Distressed aircraft notification and tracking system

• US 10,002,519 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2016
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inflight Labs LLC
• Original Assignee: Inflight Labs LLC
• Inventors: Bekanich, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): LITTLEJOHN JR, MANCIL H
• Application Number:
  US15/268,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20170011615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 340963
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0065 Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/014 Alarm signalling to a central station with two-way communication, e.g. with signalling back
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

The invention is a service for sending and/or receiving messages in a first format intended for a recipient or authority, where the service identifies for the intended recipient a second format for receiving messages, and where the service formats a communication for delivery to the intended recipient, where the message is prepared to be presented to the recipient in the first and/or the second format.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for communicating emergency information from an aircraft having on-board avionics, said method comprising the steps of:

continuously monitoring avionics data from the aircraft avionics at an emergency location transmitter activation device, the avionics data including at least one of software, text content, speech, voice, audio, video information, time, and geo-location data;

providing an aircraft emergency location transmitter (ELT);

when determined by said emergency location transmitter activation device that at least one of an emergency or a technical problem is identified in monitored avionics data;

reformatting processing said monitored avionics data into a computer readable instruction; and

using said computer readable instruction to automatically activate and control said aircraft emergency location transmitter, said aircraft emergency location transmitter functioning to automatically trigger real-time tracking of the aircraft via satellite;

wherein the aircraft emergency location transmitter (ELT) conforms to emergency location transmitter standards defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in functioning to broadcast distinctive signals on designated frequencies, and is normally activated by aircraft impact or by manual activation; and

wherein said emergency location transmitter activation device includes a processor configured to monitor and process avionics data, and to automatically activate and control said aircraft emergency location transmitter when said emergency or technical problem is identified.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of initiating tracking of the aircraft by at least one government authority in response to said step of using said computer readable instruction to automatically activate and control said aircraft emergency location transmitter.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling remote control of said on-board aircraft avionics by a ground-based emergency service authority in response to said step of using said computer readable instruction to automatically activate and control said aircraft emergency location transmitter.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said monitored avionics data comprises information from at least one of:

aircraft avionics, an aircraft computer, an aircraft sensor, and an aircraft instrument.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of initiating an on-board alarm in response to said step of using said computer readable instruction to automatically activate and control said aircraft emergency location transmitter.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said computer readable instruction comprises information about at least one of:

a latitude and longitude location of the aircraft, GPS coordinates information for the aircraft, an aircraft position obtained by triangulation, and communication satellite information for the aircraft.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of remotely accessing said monitored avionics data by at least one government authority in response to said step of using said computer readable instruction to automatically activate and control said aircraft emergency location transmitter.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of remotely controlling at least one of an aircraft instrument, an aircraft device, and an aircraft avionics component by at least one ground-based government authority in response to said step of using said computer readable instruction to automatically activate and control said aircraft emergency location transmitter.

9. A computer-implemented method of automatically responding to an emergency detected from aircraft avionics data, said method comprising the steps of:

continuously monitoring the aircraft avionics data for an indication of an inflight emergency situation;

providing an aircraft emergency location transmitter (ELT);

providing an emergency location transmitter activation device;

if said inflight emergency situation is determined, reformatting processing the avionics data into a computer readable instruction; and

executing said computer readable instruction by said emergency location transmitter activation device to automatically activate said aircraft location emergency transmitter so as to automatically trigger tracking of the aircraft and establish a remote interface with said emergency location transmitter activation device;

wherein said aircraft emergency location transmitter (ELT) conforms to emergency location transmitter standards defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in functioning to broadcast distinctive signals on designated frequencies, and is normally activated by impact or by manual activation; and

wherein said emergency location transmitter activation device includes a processor configured to monitor and process avionics data, and to automatically activate and control said aircraft emergency location transmitter when said emergency or technical problem is identified.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

automatically generating at least one of an aural notification of the emergency detected from aircraft avionics data and a visual notification of the emergency detected from aircraft avionics data; and

sending said at least one of said aural notification and said visual notification to ground-based air traffic personnel via an air-to-ground communication connection.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

notifying at least one ground-based government authority of activation of said aircraft emergency location transmitter.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 wherein said at least one ground-based government authority comprises one or more of:

the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA), the Office of Homeland Security, and a safety and emergency response team.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

in response to said step of automatically activating said aircraft emergency location transmitter, sending an inflight emergency message to at least one ground-based government authority via an air-to-ground communication connection; and

sending a real-time geo-location for the aircraft to said ground-based air traffic personnel to enable tracking of said aircraft geo-location.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein said step of sending said real-time geo-location for the aircraft comprises the step of using satellite positioning to determine aircraft latitude and longitude.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 wherein the aircraft avionics comprises a programmable attitude sensor device functioning to activate said aircraft emergency location transmitter.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 wherein the aircraft avionics comprises one or more of:

an aircraft sensor, an aircraft alarm, an aircraft transmitter, an aircraft radar system, an automatic broadcasting surveillance system, a flight data recorder, a flight data acquisition unit, an attitude sensor, a differential pressure sensor, an analog sensor, a temperature sensor, an aircraft instability sensor, an emergency frequency sensor, a cockpit door sensor, a proximity sensor, a transponder, and an aircraft gauge.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising the step of remotely recording inflight aircraft communication, information, data, and content for transmittal to a ground-based computer database over an air-to-ground communication connection.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising the step of establishing an air-to-ground communication connection using one or more of:

