Event based aircraft image and data recording system

• US 20020004695A1
• Filed: 01/23/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Glenn, Matthew H., Frost, Wendell A., Zelin, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 6,721,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0065 Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera

Abstract

An apparatus and method for recording image data of flight parameters and events includes a reconfigurable set of instructions for determining when such data will be retained in flight recorder memory.

Claims

1. A method for recording image data aboard an aircraft comprising the steps of:

providing at least one camera aboard the aircraft for collection of the image data; and

writing the image data to a storage device when at least one of a predetermined set of conditions exists aboard the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of writing image data further includes the steps of:

placing the image data in a memory buffer;

determining if at least one of said predetermined conditions exists; and

transferring said image data from said memory buffer to said storage device when at least one of said predetermined conditions exist.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of writing image data includes the step of writing image data to a flight data recorder.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of writing image data includes the step of writing image data to a cockpit voice recorder.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of providing at least one camera includes the steps of providing at least a first camera with an exterior view of the aircraft and a second camera with an interior view of the aircraft.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of writing image data includes the step of using a reconfigurable algorithmic network to define said predetermined conditions.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of writing image data includes the steps of:

receiving a plurality of aircraft sensor data;

determining if said predetermined condition exists by evaluating said sensor data according to a set of executable instructions stored aboard the aircraft; and

asserting a signal to write the image data to said storage device when said predetermined condition is determined to exist.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of determining further includes the step of storing said executable instructions in a read only memory device.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of determining further includes the steps of:

loading said executable instructions from a device external to the aircraft to a readable/writable memory device located aboard the aircraft, whereby said executable instructions are reconfigurable.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of writing data to a storage device further includes the step of writing said image data when a switch has been manually activated.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of providing at least one camera comprises the step of providing an infrared camera.

12. A system for recording image data aboard an aircraft comprising:

a crash survivable recorder;

a camera for collecting image data;

a plurality of sensors located aboard the aircraft to collect sensor data; and

a device having an input for receiving said sensor data and said image data and said device also having an output, wherein said device causes said image data to be written to said crash survivable recorder when said sensor data indicate the existence of a predetermined condition.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said device includes a reconfigurable algorithmic network.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said camera includes an infrared camera.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said camera additionally collects audio data.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said plurality of sensors further include a manually activated switch to indicate the existence of a predetermined condition.

17. The system of claim 12 further comprising a telemetry device for transmitting said image data from the aircraft.

18. A device for controlling the storage of image data collected aboard an aircraft comprising:

an input for receiving a plurality of sensor data;

an output; and

a controller coupled to said input and to said output for asserting a signal at said output to control storing of the image data when said sensor data indicates existence of a predetermined condition.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein said controller comprises a reconfigurable algorithmic network.

20. The device of claim 18 wherein said controller asserts a signal to control writing of the image data to a crash survivable memory device.

21. The device of claim 18 wherein said controller further includes a set of preprogrammed executable instructions indicating when the image data is to be stored.

22. The device of claim 18 wherein said input further includes a means for receiving a set of executable instructions indicating when said image data is to be stored.

23. The device of claim 18 wherein said controller asserts a signal to control writing of the image data to a telemetry unit.

24. A method for governing when image data collected aboard an aircraft is to be stored comprising the steps of:

defining as a set of executable instructions, a predetermined set of criteria under which the image data is to be stored;

loading said executable instruction set into a device located aboard the aircraft; and

storing the image data collected aboard the aircraft when said device asserts a signal indicating existence of said predetermined criteria.

25. A computer program product for controlling when image data collected aboard an aircraft is to be recorded comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer readable program code means comprising;

a first computer instruction means for defining a set of criteria under which image data shall be recorded;

a second computer instruction means for accessing a plurality of aircraft sensor information; and

a third computer instruction means for comparing said plurality of aircraft sensor information to said set of criteria and for asserting a signal to record the image data when said sensor information indicates that said criteria is satisfied.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein said computer readable storage medium comprises a removable storage medium.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein said removable storage media comprises a PCMCIA card.

28. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein said third computer instruction means comprises a reconfigurable algorithmic network.

29. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein said signal to record the image data comprises a signal to transmit the image data via telemetry.

30. A method for providing access to image data stored in an aircraft recording device comprising the steps of:

storing a predetermined set of criteria in a device useful for downloading the image data;

determining if said predetermined set of criteria is satisfied; and

reading the image data when said predetermined set of criteria is satisfied.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said step of storing a predetermined set of criteria comprises the step of storing a reconfigurable algorithmic network.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein said step of determining if said predetermined set of criteria is satisfied comprises the steps of accessing at least one aircraft sensor data stored in the aircraft recording device.

33. A computer program product for reading image data collected aboard an aircraft recording device comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer readable program code means comprising;

a first computer instruction means for accessing a predetermined set of criteria;

a second computer instruction means for determining if said predetermined set of criteria is satisfied; and

a third computer instruction means for reading the image data when said predetermined set of criteria is satisfied.

34. An apparatus for downloading image data from an aircraft recording device comprising:

a memory for storing a predetermined set of criteria under which the image data will be downloaded;

an input/output port; and

a controller coupled to said memory and to said input/output port for determining when said predetermined criteria are satisfied and for reading the image data stored in the aircraft recording device when said predetermined criteria is satisfied.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said apparatus comprises a personal computing device.

36. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said memory comprises a reconfigurable algorithmic network.