Method and apparatus for covertly detecting and reporting a distress condition in a vehicle control cabin

• US 20060007020A1
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Original Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Inventors: Biermann, Paul J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,081,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/302 Airplanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A method of covertly detecting and reporting a distress condition in a control cabin of a vehicle, the cabin having designated areas expected to be occupied by respective operators under normal operating conditions of the vehicle. The method comprises (a) attaching to each operator a transponder tag configured to wirelessly transmit a response signal, unique to the operator to which it is attached, responsive to an interrogator signal; (b) wirelessly transmitting interrogator signals into the designated areas; (c) attempting to detect response signals, if any, from the transponder tags; and (d) if all of the response signals are concurrently not detected, then wirelessly transmitting a distress signal from the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of covertly detecting and reporting a distress condition in a control cabin of a vehicle, the cabin having designated areas expected to be occupied by respective operators under normal operating conditions of the vehicle, comprising:

(a) attaching to each operator a transponder tag configured to wirelessly transmit a response signal, unique to the operator to which it is attached, responsive to an interrogator signal;

(b) wirelessly transmitting interrogator signals into the designated areas;

(c) attempting to detect response signals, if any, from the transponder tags; and

(d) if all of the response signals are concurrently not detected, then wirelessly transmitting a distress signal from the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cabin includes cabin-installed, mechanically activated panic buttons each positioned within or near to a respective one of the designated areas for access by the respective operator, the method further comprising:

(e) between steps (c) and (d), determining if any of the panic buttons are activated; and

(f) if at least one of the panic buttons is activated and at least one of the response signals is detected, then transmitting a distress signal from the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising repeating steps (b) through (f) until either (i) at least one of the panic buttons is activated, or (ii) all of the response signals are not detected concurrently.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes one or more engines, the method further comprising, before step (a):

determining if all of the one or more engines are turned on; and

performing steps (a) through (d) only if it is determined that all of the one or more vehicle engines are turned on.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises:

wirelessly transmitting a first of the interrogator signals from a first fixed position into a first of the designated areas between a first operator seat and an operator consol of the vehicle; and

wirelessly transmitting a second of the interrogator signals from a second fixed position into a second of the designated areas between a second operator seat and the operator console.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the vehicle is an airplane, the operators include a first pilot and a second pilot of the airplane, and the cabin is a cockpit of the airplane, wherein step (b) comprises:

wirelessly transmitting the first of the interrogator signals from a cockpit flight console toward a first pilot seat for the first pilot; and

wirelessly transmitting the second of the interrogator signals from the cockpit flight console toward a second pilot seat for the second pilot.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein step (b) further comprises:

wirelessly transmitting the first of the interrogator signals toward the first pilot seat using a first directive antenna; and

wirelessly transmitting the second of the interrogator signals toward the second pilot seat using a second directive antenna.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the vehicle is an airplane, the operators include a first pilot and a second pilot of the airplane, and the cabin is a cockpit of the airplane, wherein step (b) comprises:

wirelessly transmitting the first of the interrogator signals from a first pilot seat for the first pilot; and

wirelessly transmitting the second of the interrogator signals from a second pilot seat for the second pilot.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein step (b) further comprises wirelessly transmitting each of the first and second interrogator signals at a power level of less than or equal to 0.1 Watts.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein step (b) further comprises wirelessly transmitting each of the first and second interrogator signals in a frequency range of about 800 to 1000 MHz.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an airplane, the operators include a first pilot and a second pilot of the airplane, and the cabin is a cockpit of the airplane.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising:

wirelessly transmitting at least one uniquely encoded response signal responsive to at least one of the interrogator signals.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises wirelessly transmitting a distress message formatted to indicate that all of the operators are absent from their designated areas in the cabin.

14. A method of covertly detecting and reporting a distress condition in a cockpit of an airplane, the cockpit having designated areas expected to be occupied by respective pilots under normal operating conditions of the vehicle, comprising:

(a) attaching to each pilot a transponder tag configured to wirelessly transmit a response signal, unique to the pilot to which it is attached, responsive to an interrogator signal;

(b) wirelessly transmitting interrogator signals into the designated areas;

(c) attempting to detect response signals, if any, from the transponder tags; and

(d) if all of the response signals are concurrently not detected, then wirelessly transmitting a distress signal from the aircraft.

15. A system for covertly detecting and reporting an emergency condition in a control cabin of a vehicle, the cabin having designated areas expected to be occupied by respective operators under normal operating conditions of the vehicle, comprising:

transponder tags each configured to

(i) be attached to a respective operator, and

(ii) wirelessly transmit a response signal, uniquely encoded to identify the operator to which it is attached, responsive to an interrogator signal;

interrogator units, each including

a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit an interrogator signal,

a receiver configured to detect a wireless response signal if received, and

a controller, coupled with the receiver, configured to issue a result message indicating whether a response signal is detected;

a control module configured to issue a distress message when the result messages issued from all of the interrogators indicate that all of the response signals are not detected concurrently; and

a radio configured to wirelessly transmit the distress message.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

a first of the interrogator units is

mounted to an operator panel of the cabin, and

configured to transmit a first of the interrogator signals toward a first operator seat;

a second of the interrogator units is

mounted to the operator panel of the cabin, and

configured to transmit a second of the interrogator signals toward a second operator seat.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the interrogator units includes a directional transmit antenna having maximum antenna gain directed toward a respective one of the operator seats.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle is an airplane, the operators include a first pilot and a second pilot of the airplane, and the cabin is a cockpit of the airplane.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

a first of the interrogator units is

mounted to a first portion of a cockpit control console, and

configured to transmit a first of the interrogator signals toward a first pilot seat for the first pilot; and

a second of the interrogator units is

mounted to a second portion of the cockpit control console, and

configured to transmit a second of the interrogator signals toward a second pilot seat for the second pilot.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein:

a first of the interrogator units is

mounted to a first pilot seat for the first pilot, and

configured to transmit a first of the interrogator signals from the first pilot seat into a first of the designated regions; and

a second of the interrogator units is

mounted to a second pilot seat for the second pilot, and,

configured to transmit a second of the interrogator signals from the second pilot seat into a second of the designated regions.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the cabin includes mechanically activated panic buttons each coupled with the control module and positioned within a respective one of the designated areas for access by the respective operator; and

the control module is coupled to the panic buttons and is configured to

determine if any of the panic buttons are activated, and

issue a distress message when at least one of the panic buttons is activated and at least one of the response signals is detected.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the transponder tags is a passive tag type transponder configured to derive its full operating power from one of the interrogator signals.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller of each of the interrogator units is configured to issue a message to the control module indicating that the corresponding uniquely encoded response signal is absent when the corresponding response signal has not been detected for more than a predetermined maximum time period.

24. A system for covertly detecting and reporting an emergency condition in a cockpit of an airplane, the cockpit having designated areas, between a cockpit control console and pilot seats, expected to be occupied by respective pilots under normal operating conditions of the airplane, comprising:

transponder tags each configured to (i) be attached to a respective pilot, and (ii) wirelessly transmit a response signal, uniquely encoded to identify the pilot to which it is attached, responsive to an interrogator signal;

interrogator units each mounted to either a respective portion of the cockpit control console that faces a respective pilot seat, or a respective pilot seat, each of the interrogator units including

a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit an interrogator signal,

a receiver configured to detect a wireless response signal from a corresponding one only of the transponder tags, and

a controller, coupled with the receiver, configured to issue a result message indicating whether the response signal is detected;

a control module configured to issue a distress message when the result messages issued from all of the interrogators indicate that all of the response signals are not detected concurrently; and

a radio configured to wirelessly transmit the distress message.