System and method for managing an aircraft personal safety device

Abstract

A system and method for managing an aircraft personal safety device can include an RF signaling device configured to monitor a state or condition of the aircraft personal safety device, and a management device configured to determine the state or condition of the aircraft personal safety device based on communication with the RF signaling device. The method can include associating the RF signaling device with the aircraft personal safety device, and monitoring the state or condition of the aircraft personal safety device by using the management device to receive information from the RF signaling device.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . An RFID tag for monitoring a state of an aircraft passenger life vest, comprising:
 a switch configured to detect opening of a container of the aircraft passenger life vest;   a transceiver; and   a controller configured to, in response to detecting of the opening of the container, cause the transceiver to transmit a signal indicating a change in a state of the switch.   
     
     
         14 . The RFID tag of  claim 13 , wherein the signal further identifies the RFID tag and specifies a location of the RFID tag. 
     
     
         15 . The RFID tag of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit information regarding the state of the switch to a management processor configured to monitor the state of the switch. 
     
     
         16 . The RFID tag of  claim 13 , wherein the RFID tag is affixable to the container. 
     
     
         17 . The RFID tag of  claim 16 , wherein a housing of the RFID tag is separated into a main body and a portion housing the switch. 
     
     
         18 . The RFID tag of  claim 17 , wherein the RFID tag is configured to, when affixed to the container, transmit the signal indicating the change in the state of the switch in response to a break in contact of the switch with the main body of the housing due to the opening of the container. 
     
     
         19 . A system for monitoring a state of an aircraft passenger life vest, comprising:
 a container containing the aircraft passenger life vest;   an RFID tag affixable to the container, the RFID tag including a switch configured to detect opening of the container; and   a management processor configured to determine the state of the aircraft passenger life vest based on communication with the RFID tag.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein a housing of the RFID tag is separated into a main body and a portion housing the switch. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the RFID tag is configured to transmit the signal indicating the change in the state of the switch in response to a break in contact of the switch with the main body of the housing due to the opening of the container. 
     
     
         22 . A method, comprising:
 by an RFID tag,
 detecting opening of a container of a life vest on an aircraft; and 
 in response to the detecting, generating a signal reporting on the opening of the container and transmitting the signal to a management processor. 
   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the generating the signal further comprises reporting, to the management processor, an identifier and location of the RFID tag. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 by the management processor, in response to the signal, updating information concerning the container, the updating the information concerning the container including displaying a state of the container.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 by the management processor, receiving signals from a plurality of RFID tags respectively associated with a plurality of containers of life vests arranged in a defined space of the aircraft; and   based on the received signals, updating information concerning the plurality of containers;   wherein the updating the information concerning the plurality of containers includes displaying information indicating a current state of each of the plurality of containers in the defined space of the aircraft.   
     
     
         26 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing processor-executable instructions configured to perform the method of  claim 24 .