Airplane anti-hijack system

• US 20030052798A1
• Filed: 10/01/2001
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Loyal McKinley Hanson
• Original Assignee: Loyal McKinley Hanson
• Inventors: Hanson, Loyal McKinley
• Application Number:
  US09/968,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20030052798A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/302 Airplanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/302 using recording means, e.g. black box
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members
• 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 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

An airplane anti-hijacking system includes components on board an airplane for producing informational signals reflecting conditions on board the airplane. Communications equipment on board the airplane that can be activated by onboard airplane personnel (e.g., during a hijack attempt or other emergency), automatically sends the informational signals to a ground station or other remote station to provide real-time information to the remote station. One embodiment sends audio, video, and sensor information along with the cockpit audio and flight recorder information already being recorded by an onboard black box system, and the communications equipment can be activated by cockpit personnel, predetermined senior flight attendants, and onboard security personnel. Preferably, the communications equipment on board the airplane is adapted to provide two-way communications with the remote station and includes means for enabling personnel at the remote station to activate the communications equipment and to actuate control components on board the airplane that perform various onboard operations (e.g., dumping fuel, taking over flight control and flying the airplane by remote control, etc.).

Claims

1. An airplane anti-hijacking system, comprising:

means on board an airplane for producing informational signals reflecting conditions on board the airplane, including at least one input device;

means on board the airplane for communicating the informational signals to a remote station, including communications equipment on board the airplane that is coupled to the input device; and

means on board the airplane for enabling airplane personnel on board the airplane to activate the communications equipment on board the airplane in order to provide real-time information from the input device to the remote station.

2. An airplane anti-hijacking system as recited in claim 1, wherein the means on board the airplane for producing informational signals reflecting conditions on board the airplane includes at least one video input device.

3. An airplane anti-hijacking system as recited in claim 1, wherein the means on board the airplane for producing informational signals reflecting conditions on board the airplane includes at least one audio input device.

4. An airplane anti-hijacking system as recited in claim 1, wherein the means on board the airplane for producing informational signals reflecting conditions on board the airplane includes at least one sensor device.

5. An airplane anti-hijacking system as recited in claim 1, wherein the means on board the airplane for producing informational signals reflecting conditions on board the airplane includes existing onboard equipment providing audio and flight recorder signals for recording by a black box on board the airplane.

6. An airplane anti-hijacking system as recited in claim 1, wherein the means on board the airplane for enabling airplane personnel on board the airplane to activate the communications equipment on board the airplane includes means for enabling cockpit personnel on board the airplane to activate the communications equipment in an emergency.

7. An airplane anti-hijacking system as recited in claim 1, wherein the means on board the airplane for enabling airplane personnel on board the airplane to activate the communications equipment on board the airplane includes means for enabling predetermined senior flight attendants to activate the communications equipment in an emergency.

8. An airplane anti-hijacking system as recited in claim 1, wherein the means on board the airplane for enabling airplane personnel on board the airplane to activate the communications equipment on board the airplane includes means for enabling onboard security personnel to activate the communications equipment in an emergency.

9. An airplane anti-hijacking system as recited in claim 1, wherein the communications equipment on board the airplane is adapted to provide two-way communications with the remote station and includes means for enabling personnel at the remote station to activate the communications equipment.

10. An airplane anti-hijacking system as recited in claim 9, wherein the anti-hijacking system includes control means on board the airplane for performing at least one onboard control operation under control of personnel at the remote station, and the communications equipment on board the airplane is adapted to enable personnel at the remote station to actuate the control means.

11. An airplane anti-hijacking system as recited in claim 9, further comprising a remote station having communications equipment and computer equipment with monitoring equipment and recording equipment coupled to the communications equipment.

12. An airplane anti-hijacking system, comprising:

means on board an airplane for producing informational signals reflecting conditions on board the airplane, including at least one input device;

means on board the airplane for communicating the informational signals to a remote station, including communications equipment on board the airplane that is coupled to the input device; and

means on board the airplane for enabling personnel at the ground station to fly the airplane by remote control.

13. An airplane anti-hijacking system, comprising:

means on board an airplane for producing informational signals reflecting conditions on board the airplane, including at least one input device;

means on board the airplane for communicating the informational signals to a remote station, including communications equipment on board the airplane that is coupled to the input device; and

means on board the airplane for enabling personnel at the remote station to fly the airplane by remote control.

14. An airplane anti-hijacking system, comprising:

means on board an airplane for producing informational signals reflecting conditions on board the airplane, including at least one input device in the form of a camera; and

means on board the airplane for communicating the informational signals to a remote station, including communications equipment on board the airplane that is coupled to the input device.

15. An airplane anti-hijacking system as recited in claim 14, wherein the communications equipment on board the airplane is adapted to provide two-way communications with the remote station and includes means for enabling personnel at the remote station to activate the communications equipment.

16. An airplane anti-hijacking system as recited in claim 14, further comprising means on board the airplane for enabling airplane personnel on board the airplane to activate the communications equipment on board the airplane in order to provide real-time information from the input device to the remote station.