication devices <NUM>) and/or passenger rest compartments <NUM> (e.g., with PSUs <NUM>). The two-way communication devices <NUM> may also be used by flight attendants to broadcast messages through the speakers <NUM>. The two-way communication devices <NUM> can also be used for private communications over dedicated channels that connect the two-way communication devices <NUM> with individual PSUs <NUM> in respective ones of the passenger rest compartments <NUM>.

In embodiments, the one or more displays <NUM>, speakers <NUM>, and two-way communication devices <NUM> are input/output devices of a flight attendant information system, such as the flight attendant information system <NUM> described below. The flight attendant information system <NUM> may be integrated with and/or configured to communicate with the passenger rest cabin monitoring system <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates an example embodiment of a passenger rest cabin monitoring system <NUM> that can be implemented in the aircraft <NUM>/100a described above. In embodiments, the passenger rest cabin monitoring system <NUM> includes infrared sensors/cameras <NUM> (e.g., infrared sensors <NUM>) disposed in respective passenger rest, compartments <NUM> and a computing device <NUM> in communication with the infrared sensors/cameras <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> may include at least one processor <NUM>, at least one memory <NUM>, and at least one storage device <NUM>, as well as other components, equipment, and/or devices commonly included in a computing device, some or all of which may be communicatively coupled. The processor <NUM> may be implemented as any suitable processor, such as a single-core or multi-core processor, micro-controller, field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other programmable logic device/controller (PLD/PLC). The processor <NUM> may be configured to run various software applications or computer code stored (e.g., maintained) in a non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., memory <NUM> and/or storage <NUM>) and configured to execute various instructions or operations. The computing device <NUM> may be implemented as any suitable computing device. In some embodiments, the computing device <NUM> is implemented as a vetronics computing device (e.g., an avionics computing device) in a vehicle, such as an aircraft or automobile. Additionally, for example, the computing device <NUM> or the processor <NUM> may be implemented as a special purpose computer or a special purpose processor configured (e.g., programmed) to execute instructions for performing any or all of the operations disclosed throughout. In some embodiments, the system <NUM> of <FIG> may include any suitable number of computing devices <NUM>. While the computing device <NUM> exemplarily includes elements as shown, in some embodiments, one or more of the elements of the computing device <NUM> may be omitted, or the computing device <NUM> may include other elements.

The computing device <NUM> can be configured to detect a presence of an individual (e.g., a passenger) in a passenger rest compartment <NUM> based on one or more measurements or thermal images generated by a respective infrared sensor/camera <NUM> of the passenger rest compartment <NUM>. For example, in embodiments, the computing device <NUM> is configured to detect the presence of an individual when a measured temperature of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature (e.g., at least <NUM>°F, <NUM>) or by identifying a heat signature of an individual in one or more thermal images generated by the infrared sensor/camera <NUM>. In some embodiments, the computing device <NUM> may include a heat signature database in its storage <NUM>. For example, the heat signature database can include a plurality of heat signatures (e.g., heat distributions/maps and/or temperature thresholds) that correspond to humans, animals, and/or events (e.g., fire, lithium battery runaway temperature, explosion, etc.). The computing device <NUM> may be configured to detect heat signatures by comparing one or more thermal images captured by the infrared sensor/camera <NUM> to the heat signatures stored in the heat signature database. The computing device <NUM> may be in communication with a flight attendant information system <NUM> and configured to display an indication of the presence of the individual in the passenger rest compartment <NUM> via at least one display <NUM> (e.g., display <NUM>) of the flight attendant information system <NUM>. In some embodiments, the flight attendant information system <NUM> includes a respective computing device <NUM>, which may include a respective processor and memory and/or storage in a similar component configuration to that of computing device <NUM>. In other embodiments, computing device <NUM> replaces computing device <NUM> and is the primary computing device for the passenger rest cabin monitoring system <NUM> and the flight attendant information system <NUM> (which may be integrated into one system, e.g., system <NUM>). In embodiments, the flight attendant information system <NUM> includes one or more displays <NUM> (e.g., displays <NUM>), one or more speakers <NUM> (e.g., speakers <NUM>), a light system <NUM> (including lighted signage, indicator lights, and/or general cabin lighting), and one or more communication devices <NUM> (e.g., two-way communication devices <NUM>). The flight attendant information system <NUM> may be integrated with and/or configured to access components of a primary aircraft system. For example, the flight attendant information system <NUM> may be configured to utilize existing lighting, speaker systems, displays, hazard detectors (e.g., smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors, excessive heat/fire detectors, etc.), alarms, and other components of the primary aircraft system.

