Method and apparatus for mitigating aviation risk by analyzing and modeling air crew fatigue

• US 20110071873A1
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Edward Vaughan, Lynn Lee
• Original Assignee: Edward Vaughan, Lynn Lee
• Inventors: Vaughan, Edward, Lee, Lynn
• Application Number:
  US12/806,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20110071873A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Apparatus and method for analyzing and managing fatigue primarily in aviation occupations. The invention is adaptable to other occupations where assuring crew rest is critical. Air crew specific graphical user interfaces (GUIs) allow for the insertion of sleep into crew work schedules. Alternative sleep models are used for different modes of sleep. The invention produces as an output work/sleep schedules with an associated effectiveness determination.

Claims

1. An apparatus for mitigating aviation risk, comprising means for analyzing and modeling air crew fatigue, wherein said means for analyzing and modeling further comprise:

a computing means;

a software program comprising computer-executable instructions, wherein said software program, when executed, comprises means for;

a user interface for generating a work schedule;

a schedule preprocessor for producing direct parameters from said work schedule;

to a sleep database containing work and sleep information;

a sleep engine for inserting sleep into said work schedule by breaking down said direct parameters by work segments in cooperation with said sleep database; and

a sleep modeler for outputting work and sleep effectiveness results from said work segments.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises a Graphical User Interface (GUI), said GUI further comprises means for data entry for building databases, data selection for selecting timezones, and data display for displaying results.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said means for data entry for building data bases further comprises means for creating a schedule, a parameter table, a base table, a rank table and an airframe table, wherein

said schedule comprises work and sleep activities in chronological order;

said parameter table comprises direct and indirect parameters for a particular schedule;

said base table comprises a list of military bases, airports, hospitals and points of interest;

said rank table comprises a list of individuals and their military rank; and

said airframe table comprises a list of ground, air and sea vehicle type.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said data display means for displaying results further comprises means for

displaying the results of a constructed database, wherein said constructed database further comprises

a schedule pane;

a results pane capable of identifying a critical effectiveness zone;

an active schedule pane;

a properties pane; and

a sleep performance pane.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said indirect parameters comprise data on

crew age and gender;

sleeping aids; and

stimulants.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said direct parameters comprise data on

circadian value;

effectiveness;

daylight;

time of day;

geographic location;

day of the week;

timezones crossed;

jet lag; and

season.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for analyzing and modeling further comprise means for

creating a schedule baseline;

prepending a plurality of days to said schedule baseline;

preprocessing said schedule into a plurality of epochs of a specified temporal value, wherein said plurality of epochs, when added, are equivalent to the duration of said schedule;

determining for each of said epoch geographic location;

time zone;

acrophase;

goal acrophase;

reservoir;

effectiveness;

circadian value;

daytime; and

the wake, sleep, or working status of crew member being analyzed and modeled;

performing an activity for the duration of each of said epoch;

depleting said reservoir for wake and working status of said crew member;

adding to said reservoir for sleeping status of said crew member;

determining effectiveness for each of said epoch;

evaluating sleep for each of said epoch;

determining whether current epoch is the last epoch; and

returning to said step of performing an activity for the duration of each said epoch until last epoch is reached.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means for determining said goal acrophase further comprises means for resetting said goal acrophase if said activity during first said epoch is sleep.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein means for determining said goal acrophase further comprises means for adjusting said goal acrophase according to the weighted balance of the previous three average awake hours.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said means for determining said current acrophase comprises execution of the following said computer-executable instructions:

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means for evaluating sleep for each of said epoch further comprises means for modeling said sleep in said sleep engine, wherein said means for modeling further comprises means for:

applying a plurality of sleep models to each of said epochs;

determining whether sleep is occurring;

authorizing an activity to be performed when sleep is occurring;

calculating effectiveness;

smoothing the effect of said plurality of sleep models; and

determining when a last sleep model of said plurality of sleep models has been applied.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said sleep engine for inserting sleep into said work schedule further comprises means for

determining whether crew is working or sleeping during said epoch and returning a false result when working;

determining whether crew is commuting during said epoch and returning a false result when commuting;

determining whether crew has exceeded its layover sleep limit during said epoch and returning a false result when having exceeded said limit;

determining whether crew has attained a maximum sleep limit during said epoch and returning a false result when said limit is attained;

determining whether crew has recently slept during said epoch and returning a false result when crew has recently slept;

determining whether it is daytime during said epoch and further determining whether crew was previously sleeping and;

returning a false result when it is not daytime;

returning a false result when it is daytime and crew was not previously sleeping;

returning a true result when it is daytime and crew was previously sleeping;

determining whether the available hours of night time exceed a maximum and returning a false result when the available hours of night time exceed said maximum;

determining whether the next activity is a work activity;

returning a true result when said next activity is a work activity;

determining whether the local time is between 2300 hours and 0700 hours; and

returning a true result when said local time is between 2300 hours and 0700 hours.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising means for reducing sleep fragmentation when a sleep period ends prior to the end of social night time, comprising the execution of the following said computer-executable instructions:

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said means for calculating effectiveness further comprises means for calculating an average effectiveness across each said activity and dividing by the number of activities according to the expression

