Emergency descent system

• US 20070043482A1
• Filed: 07/05/2005
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Aimar, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,792,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/4
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0688 Emergency descent

Abstract

An emergency descent system is provided for automatically performing an emergency descent in a vehicle. The system monitors cabin pressure altitude and if the cabin pressure altitude exceeds a preset value, the emergency descent system, may direct the autopilot to descend the aircraft to the minimum safe altitude (MSA). The emergency descent system may also communicate with ground facilities informing them of the descent.

Claims

1. An emergency descent system for a vehicle comprising:

a processor;

a memory accessible by the processor, the memory including a software program executable by the processor, a terrain database and a flight plan route;

a navigation system which provides the processor with positional information;

a static pressure instrument, representative of a pressure altitude within the vehicle, that provides the processor with static pressure data;

an automatic pilot which controls the vehicle when engaged; and

a health/alertness monitoring system operatively connected to the processor;

wherein the processor monitors the static pressure instrument, the health/alertness monitoring system and the positional information, and directs the automatic pilot to decrease the vehicle altitude when the static pressure falls below a predetermined pressure.

2. The emergency descent system of claim 1, wherein the processor directs the automatic pilot to decrease the vehicle altitude when the health/alertness monitoring system returns a signal indicating loss of consciousness.

3. The emergency descent system of claim 1, wherein the navigation system receives position inputs from one of a global positioning system (GPS), an inertial navigation system (INS) and a ground based navigational aid.

4. The emergency descent system of claim 1, wherein the software program is adapted to convert the static pressure into a cabin pressure altitude.

5. The emergency descent system of claim 4, wherein the software program is adapted to determine a minimum descent altitude for each segment of a flight plan route.

6. The emergency descent system of claim 1, including a pilot interface device adapted to disengage the emergency descent system.

7. The emergency descent system of claim 6, wherein the pilot interface device is part of the automatic pilot.

8. The emergency descent system of claim 7, including a flight management system, wherein the flight management system supplies flight plan information to the memory for use by the software program.

9. The emergency descent system of claim 1, including a communication device.

10. The emergency descent system of claim 9, wherein the communication device is a radio.

11. The emergency descent system of claim 10, wherein the communication device is a data link.

12. The emergency descent system of claim 10, wherein the radio is a very high frequency (VHF) radio.

13. The emergency descent system of claim 10, wherein the processor sends a signal to a ground station through the communication device which informs the ground station that the vehicle is descending.

14. The emergency descent system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

15. A method of reducing the altitude of a vehicle comprising:

updating a vehicle position;

monitoring a pressure indication;

alerting a crew if the pressure indication indicates an altitude above a predetermined altitude;

determining a minimum safe altitude;

engaging an autopilot and auto-throttles to control the vehicle;

instructing the autopilot and auto-throttles to reduce the vehicle altitude; and

instructing the autopilot to level the vehicle at the minimum safe altitude.

16. The method of claim 15 including, transmitting a signal via an aircraft antenna to a ground station.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the signal is a radio signal and is transmitted on an emergency radio frequency.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the signal is transmitted via a datalink.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the pressure indication indicates a cabin pressure altitude.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle position is updated via one of an inertial navigation system (INS), a global positioning system (GPS) and ground based navigational aids (NAVAIDs).

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the minimum safe altitude is determined for each segment of a flight plan.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the autopilot includes a pilot interface device.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein a flight management system provides flight plan information.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.