Airliner irreversible-control anti-hijack system

• US 20030163232A1
• Filed: 01/27/2003
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jose Paul Moretto
• Original Assignee: Jose Paul Moretto
• Inventors: Moretto, Jose Paul
• Granted Patent: US 6,845,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

Directed toward universal commercial-airliner application as an air/ground-lifesaving function, this cost-effective retrofitable system enables airliner-pilots to conveniently actuate an inconspicuous AIRCIA™/enable-switch, -thereby instantly disabling onboard flight-commands to render the airliner'"'"'s guidance-system irretrievably placed into total reliance upon its existing autopilot-system in RF-communication with encrypted remote ground/air-intercept personnel. Acting to virtually confound any criminal-attempt by a hijacker to commandeer an airliner, the airliner thus becomes flown only as directed by an authorized remote/flight-control station in cooperation with the airliner'"'"'s remotely-reprogrammed onboard avionics-system, automatically vectoring the airliner to land safely via the existing avionics/autopilot-system at a designated airport. The AIRCIA™-system is initially verified for flight-worthiness operation upon every routine preflight/check-list procedure, its master ECU/restore-switch being accessible externally of the aircraft-interior. Support-system options include SmartCard®-interfacing, and automatic engagement of AIRCIA™-system in event of natural-cause pilot-incapacitation, and ATI(automatic/tranquil-Infusion) which introduces tranquilizing-gas into the airliner'"'"'s entire interior.

Claims

1. ) Anti-hijack flight control-system augmentation preventing commandeering of an aircraft;

said anti-hijack augmentation comprising;

a normally nulled electrical “

irrevers”

/selector-switch means located proximal pilot'"'"'s existing flight control-column, whereby manual actuation of said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch places aircraft'"'"'s existing avionics autopilot-system into an irreversible modality of emergency operation rendering the aircraft uncontrollable by anyone aboard;

an AIRCA/ECU-microprocessor arranged in electrical-communication with said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch means, whereby the biasing of said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch instantly activates the AIRCA-system circuit thus incapacitating any further response to commands executed from within aircraft'"'"'s control-cabin.

2. ) The aircraft anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-1, wherein an AIRCA-notify RF-signal is issued from the aircraft to ground or satellite stations upon activation of said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch, thereby alerting GCS flight-coordination personnel as to hostile takeover of the aircraft along with its vital-signs, whereby aircraft is then remotely-vectored to a landing-strip determined appropriate by these authorized outside said flight-coordination personnel alone.

3. ) The aircraft anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-1, wherein an AIRCA-notify RF-signal issued from the aircraft to ground or satellite stations upon activation of said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch, thereby alerting GCS flight-coordination personnel as to hostile takeover of the aircraft along with its vital-signs, whereby aircraft is then remotely-vectored to a landing-strip determined appropriate by these authorized outside said flight-coordination personnel which includes an intercepting airborne ACS-unit commander acquiring direct visual monitoring and realtime remote-control of the dependent aircraft'"'"'s AIRCIA-system.

4. ) The aircraft anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-1, wherein said AIRCA/ECU-microprocessor is located inaccessibly outside of said fuselage-cabin, yet in electrical-communication with said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch means; and

whereby physical interruption of said electrical-communication disables the aircraft from initial start-up procedure, and if such disconnection is made while in flight then said AIRCA-system is automatically activated to take full control of the aircraft.

5. ) The aircraft anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-1, wherein said AIRCA-system means is integrated to aircraft'"'"'s existing preflight/check-list procedure, whereby if the preflight-test reveals at least one of the vital operatives of said AIRCA-system to be defeated from activation via simulated emergency-activation, said AIRCA/ECU-microprocessor thus determines the aircraft to be un-flightworthy, thereby preventing its engine(s) from starting toward becoming airborne.