text content, e-mail, voice, a real-time audio/video communication, a real-time audio/video recording, and an instant message.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 wherein said emergency or technical problem in monitored avionics data is identified as comprising one or more of:

a change in aircraft attitude greater than a specified amount;

a change in aircraft altitude greater than a specified amount;

a change in aircraft speed greater than a specified amount;

a change in aircraft location greater than a specified distance;

a change in the flight plan greater than a specified amount, a change in aircraft destination location, and a variance in aircraft tracking information greater than a specified value.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising the step of populating a flight information panel with aircraft data including one or more of a flight destination of the aircraft, a flight origin of the aircraft, an aircraft flight number;

and a category of emergency information from the aircraft.

21. An aircraft tracking system suitable for use onboard an aircraft, said system comprising:

an emergency location transmitter activation device functioning to obtain monitored aircraft avionics data;

an emergency location transmitter activation device user interface configured to provide access to modify, monitor and control of the emergency location transmitter activation device and a user interface configured to provide access to monitor at least one of aircraft avionics, aircraft gauges and aircraft devices for identification of possible inflight emergency or inflight technical problems; and

wherein said emergency location transmitter activation device functions to obtain a determination of at least one said inflight emergency or technical problem in said monitored avionics data, said emergency location transmitter activation device further functioning to reformat process said monitored avionics data into a computer readable instruction;

wherein such that said emergency location transmitter activation device functions to automatically activate an emergency location transmitter (ELT) in the aircraft aircraft-to-satellite tracking system to continuously communicate with a satellite tracking system and to track and report geo-location of the aircraft, in specified and designated time intervals in response to said determination of at least one said inflight technical problem, via said computer readable instruction;

wherein said aircraft emergency location transmitter (ELT) conforms to emergency location transmitter standards defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in functioning to broadcast distinctive signals on designated frequencies, and is normally activated by impact or by manual activation; and

wherein said emergency location transmitter activation device includes a processor configured to monitor and process avionics data, and to automatically activate and control said aircraft emergency location transmitter when said emergency or technical problem is identified.

22. The aircraft tracking system of claim 21 wherein said user interface comprises hardware and software to enable access to said aircraft avionics, said aircraft gauges, and said aircraft devices.

23. The aircraft tracking system of claim 21 wherein said aircraft avionics comprises a digital programmable attitude sensor device, said programmable attitude sensor device functioning to activate said aircraft-to-satellite tracking system in response to said identification of a possible inflight technical problem or inflight emergency.

24. The aircraft tracking system of claim 21 wherein said aircraft-to-satellite tracking system is configured for at least one of:

manual activation, manual deactivation, automatic activation, automatic deactivation, activation by remote control, and deactivation by remote control.

25. The aircraft tracking system of claim 24 wherein said automatic activation of said aircraft-to-satellite tracking system is initiated by at least one of:

an aircraft sensor, an aircraft avionic component, an aircraft alarm, an aircraft transmitter, an aircraft transponder, an aircraft radar system, a surveillance system, an aircraft flight data recorder, an aircraft flight data acquisition unit, an aircraft attitude sensor, a differential pressure sensor, an analog sensor, a temperature sensor, an aircraft instability sensor, an emergency frequency sensor, a cockpit door sensor, an aircraft gauge, and a proximity sensor.

26. The aircraft tracking system of claim 24 wherein said automatic activation of said aircraft-to-satellite tracking system is initiated by at least one of aircraft geo-location information or aircraft GPS-location coordinates to automatically track the aircraft by acquiring at least one of time-stamped aircraft geo-location information or time-stamped aircraft GPS-location coordinates.

27. The aircraft tracking system of claim 24 wherein said activation by remote control and said deactivation by remote control are initiated by one of a ground station or air traffic control via a web interface and a satellite communication system.

28. The aircraft tracking system of claim 24 wherein said activation by said emergency location transmitter activation device comprises activation in response to at least one of:

a change in aircraft attitude greater than a specified amount;

a change in aircraft location greater than a specified distance;

a change in aircraft altitude greater than a specified amount;

a change in aircraft speed greater than a specified amount;

a change in the flight plan greater than a specified amount, a change in aircraft destination location, and a variance in aircraft tracking information greater than a specified value.

29. A method for communicating emergency information from an aircraft having on-board aircraft avionics, the method comprising:

continuously receiving aircraft avionics data at an emergency location transmitter activation device;

automatically monitoring avionics device information obtained from said aircraft avionics data; and

,

when determined from said monitored avionics device information that an emergency or technical problem is identified;

triggering said emergency location transmitter activation device to automatically triggering trigger real-time tracking of the aircraft via satellite by activating an emergency location transmitter (ELT) in the aircraft;

wherein said aircraft emergency location transmitter (ELT) conforms to emergency location transmitter standards defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in functioning to broadcast distinctive signals on designated frequencies, and is normally activated by impact or by manual activation; and

wherein said emergency transmitter activation device includes a processor configured to monitor and process avionics data, and to automatically activate and control said aircraft emergency location transmitter when said emergency or technical problem is identified.