Anti-terrorism aircraft flight control system

• US 20030055540A1
• Filed: 09/20/2001
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James K. Hansen
• Original Assignee: James K. Hansen
• Inventors: Hansen, James K.
• Application Number:
  US09/956,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055540A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0031 means for overriding or restricting access to flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members

Abstract

The invention disclosed herein is a computerized control system for aircraft which will prevent catastrophic damage and loss of life associated with terrorists hijacking large aircraft and using them as flying bombs to destroy buildings, military bases and government installations, and to kill people. The system works stand-alone or with existing aircraft equipment to monitor aircraft position, velocity, and acceleration and give warnings to the pilot and to authorities when an aircraft enters a prohibited airspace. The system further incorporates an override system which will take control of an aircraft which has entered or is about to enter a designated prohibited three-dimensional area. It also includes a code-entered override, which can be transmitted to the pilot via radio, in the event that the aircraft is damaged and must land in a prohibited area such as at a military base.

Claims

1. A tamper-proof, computerized control system for an aircraft comprising:

a. a computerized, updatable database of three-dimensional prohibited flying areas;

b. a global positioning sensor or similar device providing said control system with position, velocity, and acceleration data of said aircraft;

c. a notification system to alert proper authorities of a breach in said prohibited flying areas or unsafe flying maneuvers and to download current flight data while said aircraft is in the air via radio, satellite, or similar transmission;

d. and an override control computer and flight control software to calculate possible breaches in said prohibited areas, monitor for unsafe flying maneuvers, automatically pilot said aircraft away from said prohibited flying area in the event of an airspace violation or possible airspace violation, and take control of said aircraft if undergoing erratic or unsafe flight maneuvers.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein immediately surrounding said prohibited flying areas, there exists one or more secondary prohibited flying areas giving early warning notices to pilots and governing bodies about a possible breach.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein said override control computer and said flight control software use an existing autopilot feature on said aircraft to navigate said aircraft away from said prohibited areas or resume safe flight after erratic flying maneuvers.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein said global positioning sensor or similar device utilizes existing sensors on said aircraft to obtain or verify position, velocity, and acceleration data.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein said notification system uses an existing transponder or similar transmitting device on said aircraft to notify authorities of a breach in said prohibited flying areas.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein said override control computer monitors said aircraft'"'"'s navigational and power systems ensuring full functionality and allows breach of certain predetermined prohibited areas if certain navigational systems fail.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein, in the event of a navigational or power system failure, a pilot would receive a code from a governing body, which, when properly entered, would allow said pilot to navigate said aircraft into a prohibited area to land said aircraft.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein said flight control software calculates said aircraft'"'"'s velocity component perpendicular to the nearest prohibited area and provides safe warning to a pilot that there exists a danger of penetration of said prohibited flying area if a navigational correction is not immediately employed.

9. The control system of claim 8, wherein said override control computer and said flight control software would automatically pilot said aircraft safely away from said prohibited area if the magnitude of said perpendicular velocity component became large enough to ensure that said aircraft could not safely avoid said prohibited area.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein said override control computer can only be engaged after a violation of a prohibited area has been confirmed by a third party not aboard the aircraft.

11. The control system of claim 1, wherein said override control computer disengages all manual flight controls available to the pilot.

12. The control system of claim 1, wherein said notification system can play a recorded message via an intercom to passengers to inform said passengers that said aircraft has attempted to enter a prohibited area or is undertaking erratic maneuvers, at the discretion of the air traffic controller or other authority.