6. ) The anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-1, wherein said AIRCA/ECU-microprocessor is pre-programmed to interface with an ATI-system which can be automatically actuated by either the AIRCIA/GCS or AIRCIA/ACS systems, and so activate at least one solenoid-valve in fluid-tight communication with a reservoir pressure-tank located within the aircraft'"'"'s baggage-compartment and thereby release a so-called Twilight-gas in sufficient quantity as to induce a state of mild sleep to the aircraft'"'"'s inhabitants while the aircraft is safely being remotely flight controlled.

7. ) The anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-1, wherein said AIRCIA/ECU-microprocessor includes a VRS-system programmed to monitor the pilots cockpit presence, whereby if after a predetermined period of time no activity is detected, then the aircraft is automatically placed under full control of the AIRCIA-system.

8. ) The anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-7, wherein said AIRCIA/ECU-microprocessor'"'"'s VRS-system is programmed to monitor for approximately 7½

-minutes for example, then said VRS-system will activate an electronically programmed announcement requesting a pilot answer if all is aright, and if there be no audible response then the a count-down ensues for the pilots to hear prior to the AIRCIA-system automatically switching into self-activating modality of operation;

whereupon the aircraft is placed into irreversible AIRCIA control.

9. ) The anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-1, wherein a smart-card is provided which is pre-programmed to interface with the aircraft'"'"'s existing avionics so as to detect possible tampering abnormality thereof by conveying, comparing, and receiving computerized information during normal pre-flight check-list procedure, and thereby automatically prevent start-up sequencing of the aircraft'"'"'s engines if analysis is adverse.

10. ) The anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-9, wherein said smart-card is additionally pre-programmed with various x-y/aximuth-coordinates for interfacing with aircraft'"'"'s existing GPS/Flight-system, causing certain predetermined landmarks to be treated as “

no fly zones”

, and thereby causing the aircraft to automatically maneuver safely around said landmarks.

11. ) Anti-hijack flight control-system augmentation preventing commandeering of an aircraft;

said anti-hijack augmentation comprising;

a smart-card pre-programmed to interface with the aircraft'"'"'s existing avionics so as to detect possible tampering abnormality thereof by conveying, comparing, and receiving computerized information during normal pre-flight check-list procedure, and thereby automatically prevent start-up sequencing of the aircraft'"'"'s engines if analysis is adverse;

a normally nulled electrical “

irrevers”

/selector-switch means located readily accessible to the pilots, whereby actuation of said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch places aircraft'"'"'s existing autopilot-system into an irreversible modality of emergency operation rendering the aircraft uncontrollable by anyone aboard;

an AIRCA/ECU-microprocessor arranged in electrical-communication with said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch means, whereby initial biasing of said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch instantly activates the AIRCA-system circuit thus incapacitating any further response to commands executed from within aircraft'"'"'s control-cabin;

an AIRCA-notify RF-signal issued from the aircraft to ground or satellite stations upon activation of said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch, thereby alerting flight-coordination personnel as to hostile takeover of the aircraft along with its vital-signs, whereby aircraft is then remotely-vectored by GCS to a landing-strip determined appropriate by these authorized outside said flight-coordination personnel alone.

12. ) The aircraft anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-11, wherein said AIRCA/ECU-microprocessor is located inaccessibly outside of said fuselage-cabin, yet in electrical-communication with said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch means; and

whereby physical interruption of said electrical-communication disables the aircraft from initial start-up procedure, and if such disconnection is made while in flight then said AIRCA-system is automatically activated to take full control of the aircraft.

13. ) The aircraft anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-11, wherein said AIRCA-system means is integrated to aircraft'"'"'s existing preflight/check-list procedure, whereby if the preflight-test reveals at least one of the vital operatives of said AIRCA-system to be defeated from activation via simulated emergency-activation, said AIRCA/ECU-microprocessor thus determines the aircraft to be un-flightworthy, thereby preventing its engine(s) from starting toward becoming airborne.

14. ) The anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-11, wherein said AIRCA/ECU-microprocessor is also pre-programmed to interface with an ATI-system which can be automatically actuated by either the AIRCIA/GCS or AIRCIA/ACS systems, and so activate at least one solenoid-valve in fluid-tight communication with a reservoir pressure-tank located within the aircraft'"'"'s baggage-compartment and thereby release a so-called Twilight-gas in sufficient quantity as to induce a state of mild sleep to the aircraft'"'"'s inhabitants while the aircraft is safely being remotely flight controlled.