The computing device <NUM> can be further configured to detect a presence of a second individual with the individual (e.g., the presence of two or more passengers) in a passenger rest compartment <NUM> based on one or more thermal images generated by a respective infrared sensor/camera <NUM> of the passenger rest compartment <NUM>. For example, the computing device <NUM> may be configured to detect the presence of two or more individuals in a passenger rest compartment <NUM> by identifying heat signatures of the individuals in one or more thermal images generated by the infrared sensor/camera <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> may be configured to display an indication of the presence of two or more individuals in the passenger rest compartment <NUM> via at least one display <NUM> (e.g., display <NUM>) of the flight attendant information system <NUM>. It is contemplated that the passenger rest compartments, in most cases, will be designed to accommodate a single passenger occupant. Thus, in embodiments, the computing device <NUM> can be configured to provide an audible alert (e.g., alarm/chime via the speaker <NUM>) and/or a visual alert (e.g., via the display <NUM> or light system <NUM>) via the flight attendant information system <NUM> to indicate the (unauthorized) presence of the second individual with the individual in the passenger rest compartment <NUM>. In some embodiments, the computing device <NUM> can also be configured to provide an audible alert (e.g., alarm/chime via the speaker <NUM>) and/or a visual alert (e.g., via the display <NUM> or light system <NUM>) via the flight attendant information system <NUM> to indicate the unauthorized presence of an individual in a passenger rest compartment <NUM> when the passenger rest compartment <NUM> has not been reserved for use by the individual.

In embodiments, the computing device <NUM> may be configured to monitor temperatures in respective passenger rest compartments <NUM> and/or other portions (e.g., corridor) of the passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM> to detect excessive heat or drops in temperature that may indicate danger. For example, the computing device <NUM> can be configured to detect whether a passenger rest compartment temperature is above or below a predetermined critical (e.g., maximum/minimum operating) temperature based on one or more measurements or thermal images generated by a respective infrared sensor/camera <NUM> of the passenger rest compartment <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> can be configured to provide an audible alert (e.g., alarm/chime via the speaker <NUM>) and/or a visual alert (e.g., via the display <NUM> or light system <NUM>) via the flight attendant information system <NUM> to indicate a critical status (e.g., perceived danger or situation warranting action by one or more flight attendants) of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> when the passenger rest compartment temperature is above a predetermined (maximum) critical temperature, or similarly if the passenger rest compartment temperature is below a predetermined (minimum) critical temperature.

