Methods and apparatus for transportation vehicle security monitoring

• US 20040160340A1
• Filed: 02/17/2003
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Brinkley, Roger R., Price, Jerry L., Lee, David R., Mitchell, Timothy M., Thomson, Deane A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,937,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0053 using visual equipment, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1965 the vehicle being an aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

In some configurations, the present invention is an apparatus for monitoring events on board a transportation vehicle. The apparatus includes a communication system configured to stream data from the transportation vehicle to an external location at least one monitoring device configured to collect video data, audio data, or both, from events occurring on the transportation vehicle; a latching mechanism in a location inaccessible during travel and configured to activate the communication system to stream data from the monitoring device or devices to the external location; and a switch configured to activate the latching mechanism when the switch is activated.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring events on board a transportation vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a communication system configured to stream data from the transportation vehicle to an external location;

at least one monitoring device configured to collect video data, audio data, or both, from events occurring on the transportation vehicle;

a latching mechanism in a location inaccessible during travel and configured to activate the communication system to stream data from the at least one monitoring device to the external location; and

a switch configured to activate the latching mechanism when the switch is activated.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the transportation vehicle is an aircraft and said apparatus further comprises an uninterruptible power source configured to supply power to at least a portion of the communication system when the latching mechanism activates the communication system to stream the data from the aircraft to the external location.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said at least one monitoring device comprises at least one camera.

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein the camera is a wireless camera.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3 further comprising a display in a flight deck of the aircraft configured to display an image observed by the wireless camera.

6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein the communication system further comprises a receiver electronically coupled to the display and configured to receive, under control of a station at the external location, an image observed by the wireless camera.

7. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein the uninterruptible power source is configured to provide power, after said switch activates said latching mechanism, only to selected aircraft subsystems utilized by said apparatus.

8. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the switch comprises at least one of a personal digital assistant or handheld computer.

9. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 further comprising an emergency locator transponder and global positioning system receiver in a single enclosure configured to transmit location information when activated.

10. An apparatus in accordance with claim 9 in an aircraft, and further wherein both said emergency locator transponder and said global positioning system receiver are powered independently of other aircraft power sources.

11. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a medical data input connector configured for cable connection of medical instruments and configured to permit medical data to be transmitted to a ground station via said apparatus.

12. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said communication apparatus comprises at least one transmitter providing transmission resources, and said communication apparatus is configured to perform load balancing in accordance with available transmission resources.

13. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said at least one monitoring device comprises a plurality of cameras, and said communication system is responsive to a control signal received from a ground station to control a bandwidth of transmission of each said camera to the ground station in accordance with the received control signal.

14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13 wherein the transportation vehicle is an aircraft and said apparatus further comprises at least one ground station, wherein said ground station comprises:

a receiver configured to receive video data from said plurality of cameras;

a plurality of display screens configured to display said video data, wherein at least one said display screen is configured as a high resolution display screen relative to other said display screens; and

a transmitter configured to transmit said control signal to the aircraft to control a bandwidth of transmission of each said camera, wherein one said camera is designated for transmitting high resolution data to said high resolution display screen.

15. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said latching mechanism comprises a latching relay.

16. An apparatus for monitoring events on board a transportation vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive video and audio data from a plurality of sources onboard a transportation vehicle;

a plurality of display screens configured to display said video data, wherein at least one said display screen is configured as a high resolution display screen relative to other said display screens; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a control signal to the transportation vehicle to identify a camera on the transportation vehicle for transmission of high resolution data from the transportation vehicle to a said high resolution display screen.

17. An apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein the transportation vehicle is an aircraft and said apparatus further comprises a transmitter configured to selectively control retransmission of video data received from the aircraft back to the aircraft.

18. A method for monitoring events on board a transportation vehicle, said method comprising:

activating a latching mechanism on board the transportation vehicle while the transportation vehicle is traveling;

supplying power from an uninterruptible source via the latching mechanism to a communication system; and

transmitting, via the communication system, data from at least one monitoring device configured to collect video data, audio data, or both from events occurring on the transportation vehicle to a ground station.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18 wherein the transportation vehicle is an aircraft and said transmitting comprises transmitting video data from at least one camera on the aircraft.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein said transmitting video data from at least one camera further comprises transmitting video data from at least one wireless camera on board the aircraft.

21. A method in accordance with claim 19 further comprising displaying an image from the at least one camera on a display in a flight deck of the aircraft.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein said displaying an image on a display in a flight deck of the aircraft comprises receiving, from the ground station, a retransmitted image from the at least one camera, under control of the ground station.

23. A method in accordance with claim 19 further comprising analyzing, at the ground station, the received image from the at least one camera to determine whether or not to retransmit an image from the at least one camera to make the image from the at least one camera available for display on a display in a flight deck of the aircraft.

24. A method in accordance with claim 19 further comprising transmitting medical data via the communication system following said switching of the latching mechanism.

25. A method in accordance with claim 18 wherein the communication system provides a plurality of transmitting resources, and further-comprising adjusting a transmission bandwidth from the at least one monitoring device in accordance with available transmitting resources.

26. A method in accordance with claim 18 wherein said activating a latching mechanism comprises activating a latching relay.