System and method for aircraft incident mitigation

• US 10,040,573 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2015
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Celeritas Limited
• Original Assignee: Celeritas Limited
• Inventors: Akers, David J., Temel, Gregory P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanderson, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US14/702,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20150232196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,193 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0031 means for overriding or restricting access to flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0034 by ground-control override
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking

Abstract

In response to determining that a panic situation exists, an aircraft panic component can at least partially disable various systems of an aircraft, such as a navigation system (e.g., flight plans), an operational system (e.g., aircraft controls), or other suitable systems. For example, elements of a navigation and/or operational system of the aircraft may be disabled to disable local (e.g., pilot or cockpit) control of those system and/or to at least partially disable local operational systems of the aircraft (e.g., hydraulic or pneumatic flight control mechanisms, etc.). The navigation system can be updated with a new flight plan and the aircraft can have its autopilot engaged to pilot the aircraft according to the new flight plan such as to direct the aircraft to a certain altitude and/or heading. A remote terminal can be notified of the panic situation and control of the navigation system and/or operational systems can be turned over, potentially exclusively, to the remote terminal.

Claims

1. An aircraft incident mitigation system, comprising:

a navigation component that interfaces with a navigation system of an aircraft, wherein the navigation system is configured to generate flight plan data in response to input from an operator situated in the aircraft;

a terminal interface component configured to communicate with a terminal component, situated remote from the aircraft, that monitors air traffic;

a memory that stores an incident mitigation protocol; and

,

an aircraft panic component that determines a panic situation exists and, in response, executes the incident mitigation protocol, wherein the incident mitigation protocol comprises instructions to;

communicate information representative of the panic situation to the terminal component,

disable a first portion of the navigation system that is determined to be responsive to input from the operator,

enable a second portion of the navigation system that is determined to be responsive to input from the terminal component, and

update the flight plan data of the navigation system from an existing flight plan to a flight plan that directs the aircraft to a safe zone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the incident mitigation protocol further comprises an instruction to engage an auto-pilot component of the aircraft based, at least in part, upon the panic situation, wherein the auto-pilot component is configured to automatically pilot the aircraft according to the flight plan data determined by the navigation system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the incident mitigation protocol further comprises safe zone information indicative of the safe zone to which the flight plan directs the aircraft.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft panic component instructs the navigation component to enable the first portion of the navigation system in response to the terminal interface component receiving an appropriate signal from the terminal component.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the flight plan data that directs the aircraft to the safe zone is received from the terminal component.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one panic device situated in the aircraft, wherein the aircraft panic component determines that the panic situation exists in response to input to the panic device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one panic device comprises a button, a switch, an iris scanner or a thumb print reader.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one panic device is situated in at least one of a cockpit of the aircraft, a galley of the aircraft, or a cabin of the aircraft.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one panic device and the aircraft panic component communicate wirelessly.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising an aircraft operational component that interfaces with an operational system of the aircraft, wherein the operational system is configured to control the aircraft in response to input from flight controls situated in the aircraft.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operational system comprises at least one of a fuel system, a pneumatic control system, a hydraulic system, or an air pressure system.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the aircraft panic component, in response to determining the panic situation exists, instructs the aircraft operational component to disable a first portion of the operational system that is responsive to input to the flight controls situated in the aircraft, and to enable a second portion of the operational system that is responsive to input from the terminal component.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the aircraft panic component instructs the operational component to enable the first portion of the operational system in response to the terminal interface component receiving an appropriate signal from the terminal component.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft panic component determines the panic situation exists in response to input to at least one panic device situated at the terminal component.

15. An aircraft incident mitigation system, comprising:

a navigation component that interfaces with a navigation system of an aircraft, wherein the navigation system is configured to generate flight plan data in response to navigational input to a user interface situated in the aircraft;

a terminal interface component configured to communicate with a terminal component that monitors air traffic;

a panic device situated in the aircraft that, in response to panic input, indicates a panic situation; and

an aircraft panic component communicatively coupled to the panic device that, in response to determining that the panic situation exists, transitions from a normal state to a panic state, wherein, in the panic state, the aircraft panic component executes an incident mitigation protocol configured to;

facilitate communicating information representative of the panic situation to the terminal component;

facilitate disabling of a first portion of the navigation system that is responsive to input to the user interface;

facilitate enabling of a second portion of the navigation system that is responsive to input from the terminal component; and

facilitate modifying an existing flight plan to a new flight plan that directs the aircraft to a safe zone.

16. A method of mitigating an aircraft incident, comprising:

receiving, by a device comprising a processor, panic input that indicates a panic event has occurred with regard to an aircraft;

transitioning, by the device, from a normal state, indicative of no panic event having occurred since a previous transition to the normal state, to a panic state, indicative of the panic event having occurred since the previous transition;

in response to the transitioning to the panic state;

disabling, by the device, a first portion of an aircraft navigation system that is responsive to input from within the aircraft;

enabling, by the device, a second portion of the aircraft navigation system that is responsive to input from a terminal situated remote from the aircraft;

modifying, by the device, a flight plan of the aircraft navigation system to a new flight plan that directs the aircraft to a safe zone; and

,

notifying, by the device, the terminal of the panic event.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising, in response to the transitioning to the panic state:

disabling, by the device, a first portion of an aircraft operational system that is responsive to input from within the aircraft.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising, in response to the transitioning to the panic state:

enabling, by the device, a second portion of the aircraft operational system that is responsive to input from the terminal.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising, in response to the transitioning to the panic state:

enabling, by the device, an autopilot function that automatically pilots the aircraft according to the new flight plan that directs the aircraft to the safe zone.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transitioning, by the device, to the normal state in response to receiving an all clear signal from the terminal and, in response;

enabling, by the device, the first portion of the aircraft navigation system.