AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING NON-COMPLIANT PILOT ACTION

• US 20150081138A1
• Filed: 09/18/2013
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Lacko, Ivan, Vasek, Jiri, Uhlir, Petr
• Granted Patent: US 9,446,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft

Abstract

Aircraft systems and methods for detecting non-compliant pilot action are provided. The method comprises analyzing an outbound communication from an aircraft to recognize a word or phrase corresponding to a parameter associated with a prior request for pilot action. If the word or phrase is recognized, the method further comprises storing data corresponding to the outbound communication in a data storage device. The stored data and pilot action taken are compared to determine if there is a discrepancy between the pilot action and the stored data. A discrepancy alert is outputted if the discrepancy is determined to exist. A predetermined time interval is timed from the outbound communication. A timeout alert is outputted at a timeout of the predetermined time interval unless the requested pilot action is taken within the predetermined time interval.

Claims

1. A method for detecting non-compliant pilot action, the method comprising the steps of:

analyzing an outbound communication from an aircraft to recognize a word or phrase corresponding to a parameter associated with a prior request for pilot action, wherein if the word or phrase is recognized, the method further comprising;

storing data corresponding to the outbound communication in a data storage device;

comparing the stored data with the pilot action to determine if a discrepancy exists between the pilot action and the stored data; and

outputting a discrepancy alert if the discrepancy is determined to exist.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

timing a predetermined time interval from the outbound communication; and

outputting a timeout alert at a timeout of the predetermined time interval unless the requested pilot action is taken within the predetermined time interval.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the outbound communication comprises an outbound voice communication, the method further comprising the step of:

using a speech recognition module to produce digital data corresponding to the outbound voice communication; and

the step of;

storing data comprises storing the digital data in the data storage device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

removing the stored data from the data storage device if the determining step determines there is no discrepancy between the pilot action and the stored data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

a. monitoring an inbound communication from a ground location, the inbound communication comprising the prior request for pilot action;

b. storing data corresponding to the inbound communication in the data storage device;

c. comparing the stored data corresponding to the inbound communication with the stored data corresponding to the outbound communication;

d. determining if there is a difference between the stored data corresponding to the inbound communication and the stored data corresponding to the outbound communication; and

e. outputting a discrepancy alert if there is a difference between the stored data corresponding to the inbound communication and the stored data corresponding to the outbound communication.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

removing the stored data corresponding to the inbound communication from the data storage device if the determining step d. determines there is no difference between the stored data corresponding to the inbound communication and the stored data corresponding to the outbound communication.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the inbound communication comprises an inbound voice communication, the method further comprising the steps of:

using a speech recognition module to produce digital data corresponding to the inbound voice communication; and

the step of;

storing data comprises storing the digital data corresponding to the inbound voice communication in the data storage device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pilot takes corrective pilot action if there is a difference between the pilot action and the stored data corresponding to the outbound communication, the method further comprising the steps of:

comparing the stored data corresponding to the outbound communication with the corrective pilot action;

determining if there is a difference between the corrective pilot action and the stored data corresponding to the outbound communication; and

outputting a discrepancy alert if there is a difference between the corrective pilot action and the stored data corresponding to the outbound communication, wherein the comparing, determining, and outputting the discrepancy alert steps are repeated until there is no difference between the corrective pilot action and the stored data corresponding to the outbound communication.

9. A method for detecting non-compliant pilot action, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring a dialog comprising an inbound communication from a ground location and an outbound communication from an aircraft relating to a request for pilot action;

analyzing the inbound and outbound communications to recognize a word or phrase corresponding to a requested parameter associated with the request for pilot action,

storing data corresponding to the inbound communication in a data storage device, the stored data relating to the requested parameter and a requested parameter value associated with the request for pilot action;

comparing an acknowledged parameter and an acknowledged parameter value in the outbound communication with, respectively, the requested parameter and the requested parameter value in the stored data to determine if a discrepancy exists; and

outputting a discrepancy alert if the discrepancy is determined to exist.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

removing the stored data corresponding to the inbound communication from the data storage device if the comparing step determines that no discrepancy exists.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

storing data corresponding to the outbound communication in the data storage device, the stored data relating to the acknowledged parameter and the acknowledged parameter value;

comparing the stored data relating to the acknowledged parameter and the acknowledged parameter value with the pilot action;

determining if there is a difference between the pilot action and the stored data; and

outputting a discrepancy alert if there is a difference between the pilot action and the stored data.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

timing a predetermined time interval from the outbound communication; and

outputting a timeout alert at a timeout of the predetermined time interval unless the pilot action is taken within the predetermined time interval.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the inbound communication or the outbound communication comprises a voice communication, the method further comprising the steps of:

using a speech recognition module to produce digital data corresponding to the voice communication, and

the step of storing data comprise storing the digital data.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the steps of outputting a timeout alert, a discrepancy alert, or both, comprise outputting a visual alert and outputting the visual alert comprises displaying the visual alert on a display screen of a display device, on a guidance panel, or an augmented reality display, or on combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the pilot takes corrective pilot action if there is a difference between the pilot action and the stored data, the method further comprising the steps of:

comparing the stored data relating to the acknowledged parameter and the acknowledged parameter value with the corrective pilot action;

determining if there is a difference between the corrective pilot action and the stored data relating to the acknowledged parameter and the acknowledged parameter value; and

outputting a discrepancy alert if there is a difference between the corrective pilot action and the stored data, wherein the comparing, determining, and outputting the discrepancy alert steps are repeated until there is no difference between the corrective pilot action and the stored data.

16. A system for detecting non-compliant pilot action, the system comprising:

a communications system configured to support an inbound communication from a ground location relating to a request for pilot action and an outbound communication from an aircraft comprising an acknowledgment of the request for pilot action, the request for pilot action associated with a parameter and a requested parameter value and the acknowledgement associated with the parameter and an acknowledged parameter value;

a data storage device containing a database with stored digital data relating to the request for pilot action;

a processor coupled to the communications system and the data storage device to receive the stored digital data and configured, in response thereto,

compare the stored digital data with the pilot action and determine if a discrepancy exists between the pilot action taken and the stored digital data; and

output a discrepancy alert if the discrepancy exists.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the process is further configured to output a timeout alert at a timeout of a predetermined time interval from the outbound communication unless the requested pilot action is taken within the predetermined time interval.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the inbound communication or the outbound communication comprises a voice communication, the system further comprising a speech recognition module configured to produce the digital data from the voice communication for storage in the data storage device.