In an example embodiment, the computing device <NUM> is configured to detect a temperature of a portion of (e.g., (e.g., a specific location/area within) passenger rest compartment or common area (e.g., vestibule <NUM> or corridor of the passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM>) based on one or more thermal images generated by a respective infrared sensor/camera <NUM> of the passenger rest compartment <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> can be further configured to compare the temperature of the portion of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> (or passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM> common area) with a predetermined critical temperature. For example, in some embodiments, the predetermined critical temperature is associated with the runaway temperature for an energy storage device (e.g., <NUM>° F (<NUM>) for a lithium battery). In this regard, the predetermined critical temperature can be the runaway temperature or a temperature (e.g., <NUM>°F (<NUM>), <NUM>°F (<NUM>), <NUM>°F (<NUM>), <NUM>°F (<NUM>), <NUM>°F (<NUM>), <NUM>°F (<NUM>), or the like) that is below the runaway temperature but indicative of potential approach to the runaway temperature. In other embodiments, the predetermined critical temperature may be associated with a combustion temperature, fire (e.g., in the range of <NUM>°F (<NUM>) to <NUM>°F (<NUM>)), excessive radiation, or the like. The computing device <NUM> can be configured to provide an audible alert (e.g., alarm/chime via the speaker <NUM>) and/or a visual alert (e.g., via the display <NUM> or light system <NUM>) via the flight attendant information system <NUM> to indicate a critical status of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> when the detected temperature of the portion of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> (or passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM> common area) is above the predetermined critical temperature. The computing device <NUM> may be further configured to display the location of the portion of the passenger rest compartment via at least one display <NUM> of the flight attendant information system <NUM> when the temperature of the portion of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> (or passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM> common area) is above the predetermined critical temperature. This can help flight attendants/cabin crew determine the best approach to handling the critical situation (e.g., by evacuating passengers, firefighting, etc.). Furthermore, the computing device <NUM> can be configured to help in early fire detection/prediction (e.g., by detecting or predicting the presence of a fire before a smoke detector or ambient heat sensor would be capable of doing so) in the passenger rest compartment <NUM> or common area of the passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM>. In some embodiments, the computing device <NUM> is configured to display to provide a fire prediction alert (e.g., an audible alert (e.g., alarm/chime via the speaker <NUM>) and/or a visual alert (e.g., via the display <NUM> or light system <NUM>) via the flight attendant information system <NUM>) based on the detected temperature of the portion of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> (or passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM> common area) and the location of the portion of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> (or passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM> common area). The computing device <NUM> may also have emergency/crisis guidance instructions, escape routes, and/or other emergency guidance information in the storage <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> may be configured to display emergency guidance information via at least one display <NUM> of the flight attendant information system <NUM> based on the detected temperature of the portion of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> (or passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM> common area) and the location of the portion of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> (or passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM> common area) where the critical temperature is detected.

In some embodiments, the computing device <NUM> can be configured to detect whether a change (increase/decrease) in temperature of a passenger rest compartment <NUM> is above or below a predetermined critical change in temperature based on a plurality of measurements or thermal images generated by a respective infrared sensor/camera <NUM> of the passenger rest compartment <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> can be configured to provide an audible alert (e.g., alarm/chime via the speaker <NUM>) and/or a visual alert (e.g., via the display <NUM> or light system <NUM>) via the flight attendant information system <NUM> to indicate a critical status (e.g., perceived danger or situation warranting action by one or more flight attendants) of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> when the change in temperature is exceeds the predetermined critical change in temperature (e.g., when the temperature increases or decreases by more than N degrees, or too quickly (e.g., more an N degrees/t seconds)).

The passenger rest cabin monitoring system <NUM> may further include visual cameras <NUM> (e.g., cameras <NUM> that detect light in the visible illumination spectrum (e.g., <NUM> - <NUM>)) disposed in the passenger rest compartments <NUM>, the vestibule <NUM>, or other portions (e.g., corridor) of the passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM>. In some embodiments, the visual cameras <NUM> are only employed in the common areas (e.g., vestibule <NUM> and corridor of a passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM>). In other embodiments, visual cameras <NUM> are also installed in each of the passenger rest compartments <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> can be communicatively coupled to the visual cameras <NUM> and configured to record one or more images of a passenger rest compartment <NUM> (or passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM> common area) with a respective visual camera <NUM>. In some embodiments, to avoid intruding upon a passenger's privacy, the visual cameras <NUM> can be selectively enabled to record images (e.g., during takeoff /landing to make sure no passengers are in the rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM>, when danger/critical events are detected, and the like). For example, the computing device <NUM> may detect a critical status (e.g., excessive heat, unauthorized occupancy of a passenger rest compartment, etc.) of the passenger rest compartment based on one or more measurements or thermal images generated by a respective infrared sensor/camera <NUM> of the passenger rest compartment <NUM>, and can be configured to record one or more images of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> with a respective visual camera <NUM> of the passenger compartment <NUM> when the critical status is detected. The computing device <NUM> can also be configured to cause the flight attendant information system <NUM> to display the recorded images of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> via the display (or displays) <NUM> (e.g., displays <NUM>) of the flight attendant information system <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the computing device <NUM> is further configured to detect whether a passenger activity state (e.g., movement) is above or below a predetermined critical activity state based on one or more thermal images generated by a respective infrared sensor/camera <NUM> of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> (or passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM> common area) or one or more images of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> recorded by a respective visual camera <NUM> of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> (or passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM> common area). The computing device <NUM> may be configured to detect one or more passenger gestures based on one or more images recorded by a respective visual camera <NUM> of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> (or passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM> common area). In some embodiments, the computing device <NUM> includes a plurality of critical passenger gestures that may indicate a crisis or other situation requiring flight attendant intervention in a database in the storage <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> may be configured to detect a critical passenger gesture based on the one or more images recorded by the respective visual camera <NUM> and provide an audible alert (e.g., alarm/chime via the speaker <NUM>) and/or a visual alert (e.g., via the display <NUM> or light system <NUM>) via the flight attendant information system <NUM> to indicate a critical passenger status when the one or more passenger gestures correspond to one or more predetermined critical passenger gestures (e.g., rapid/frantic movement, seizing, waving/flailing of arms, punching, kicking, etc.).