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said means for calculating effectiveness further comprises means for calculating an average effectiveness during the first 120 minutes of wakefulness, taking into account the effects of sleep inertia, according to the expression

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said means for calculating the effectiveness further comprises means for adding said average effectiveness during the first 120 minutes of wakefulness, taking into account the effects of sleep inertia, to an average effectiveness during the period beyond the first 120 minutes of wakefulness in the absence of sleep inertia, the latter given by the expression

17. A method for mitigating aviation risk, comprising the steps of analyzing and modeling air crew fatigue, wherein said steps of analyzing and modeling further comprise the steps of:

generating a work schedule;

preprocessing said work schedule so as to produce direct parameters from said work schedule;

building a sleep database containing work and sleep information;

inserting sleep into said work schedule by breaking down said direct parameters by work segments in cooperation with said sleep database; and

outputting work and sleep effectiveness results from said work segments using a sleep model.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of building a sleep data base further comprises the steps of creating a schedule, a parameter table, a base table, a rank table and an airframe table, wherein

said schedule comprises work and sleep activities in chronological order;

said parameter table comprises direct and indirect parameters for a particular schedule;

said base table comprises a list of military bases, airports, hospitals and points of interest;

said rank table comprises a list of individuals and their military rank; and

said airframe table comprises a list of ground, air and sea vehicle type.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of

displaying the results of said sleep database according to

schedule;

results capable of identifying a critical effectiveness zone;

active schedule;

properties; and

sleep performance.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said indirect parameters comprise data on

crew age and gender;

sleeping aids; and

stimulants.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said direct parameters comprise data on

circadian value;

effectiveness;

daylight;

time of day;

geographic location;

day of the week;

timezones crossed;

jet lag; and

season.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said steps of analyzing and modeling further comprise the steps of

creating a schedule baseline;

prepending a plurality of days to said schedule baseline;

preprocessing said schedule into a plurality of epochs of a specified temporal value, wherein said plurality of epochs, when added, are equivalent to the duration of said schedule;

determining for each of said epoch geographic location;

time zone;

acrophase;

goal acrophase;

reservoir;

effectiveness;

circadian value;

daytime; and

the wake, sleep, or working status of crew member being analyzed and modeled;

performing an activity for the duration of each of said epoch;

depleting said reservoir for wake and working status of said crew member;

adding to said reservoir for sleeping status of said crew member;

determining effectiveness for each of said epoch;

evaluating sleep for each of said epoch;

determining whether current epoch is the last epoch; and

returning to said step of performing an activity for the duration of each said epoch until last epoch is reached.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said steps of determining said goal acrophase further comprises the step of resetting said goal acrophase if said activity during first said epoch is sleep.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein step of determining said goal acrophase further comprises the step of adjusting said goal acrophase according to the weighted balance of the previous three average awake hours.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of determining said current acrophase further comprises the execution of the following said computer-executable instructions:

26. The method of claim 22 wherein said step of evaluating sleep for each of said epoch further comprises the step of modeling said sleep in said sleep engine, wherein said step of modeling further comprises the steps of:

applying a plurality of sleep models to each of said epochs;

determining whether sleep is occurring;

authorizing an activity to be performed when sleep is occurring;

calculating effectiveness;

smoothing the effect of said plurality of sleep models; and

determining when a last sleep model of said plurality of sleep models has been applied.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said step of inserting sleep into said work schedule further comprises the steps of

determining whether crew is working or sleeping during said epoch and returning a false result when working;

determining whether crew is commuting during said epoch and returning a false result when commuting;

determining whether crew has exceeded its layover sleep limit during said epoch and returning a false result when having exceeded said limit;

determining whether crew has attained a maximum sleep limit during said epoch and returning a false result when said limit is attained;

determining whether crew has recently slept during said epoch and returning a false result when crew has recently slept;

determining whether it is daytime during said epoch and further determining whether crew was previously sleeping and;

returning a false result when it is not daytime;

returning a false result when it is daytime and crew was not previously sleeping;

returning a true result when it is daytime and crew was previously sleeping;

determining whether the available hours of night time exceed a maximum and returning a false result when the available hours of night time exceed said maximum;

determining whether the next activity is a work activity;

returning a true result when said next activity is a work activity;

determining whether the local time is between 2300 hours and 0700 hours; and

returning a true result when said local time is between 2300 hours and 0700 hours.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of reducing sleep fragmentation when a sleep period ends prior to the end of social night time, said step of reducing sleep fragmentation further comprising the execution of the following said computer-executable instructions:

29. The method of claim 26 wherein said step of calculating effectiveness further comprises the step of calculating an average effectiveness across each said activity and dividing by the number of activities according to the expression

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said step of calculating effectiveness further comprises the step of calculating an average effectiveness during the first 120 minutes of wakefulness, taking into account the effects of sleep inertia, according to the expression

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said step of calculating the effectiveness further comprises the step of adding said average effectiveness during the first 120 minutes of wakefulness, taking into account the effects of sleep inertia, to an average effectiveness during the period beyond the first 120 minutes of wakefulness in the absence of sleep inertia, the latter given by calculating the expression