Airplane emergency navigational system

• US 20050216138A1
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian Erkin Turung
• Original Assignee: Brian Erkin Turung
• Inventors: Turung, Brian E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,693,614 B2
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/005 altimeters for aircraft G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

An emergency navigational system that monitors the navigation of an aircraft by comparing actual flight parameter data to predefined flight parameter data to thereby determine if the actual flight parameter data deviates beyond a defined value, and if so, activating a navigational controller to at least partially control the navigation of the aircraft.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. An emergency navigational system that at least partially controls the navigation of the aircraft comprising a comparator device that compares actual flight parameter data at a particular time to predefined flight parameter data for said particular time, and a navigational controller that takes control of at least one navigational control of said aircraft after said data compared by said comparator deviates beyond a defined value.

44. The method of at least partially controlling an aircraft that has deviated from at least one predefined flight parameter comprising:

a. including at least one predefined flight parameter for at least a portion of a flight path of said aircraft into a database;

b. monitoring at least one flight parameter during the flight of said aircraft which corresponds to said at least one predefined flight parameter;

c. comparing said at least one predefined flight parameter to said corresponding monitored flight parameter; and

,

d. causing an emergency navigational system to activate a navigational controller upon determining said monitored flight parameter exceeds a predefined deviation from said predefined flight parameter, said navigational controller at least partially controlling the navigation of said aircraft after being activated.

45. The method as defined in claim 44, wherein said monitored flight parameter data includes data selected from the group consisting of GPS position data, airspeed, altitude, date, time, aircraft flap position, aircraft orientation, and combinations thereof.

46. The method as defined in claim 44, wherein said predefined flight parameter data includes data selected from the group consisting of GPS position data, airspeed, altitude, date, time, aircraft flap position, aircraft orientation, and combinations thereof.

47. The method as defined in claim 44, wherein said navigational controller controls at least one navigational control to at least partially cause said aircraft to at least temporarily cease deviating beyond said defined value.

48. The method as defined in claim 44, wherein said navigational controller controls at least one navigational control to at least partially cause said aircraft to at least temporarily follow a new predefined flight path.

49. The method as defined in claim 44, wherein said navigational controller releases control of said at least one navigational control after receipt of a release signal from a security controller.

50. The method as defined in claim 47, wherein said release signal at least partially originates from a location remote to said aircraft.

51. The method as defined in claim 47, wherein said release signal at least partially originates from said aircraft.

52. The method as defined in claim 44, including a database that at least partially stores said predefined flight parameter data prior to flight of said aircraft.

53. The method as defined in claim 52, wherein said database is at least partially removable from said aircraft.

54. The method as defined in claim 44, including an aircraft regulator that limits operation of at least one aircraft device on said aircraft while said navigational controller is controlling at least one of said navigational controls, said aircraft device including an aircraft door, an aircraft hatch, aircraft elevators, aircraft lights, aircraft electronic systems, aircraft environmental 5 controls, and combinations thereof.

55. The method as defined in claim 44, wherein said navigational control includes control of aircraft rudder, aircraft flap, landing gear, aircraft speed, exterior lighting, aircraft engine operation, aircraft fuel control, and combinations thereof.

56. The method as defined in claim 44, wherein at least a portion of said emergency navigational system is located in a cockpit of said aircraft and at least a portion of said emergency navigational system is located remotely of said cockpit.

57. The method as defined in claim 44, including a secondary emergency navigational system that at least partially performs at least one function of said emergency navigational system when at least one function of said emergency navigational system fails.

58. The method as defined in claim 57, wherein at least a portion of said secondary emergency navigational system is positioned in a location remote of said cockpit.

59. The method as defined in claim 44, including a security analyzer to verify signals to said emergency navigational system from a location remote to said aircraft.

60. The method as defined in claim 44, wherein said defined value is constant for at least one flight parameter.

61. The method as defined in claim 44, wherein said defined value is not constant for at least one flight parameter.

62. The method as defined in claim 44, wherein said navigational controller takes control of said at least one navigational control after said compared data has remained beyond said defined value for a predetermined amount of time.

63. The method as defined in claim 44, including a transmitter that transmits real time navigational data of said aircraft to a location remote of said aircraft during the time said navigational controller controls at least one of said navigational controls.

64. The method as defined in claim 44, including a fuel controller to at least partially expel fuel from said aircraft after said navigational controller controls at least one of said navigational controls.