METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR ADAPTING THE MAN-MACHINE INTERFACE OF AN AIRCRAFT DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF THE PILOT'S FUNCTIONAL STATE

• US 20130268146A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Original Assignee: Eurocopter
• Inventors: Baudry, Jean-Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• 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: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

A method of adapting a man-machine interface (20) of an aircraft (50) depending on the functional level of a pilot, the method comprising a plurality of successive steps. Firstly, before starting a mission, the characteristics of said mission and the characteristics and the physiological state of said pilot are determined. Thereafter, during said mission, the state of the mission and the current state of said aircraft together with a current behavior of said pilot are determined and a current functional level of said pilot is estimated. Thereafter, said current functional level of said pilot is compared with reference functional levels, and said man-machine interface (20) is then adapted in order to assist said pilot automatically and in optimum manner in making the pilot aware of the situation, in the pilot'"'"'s decision-making, or in the actions taken by the pilot depending on the pilot'"'"'s stress state or work load state.

Claims

1. A method of adapting a man-machine interface of an aircraft, the method comprising:

a first step, performed before starting a mission, of determining the characteristics of said mission and the characteristics of said pilot and the pilot'"'"'s initial physiological state;

a second step of determining the state of advance of said mission and a current state of said aircraft together with a current behavior of said pilot during said mission;

a third step of determining a current functional level of said pilot CFLP by using said characteristics of said mission, said characteristics and said initial physiological state of said pilot, said state of advance of said mission, said current state of said aircraft, and said current behavior of said pilot;

a fourth step of determining a comparison value CV as a function of said current functional level CFLP;

a fifth step of comparing said comparison value CV with at least one reference functional level ValRef; and

a sixth step of acting on said man-machine interface as a function of said comparison value CV and of each reference functional level ValRef.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method has three reference functional levels ValRef1, ValRef2, and ValRef3, such that:

if said comparison value CV is less than said reference functional levels ValRef1, ValRef2, and ValRef3, no modification of said man-machine is undertaken in said sixth step;

if said comparison value CV is equal to or greater than a first reference functional level ValRef1 and less than a second reference functional level ValRef2, at least one modification is made to the presentation of information delivered to said pilot in said sixth step;

if said comparison value CV is equal to or greater than a second reference functional level ValRef2 and less than a third reference functional level ValRef3, a proposed solution to the current problem that is to be solved is given to the pilot during said sixth step; and

if said comparison value CV is equal to or greater than a third reference functional level ValRef3, said aircraft automatically takes over authority to the detriment of said pilot in said sixth step.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said characteristics of said mission comprise a set of various flight stages of said mission and associated tasks, and also a level of difficulty of each flight stage and of each task.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said characteristics of said pilot comprise the pilot'"'"'s level of experience and knowledge in performing various tasks, and also the pilot'"'"'s psychological state.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said current behavior of said pilot during said mission comprises the pilot'"'"'s current physiological state and a current frequency of pilot errors.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said man-machine interface uses learning neural systems in order to determine said current functional level CFLP in said third step.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said man-machine interface of said aircraft includes at least one visual information system, at least one audible information system, at least one tactile information system, or indeed at least one autopilot system of said aircraft.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said comparison value CV is equal to said current functional level of said pilot CFLP.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein, in order to determine the comparison value CV, said current functional level CFLP is stored in a history of said functional levels of said pilot FLP, then a trend T is calculated for variations of said functional level FLP on the basis of said history, and then a predicted functional level of said pilot PFLP is determined, said comparison value CV being equal to said predicted functional level PFLP.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said predicted functional level PFLP is determined using the formula:

PFLP=a×

(t_n+Δ

t)+b

where t_n represents the time of the most recently determined current functional level CFLP_n and Δ

t represents time variation, the values of a and b being determined using the following formulae;

11. A device for adapting a man-machine interface of an aircraft, wherein said device comprises:

a set of physiological sensors measuring a physiological state of said pilot;

at least one scrutineer system monitoring actions of said pilot in order to detect any errors made by said pilot, thereby determining a pilot error frequency;

at least two database, a first database containing characteristics of various potential missions and a second database containing the characteristics of said pilot;

at least one processor unit comprising at least one memory, at least one processor, and suitable for being connected to said man-machine interface;

said processor unit including calculation means and storage means, said calculation means executing instructions stored in said storage means for;

determining before starting a mission, characteristics of said mission taken from said first database and characteristics of said pilot taken from said second database, together with an initial physiological state of said pilot;

determining the state of advance of said mission and a current stage of said aircraft together with a current behavior of said pilot during said mission, said current behavior of said pilot comprising the pilot'"'"'s current physiological state and a current pilot error frequency, said current state of said aircraft being obtained by means of various sensors present in said aircraft;

determining a current functional level of said pilot CFLP making use of said characteristics of said mission, of said pilot'"'"'s characteristics and initial physiological state, said state of advance of said mission, said current state of said aircraft, and said current behavior of said pilot during said mission;

determining a comparison value CV as a function of said current functional level CFLP;

comparing said comparison value CV with at least one reference functional level ValRef; and

acting on said man-machine interface as a function of said comparison value CV and of said reference functional level ValRef.

12. A device according to claim 11, said man-machine interface having at least one visual information system, at least one audible information system, at least one tactile information system, or at least one autopilot system of said aircraft, wherein said device includes three reference functional levels ValRef1, ValRef2, and ValRef3, such that:

said processor unit performs no modification of said man-machine interface when said comparison value CV is less than said reference functional levels ValRef1, ValRef2, and ValRef3;

said processor unit performs at least one modification in the presentation of information delivered by said man-machine interface to said pilot when said comparison value CV is equal to or greater than a first reference functional level ValRef1 and less than a second reference functional level ValRef2;

and processor unit acts via said man-machine interface to propose a solution to said pilot for the current problem that is to be solved when said comparison value CV is equal to or greater than a second reference functional level ValRef2 and less than a third reference functional level ValRef3; and

said processor unit acts via said man-machine interface automatically to take over authority for said aircraft to the detriment of said pilot when said comparison value CV is equal to or greater than a third reference functional level ValRef3.

13. A device according to claim 11, wherein said comparison value CV is equal to said current functional level CFLP.

14. A device according to claim 11, wherein said functional levels of said pilot are stored in a third database present in said aircraft, thereby constituting a history of said functional levels, and said processor unit determines a predicted functional level of said pilot PFLP, said comparison value CV being equal to said predicted functional level PFLP.