Device for monitoring at least one pilot in a cockpit of an aircraft

• US 20030169173A1
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Original Assignee: Eurocopter
• Inventors: Longere, Jean-Yves
• Granted Patent: US 6,919,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/576
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0015 Devices specially adapted for the protection against criminal attack, e.g. anti-hijacking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0053 using visual equipment, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0056 detecting passenger or crew behavior by sensors, e.g. biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231

Abstract

The device (1) comprises a means (2) comprising at least one means of sensory recognition (3, 4), for pre-flight automatic characterization of the pilot who is located at a control station in the cockpit by establishing a reference profile, a means (5) comprising at least one means of sensory recognition (6, 7), for real-time automatic characterization, throughout the flight, of the person located at the control station, by establishing an actual profile, a means (8) for comparing in real time the actual profile with the reference profile, and for transmitting a dissimilarity signal, when they are different, and a means (9) for sending an alert signal to an air traffic control station (10), when a dissimilarity signal is transmitted.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring at least one pilot in a cockpit of an aircraft, which device comprises:

a first means (2) comprising at least one means of sensory recognition (3, 4), for pre-flight automatic characterization of said pilot who is located at a control station in said cockpit, by establishing a reference profile of said pilot;

a second means (5) comprising at least one means of sensory recognition (6, 7), for real-time automatic characterization, throughout the flight, of the person located at said control station, by establishing an actual profile of said person;

a means of information processing (8) for comparing in real time, throughout the flight, said actual profile with said reference profile, and for transmitting a dissimilarity signal, when said actual profile is different from said reference profile; and

a means of alert (9) for sending an alert signal to an air traffic control station (10), when said means of information processing (8) transmits a dissimilarity signal.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first and second means (2, 5) comprises at least two different means of sensory recognition (3, 4;

6, 7), respectively of a first type and of a second type, establishing a first profile and a second profile respectively.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means of information processing (8) transmits a dissimilarity signal, when at least one of said first and second actual profiles is different from the corresponding first or second reference profile.

4. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means of information processing (8) compares in real time, throughout the flight, only said first actual profile with said first reference profile and transmits, when they are different, a dissimilarity signal, and wherein said device (1) furthermore comprises a means of confirmation (8) for comparing said second actual profile with said second reference profile, only when a dissimilarity is assumed, and for transmitting a dissimilarity confirmation signal, when in this case said second actual profile is also different from said second reference profile.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least said means of sensory recognition (6, 7) of said second means (5) exhibits a coverage of 360°

at said control station.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least said means of sensory recognition (6, 7) of said second means (5) comprises a temporal filter.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means of information processing (8) transmits, should there be a difference between the actual profile and the reference profile, a dissimilarity signal, only if said actual profile corresponds to a person.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, which furthermore comprises at least one means of validation (18, 19) of said reference profile.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said means of validation (18) comprises:

an element (20) for inputting a particular code; and

an element (21) for comparing this particular input code with a prerecorded code and for validating the reference profile should said codes be identical.

10. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said means of validation (19) comprises:

an element (22) for sending a validation request signal to an air traffic control station (10); and

an element (22) for receiving a validation signal from an air traffic control station (10), and for validating said reference profile, should a validation signal be received in response to a sent validation request signal.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, which furthermore comprises a means (23) for sending a signal of proper operation to an air traffic control station (10).

12. The device as claimed in claim 1, which furthermore comprises a means (24) for sending said actual profile to an air traffic control station (10) should a dissimilarity signal be transmitted.

13. The device as claimed in claim 1, which furthermore comprises a means (25) which is triggerable from an air traffic control station (10), for acting on persons located in the aircraft.

14. The device as claimed in claim 1, which furthermore comprises a means (26) which is triggerable from an air traffic control station (10), for acting on a piloting system of the aircraft.

15. The device as claimed in claim 1, for simultaneously monitoring at least two pilots of the aircraft, wherein said means of information processing (8) transmits a dissimilarity signal, as soon as an actual profile is different from the corresponding reference profile of one of said pilots.

16. The device as claimed in claim 1, for simultaneously monitoring at least two pilots of the aircraft, wherein said means of alert (9) is able to send at least three different alert signals, namely two alert signals associated respectively with said two pilots, as well as a third alert signal should the two pilots be replaced simultaneously.

17. The device as claimed in claim 1, for simultaneously monitoring at least two pilots of the aircraft, wherein said means of information processing (8) transmits a dissimilarity signal, only when all the actual profiles are simultaneously different from the corresponding reference profiles of all said pilots.

18. The device as claimed in claim 1, for monitoring at least two crews of at least one pilot each, which have to swap over in the course of the flight, which furthermore comprises a means (27) for rendering said device (1) passive upon a change of crew, a new reference profile being established for the new pilot after the change of crew.

19. The device as claimed in claim 1, for monitoring at least two crews of at least one pilot each, which have to swap over in the course of the flight, wherein before the flight said first means (2) establishes a reference profile for all the pilots of said crews.