In some embodiments, the computing device <NUM> can also be configured to detect one or more passenger facial expressions based on one or more images recorded by a respective visual camera <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> may include a plurality of critical passenger facial expressions that may indicate a crisis or other situation requiring flight attendant intervention in a database in the storage <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> can be configured to detect a critical passenger facial expression based on the one or more images recorded by the respective visual camera <NUM> and provide an audible alert (e.g., alarm/chime via the speaker <NUM>) and/or a visual alert (e.g., via the display <NUM> or light system <NUM>) via the flight attendant information system <NUM> to indicate a critical passenger status when the one or more passenger gestures correspond to one or more predetermined critical passenger facial expressions (e.g., choking, gagging, excessive coughing or apparent discomfort, anger, etc.).

The presence of an individual in a passenger rest compartment <NUM> and/or motion can additionally/alternatively be detected by one or more force sensors <NUM> (e.g., force sensor <NUM>) in a passenger rest compartment <NUM> (e.g., integrated within the bed <NUM>). The computing device <NUM> can be configured to provide an audible alert (e.g., alarm/chime via the speaker <NUM>) and/or a visual alert (e.g., via the display <NUM> or light system <NUM>) via the flight attendant information system <NUM> to indicate a critical activity state (e.g., little to no movement or overactive passenger) within the passenger rest compartment <NUM> when the detected passenger activity state is above the predetermined critical activity state.

The computing device <NUM> can also be configured to monitor sound/noise levels in the passenger rest compartments <NUM>. The passenger rest compartments <NUM> or other portions (e.g., corridor) of the passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM> can include microphones <NUM> for monitoring sound/noise levels. In some embodiments, a microphone <NUM> (e.g., microphone <NUM>) is part of a PSU <NUM> (e.g., PSU <NUM>) in the passenger rest compartment <NUM>. In other embodiments, the microphone <NUM> is dedicated to sound/noise level monitoring, for example, a camera <NUM>/<NUM> may be equipped with or proximate to the microphone <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> may be configured to detect a critical status (e.g., perceived danger or situation warranting action by one or more flight attendants) of a passenger rest compartment <NUM> when the passenger rest compartment sound/noise level detected by a respective microphone <NUM> of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> exceeds a predetermined critical noise level. In some embodiments, the computing device <NUM> can be configured to record one or more images of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> with a respective visual camera <NUM> of the passenger compartment <NUM> when the critical status is detected, and can be further configured to display the recorded images of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> via at least one display <NUM> (e.g., display <NUM>) of the flight attendant information system <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> may additionally/alternatively be configured to provide an audible alert (e.g., alarm/chime via the speaker <NUM>) and/or a visual alert (e.g., via the display <NUM> or light system <NUM>) via the flight attendant information system <NUM> to indicate a critical status (e.g., perceived danger or situation warranting action by one or more flight attendants) of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> when the passenger rest compartment noise level exceeds the predetermined critical noise level.

The passenger rest cabin monitoring system <NUM> can further include at least one hazard detector <NUM> (e.g., hazard detector <NUM>) in respective ones of the passenger rest compartments <NUM> or in another portion (e.g., corridor) of the passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM>. For example, the hazard detector <NUM> can include, but is not limited to, a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector, a radiation detector, an electric field detector, a magnetic field detector, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more hazard detectors <NUM> and/or alarms are part of the primary aircraft system, and the passenger rest cabin monitoring system <NUM> can be configured to access these detectors <NUM> and/or alarms. In other embodiments, the passenger rest cabin monitoring system <NUM> includes hazard detectors <NUM> and/or alarms that are separate from or added on to/integrated with the primary aircraft system components.

