Airbus Files Patent for Interactive “Smart” Windows of the Future

Airbus has filed a patent for “smart aircraft window” technology as part its master plan to stay on the cutting edge of aviation.

Could an airplane window act as a tablet computer, giving flyers up-to-date information about their flight and destination? If technology provides, Airbus has a plan to make it a reality. Skift reports the European aircraft manufacturer has filed a patent for what they are calling the “smart aircraft window”.

In the details of the patent application, Airbus envisions aircraft windows of the future to be bigger and equipped with touchscreen capabilities. The entire interactive window would consist of three devices that detect what a traveler is looking or pointing at. This includes a transparent OLED touchscreen and a passenger-facing camera that detects what the individual is looking at. An environment monitoring camera would be positioned on the outside of the aircraft, providing travelers a wider view of the world beyond their window.

While the window would provide a complete look at the world they are flying above, the touchscreen would also provide flyers with detailed information about their destination, flight details and the topography around them. In one example outlined in the patent application, a flyer traveling past the Eiffel Tower would be able to touch the image on the screen and get information about the landmark.

According to the patent filing, the window is a new “method for interactive visualization of information in an aircraft cabin.” The concept and design compliments an idea from Paris-based CPI, who introduced the idea of a windowless aircraft cabin last year. Airbus’ patent is still pending and there is no timeline for when the “smart aircraft window” will come to fruition.

[Photo: Airbus]