15. ) The anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-11, wherein said AIRCIA/ECU-microprocessor'"'"'s VRS-system is programmed to monitor for approximately 7½

-minutes for example, then said VRS-system will activate an electronically programmed announcement requesting a pilot answer if all is aright, and if there be no audible response then the a count-down ensues for the pilots to hear prior to the AIRCIA-system automatically switching into self-activating modality of operation;

whereupon the aircraft is placed into irreversible AIRCIA control.

16. ) The anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-11, wherein said smart-card is additionally pre-programmed with various x-y/aximuth-coordinates for interfacing with aircraft'"'"'s existing GPS/Flight-system, causing certain predetermined landmarks to be treated as “

no fly zones”

, and thereby causing the aircraft to automatically maneuver safely around said landmarks.

17. ) The aircraft anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-11, wherein said AIRCA-notify RF-signal issued from the aircraft to ground or satellite stations upon activation of said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch, alerts GCS flight-coordination personnel as to hostile takeover or other incapacitation of the aircraft, whereby the aircraft is intercepted by an airborne ACS-unit acquiring direct visual monitoring and realtime remote-control of the dependent aircraft'"'"'s AIRCIA-system, as to thereby vector the dependent aircraft to a landing-strip determined appropriate by either the ACS-unit commander or the central GCS-group command.

18. ) Anti-hijack flight control-system augmentation preventing commandeering of an aircraft;

said anti-hijack augmentation comprising;

a smart-card pre-programmed to interface with the aircraft'"'"'s existing avionics so as to detect possible tampering abnormality thereof by conveying, comparing, and receiving computerized information during normal pre-flight check-list procedure, and thereby automatically prevent start-up sequencing of the aircraft'"'"'s engines if analysis is adverse;

a said smart-card pre-programmed with various x-y/aximuth-coordinates for interfacing with aircraft'"'"'s existing GPS/Flight-system, causing certain predetermined landmarks to be treated as “

no fly zones”

, and thereby causing the aircraft to automatically maneuver safely around said landmarks;

a normally nulled electrical “

irrevers”

/selector-switch means located readily accessible to the pilots, whereby actuation of said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch places aircraft'"'"'s existing autopilot-system into an irreversible modality of emergency operation rendering the aircraft uncontrollable by anyone aboard;

an AIRCA/ECU-microprocessor arranged in electrical-communication with said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch means, whereby initial biasing of said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch instantly activates the AIRCA-system circuit thus incapacitating any further response to commands executed from within aircraft'"'"'s control-cabin;

an AIRCA-notify RF-signal issued from the aircraft to ground or satellite stations upon activation of said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch, thereby alerting flight-coordination personnel as to hostile takeover of the aircraft along with its vital-signs, whereby aircraft is then remotely-vectored to a landing-strip determined appropriate by these authorized outside said flight-coordination personnel alone.

19. ) The aircraft anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-18, wherein said AIRCA/ECU-microprocessor is located inaccessibly outside of said fuselage-cabin, yet in electrical-communication with said “

irrevers”

/selector-switch means; and

whereby physical disconnection of said electical-communication disables the aircraft from initial start-up procedure, and if physical disconnection is made while in flight then said AIRCA-system is automatically activated for remote GCS control of the aircraft.

20. ) The anti-hijack augmentation according to claim-18, wherein said AIRCIA/ECU-microprocessor includes a VRS-system programmed to monitor the pilots cockpit activity presence, whereby if after a predetermined period of time such as 7-minutes no activity is detected then said VRS-system will activate an electronically programmed announcement requesting a pilot answer if all is aright, and if there be no audible response then an audible count-down further ensues for the pilots to hear prior to the AIRCIA-system automatically switching into self-activating modality of operation;

whereupon the aircraft is placed into irreversible AIRCIA control.