The computing device <NUM> can be in communication with the hazard detector <NUM> (or multiple hazard detectors <NUM>) and configured to detect a critical status (e.g., perceived danger or situation warranting action by one or more flight attendants) when a hazard is detected by a respective hazard detector <NUM> of a passenger rest compartment <NUM> or common area of the passenger rest cabin <NUM>/<NUM>. The computing device <NUM> can be configured to provide an audible alert (e.g., alarm/chime via the speaker <NUM>) and/or a visual alert (e.g., via the display <NUM> or light system <NUM>) via the flight attendant information system <NUM> to indicate a critical status (e.g., perceived danger or situation warranting action by one or more flight attendants) of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> when a hazard is detected. In some embodiments, a visual camera <NUM> may be in proximity to (e.g., in the same general location/zone) as a respective hazard detector <NUM>, and the computing device <NUM> can be configured to record one or more images with the visual camera <NUM> when the hazard/critical status is detected by the hazard detector <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> may be further configured to display the recorded images via one or more displays <NUM> of the flight attendant information system <NUM>.

The passenger rest cabin monitoring system <NUM> includes or is connected with PSUs <NUM> (e.g., PSUs <NUM>) in the passenger rest compartments <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, each PSU <NUM> may include an attendant call button <NUM> (e.g., attendant call button <NUM>), a panic/crew call button <NUM> (e.g., panic/crew call button <NUM>), and a two-way communication device <NUM> (e.g., speaker/microphone <NUM>) that are communicatively coupled to the computing device <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> may be configured to receive a passenger communication or alert from a respective PSU <NUM> of a passenger rest compartment <NUM> and configured to provide an audible alert (e.g., alarm/chime via the speaker <NUM>) and/or a visual alert (e.g., via the display <NUM> or light system <NUM>) via the flight attendant information system <NUM> to indicate that a passenger communication or alert has been received from the passenger rest compartment <NUM>. A flight attendant may then respond to alert and/or communicate with the passenger using a communication device <NUM> (e.g., communication device <NUM>) of the flight attendant information system <NUM>. For example, the flight attendant communication device <NUM> and the passenger communication device <NUM> may be configured to communicate (privately) over a dedicated communication channel. In embodiments, each passenger rest compartment <NUM> is equipped with a passenger communication device <NUM> that can be used for private communications with the flight attendants/flight crew (e.g., via communication with the flight attendant communication device <NUM>).

In embodiments, the computing device <NUM> is further configured to communicate safety belt statuses to the flight attendant information system <NUM> based on information received from safety belt monitors <NUM> (e.g., safety belt monitors <NUM>), which may be integrated within the buckles or elsewhere for safety belts <NUM> in the passenger rest compartments <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> may be configured to receive a safety belt status (e.g., buckled/unbuckled or secured/unsecured status) from a safety belt monitor <NUM> of a respective passenger rest compartment <NUM>. When it required that safety belts are worn (and buckled/secured), the computing device <NUM> can be configured to provide an audible alert (e.g., alarm/chime via the speaker <NUM>) and/or a visual alert (e.g., via the display <NUM> or light system <NUM>) via the flight attendant information system <NUM> to notify flight attendants that a safety belt <NUM> is unbuckled/unsecured in an occupied passenger rest compartment <NUM>.

As discussed above, in some embodiments, virtual windows <NUM> and/or inflight entertainment display devices are located in the passenger rest compartments <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> may be configured to activate a respective virtual window <NUM> of the passenger rest compartment <NUM> based on the detected presence of the individual in the passenger rest compartment <NUM>, for example, based on one or more measurements or thermal images generated by a respective infrared sensor/camera <NUM> of the passenger rest compartment <NUM>, and/or based on weight/movement measurements detected by a respective force sensor <NUM> of the passenger rest compartment <NUM>. In embodiments, the computing device <NUM> and/or the virtual window <NUM> can be implemented and configured as described in <CIT>.

