Aircraft control system

• US 20030055564A1
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keith Raymond Tart
• Original Assignee: Keith Raymond Tart
• Inventors: Allen, Matthew Emmerson, Tart, Keith Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/18 using automatic pilot
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0015 Devices specially adapted for the protection against criminal attack, e.g. anti-hijacking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0031 means for overriding or restricting access to flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones

Abstract

A flight control system for preventing an aircraft colliding with designated man-made structures comprising means for determining the geographical position of the aircraft and means for comparing it with pre-determined geographical boundaries that may correspond to excluded zones; where the system of the inventions as appropriate, overrides a normal flight control system (such as a fly-by-wire flight system) to alter the course of the aircraft so that it avoids such pre-determined geographical boundaries; irrespective of any pilot commands.

Claims

1. A flight control system for an aircraft comprising means for determining the geographical position of the aircraft and means for comparing it with pre-determined geographical location(s) and control means designed to override a normal control system accessible to a pilot to alter the course of the aircraft irrespective of any pilot commands.

2. A flight control system according to claim 1 wherein the geographical position of the aircraft is determined by a global positioning satellite (GPS) system.

3. An flight control system according to claim 1 wherein the pre-determined geographical locations correspond to the location of on ground structures that are considered prime targets of saboteurs.

4. An flight control system according to claim 1 wherein the control means comprise a fly-by-wire system for controlling the flight path of the aircraft.

5. A flight control system according to claim 1 that may be re-set to allow pilot control following receipt an encrypted command transmitted by a government agency.

6. A flight control system according to claim 5 wherein the encrypted signal is transmitted or relayed by a satellite.

7. A flight control system according to claim 1 wherein when thc aircraft is at a particular latitude there is a corresponding range of allowable longitudes and the system of the invention applies correcting means to override the pilot and alter the flight path if the aircraft approaches a longitude defining the boundary of said range of allowable longitudes.

8. A flight control system according to claim 1 wherein when the aircraft is at a particular longitude there is a corresponding range of allowable latitudes and the system of the invention applies correcting means to override the pilot and alter the flight path if the aircraft approaches a latitude defining the boundary of said range of allowable latitudes.

9. A flight control system according to claim 1 wherein following activation of the system to avoid an excluded zone the flight control system propagates a warning signal to alert other aircraft in its vicinity that it is no longer under pilot control.

10. A flight control system for an aircraft comprising an on-board global positioning system that continually determines the geographical location of the aircraft and processing means within the aircraft that compare this location with pre-determined excluded geographical locations that represent excluded zones;

said processing means, when appropriate, activating control means to prevent the aircraft being piloted within said excluded zones.

11. A flight control system according to claim 10 wherein following averting action to avoid an excluded zone the aircraft ascends or descends to a pre-determined height.

12. A flight control system according to claim 10 wherein following averting action to avoid an excluded zone all vital aircraft functions are controlled by commands transmitted from the ground by a government agency.

13. A flight control system according to claim 12 wherein the aircraft automatically dumps excess fuel during part of its journey to a secure airport.

14. A flight control system according to claim 10, wherein the control system has a deep store which stores all excluded zone data (subject to updating) locations.

15. A flight control system according to claim 14, comprising another store which stores one or more locations for a designated geographical area.

16. A flight control system according to claim 10 which lakes averting action to avoid the excluded zone based on flight direction and ground velocity data measured by aircraft equipment.

17. A flight control system according to claim 10 wherein the control system takes averting action that corresponds to changes in flight direction experienced during normal flight navigation.

18. A flight control system according to claim 10 comprising means for ensuring that the aircraft lands at the nearest secure airport using;

determined from a list of secure airports;

using autopilot facilities;

following activation of the system to avoid an excluded zone.

19. A flight control system for preventing an aircraft colliding with designated man-made structures, comprising;

means for determining the geographical position of the aircraft;

means for storing excluded zone data, the boundary of said excluded zone being defined around a man-made structure to be protected;

comparator means for comparing said determined geographical position of the aircraft with a said excluded zone;

revised flight path calculator means that calculates a flight path that avoids said excluded zone when the aircraft is proximal and approaching said excluded zone; and

an interface facility that communicates with and overrides a normal flight control system to alter the course of the aircraft to the said flight path that avoids said excluded zone, irrespective of any pilot commands.

20. A flight control system according to claim 19 wherein the normal flight control system is a fly-by-wire control system.