In embodiments, the passenger rest cabin monitoring system <NUM> may further include or can be configured to communication with the flight attendant/cabin crew's portable electronic devices <NUM> (e.g., smartphones, tablets, wearables (e.g., activity trackers, pendants, smart watches). In this regard, any of the audible or visual alerts output via the flight attendant information system <NUM> may be additionally or alternatively provided via at least one portable electronic device <NUM>. Furthermore, a flight attendant may employ his/her portable electronic device <NUM> instead of or in addition to the communication device <NUM> for two-way (private) communications with PSUs <NUM> of the passenger rest compartments <NUM> and/or to broadcast messages or information (e.g., via the aircraft speaker system).

Because of privacy concerns, one or more aspects of the passenger cabin monitoring system <NUM> described herein can be selectively enabled/disabled. In some implementations, the computing device <NUM> is configured to receive "opt in" or "opt out" requests for passengers (e.g., via the passenger's PSU <NUM> or via a flight attendant input to the flight attendant information system <NUM>). The requests can be for selectively disabling some or all of the monitoring equipment in a particular passenger rest cabin <NUM>. In some embodiments, some of the monitoring equipment (e.g., the infrared camera/sensor <NUM>, hazard detector <NUM>, safety belt monitor <NUM>, and/or other equipment that does not intrude on the passenger's privacy) cannot be disabled, while other monitoring equipment (e.g., visual camera <NUM>, microphone <NUM>, force sensor <NUM>, and/or other equipment that may intrude on the passenger's privacy) can be disabled.

As used throughout and as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, "at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium" may refer to as at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., memory <NUM>, storage <NUM> or a combination thereof; e.g., at least one computer-readable medium implemented as hardware; e.g., at least one non-transitory processor-readable medium, at least one memory (e.g., at least one nonvolatile memory, at least one volatile memory, or a combination thereof; e.g., at least one random-access memory, at least one flash memory, at least one read-only memory (ROM) (e.g., at least one electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)), at least one on-processor memory (e.g., at least one on-processor cache, at least one on-processor buffer, at least one on-processor flash memory, at least one on-processor EEPROM, or a combination thereof), or a combination thereof), at least one storage device (e.g., at least one hard-disk drive, at least one tape drive, at least one solid-state drive, at least one flash drive, at least one readable and/or writable disk of at least one optical drive configured to read from and/or write to the at least one readable and/or writable disk, or a combination thereof), or a combination thereof).

Claim 1:
A system for monitoring passenger rest compartments, comprising:
a vestibule (<NUM>) arranged to be disposed in a passenger cabin (<NUM>) of an aircraft, the vestibule including at least one staircase (<NUM>) arranged for accessing a passenger rest cabin (<NUM>, <NUM>) above or below the passenger cabin of the aircraft when disposed in the passenger cabin;
a plurality of passenger rest compartments (<NUM>) arranged to be disposed in the passenger rest cabin, the passenger rest compartments including beds (<NUM>), characterized by the passenger rest compartments further including infrared cameras (<NUM>), visual cameras (<NUM>) and passenger service units (<NUM>), the visual cameras disposed in respective portions of the vestibule, a corridor of the passenger cabin, and respective ones of the passenger rest compartments;
a flight attendant information system (<NUM>) including at least one display (<NUM>) and at least one speaker (<NUM>);
a computing device (<NUM>) in communication with the infrared cameras, the visual cameras, the passenger service units, and the flight attendant information system, the computing device configured to:
detect a temperature of a portion of passenger rest compartment based on one or more thermal images generated by a respective infrared camera of the passenger rest compartment;
detect a critical status of the passenger rest compartment based on the one or more thermal images generated by the respective infrared camera of the passenger rest compartment;
record one or more images of the passenger rest compartment with a respective visual camera of the passenger compartment when the critical status is detected; and
display the one or more images of the passenger rest compartment via the at least one display of the flight attendant information system
compare the temperature of the portion of the passenger rest compartment with a predetermined critical temperature, wherein the predetermined critical temperature is associated with a runaway temperature of an energy storage device;
provide at least one of an audible alert or a visual alert via the flight attendant information system to indicate a critical status of the passenger rest compartment when the temperature of the portion of the passenger rest compartment is above the predetermined critical temperature;
and
a virtual window associated with at least some of said plurality of said passenger rest compartments.