DISTRESSED AIRCRAFT NOTIFICATION AND TRACKING SYSTEM

• US 20170011615A1
• Filed: 09/16/2016
• Published: 01/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph Bekanich
• Original Assignee: Joseph Bekanich
• Inventors: Bekanich, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 10,002,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0065 Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/014 Alarm signalling to a central station with two-way communication, e.g. with signalling back
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

The invention is a service for sending and/or receiving messages in a first format intended for a recipient or authority, where the service identifies for the intended recipient a second format for receiving messages, and where the service formats a communication for delivery to the intended recipient, where the message is prepared to be presented to the recipient in the first and/or the second format.

Claims

77. A computer-implemented method for communicating emergency information from an aircraft, said method comprising the steps of:

automatically compiling a digital inflight emergency message from data received from on-board aircraft avionics, said digital inflight emergency message including at least one of software, computer readable instructions, text content, speech, voice, audio, video information, time, and geo-location information;

identifying for said digital inflight emergency message at least one government authority to be notified and to receive said digital inflight emergency message; and

automatically transmitting said digital inflight emergency message via satellite to said at least one government authority.

78. The computer-implemented method of claim 77, further comprising the step of using said digital inflight emergency message computer readable instructions to automatically activate and control an on-board emergency transmitter device, said emergency transmitter device functioning to transmit said digital inflight emergency message to a search and rescue management authority.

79. The computer-implemented method of claim 77, further comprising the step of initiating tracking of the aircraft by said at least one government authority in response to said step of automatically transmitting said digital inflight emergency message to said at least one government authority.

81. The computer-implemented method of claim 77, further comprising the step of enabling remote control of said on-board aircraft avionics by a ground-based emergency service authority in response to said step of automatically transmitting said digital inflight emergency message.

82. The computer-implemented method of claim 77, wherein said digital inflight emergency message comprises information from at least one of:

aircraft avionics, an aircraft computer, an aircraft sensor, and an aircraft instrument.

84. The computer-implemented method of claim 77 further comprising the steps of automatically triggering tracking of the aircraft in response to said step of automatically transmitting said digital inflight emergency message and initiating an on-board alarm.

85. The computer-implemented method of claim 77, wherein said digital inflight emergency message comprises information about at least one of:

a latitude and longitude location of the aircraft, GPS coordinates information for the aircraft, an aircraft position obtained by triangulation, and communication satellite information for the aircraft.

80. (canceled)

83. (canceled)

86. (canceled)

87. (canceled)

88. The computer-implemented method of claim 87, further comprising the step of remotely accessing the emergency information by said at least one government authority in response to said step of automatically transmitting said digital inflight emergency message.

89. The computer-implemented method of claim 87, further comprising the step of remotely controlling at least one of an aircraft instrument, an aircraft device, and an aircraft avionics component by said at least one ground-based government authority in response to said step of remotely accessing the emergency information.

90. A computer-implemented method for automatically responding to an emergency in an aircraft, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring at least one aircraft avionics component by executing computer readable instructions;

if an inflight emergency situation is identified by executing said computer readable instructions, automatically activating an onboard emergency transmitter device; and

in response to said step of automatically activating, establishing an air-to-ground communication connection with ground-based air traffic personnel so as to enable said air traffic personnel to remotely monitor, to remotely record, to remotely control, or to remotely interface with said onboard emergency transmitter device and with said at least one aircraft avionics component via said air-to-ground communication connection.

91. The computer-implemented method of claim 90 further comprising the steps of:

automatically generating at least one of an aural notification of said inflight emergency situation and a visual notification of said inflight emergency situation; and

sending said at least one of said aural notification and said visual notification to said ground-based air traffic personnel via said air-to-ground communication connection.

92. The computer-implemented method of claim 90, further comprising the step of:

notifying at least one ground-based government authority of said activation of said aircraft emergency transmitter device.

93. The computer-implemented method of claim 92 wherein said at least one ground-based government authority comprises one or more of:

the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA), the Office of Homeland Security, and a safety and emergency response team.

94. The computer-implemented method of claim 90, further comprising the steps of:

in response to said step of automatically activating, sending an digital inflight emergency message to at least one ground-based government authority via said air-to-ground communication connection; and

sending a real-time geo-location for the aircraft to said ground-based air traffic personnel to enable tracking of said aircraft geo-location.

95. The computer-implemented method of claim 94, wherein said step of sending said real-time geo-location for the aircraft comprises the step of using satellite positioning to determine aircraft latitude and longitude.

96. The computer-implemented method of claim 90 wherein said at least one aircraft avionics component comprises a programmable attitude sensor device functioning to activate said onboard emergency transmitter device.

97. The computer-implemented method of claim 90 wherein said at least one aircraft avionics component comprises one or more of:

an aircraft sensor, an aircraft alarm, an aircraft transmitter, an aircraft radar system, a surveillance system, a flight data recorder, a flight data acquisition unit, an attitude sensor, a differential pressure sensor, an analog sensor, a temperature sensor, an aircraft instability sensor, an emergency frequency sensor, a cockpit door sensor, a proximity sensor, a transponder, and an aircraft gauge.

98. The computer-implemented method of claim 90 further comprising the step of remotely recording inflight aircraft communication, information, data, and content for transmittal to a ground-based computer database over said air-to-ground communication connection.

99. The computer-implemented method of claim 90 wherein said step of establishing said air-to-ground communication connection comprises the step of communicating using one or more of:

text content, e-mail, voice, a real-time audio/video communication, a real-time audio/video recording, and an instant message.

101. The computer-implemented method of claim 90 wherein said inflight emergency situation is identified as comprising one or more of:

a change in aircraft attitude greater than a specified amount;

a change in aircraft altitude greater than a specified amount;

a change in aircraft speed greater than a specified amount;

a change in aircraft location greater than a specified distance;

a change in the flight plan greater than a specified amount, a change in aircraft destination location, and a variance in aircraft tracking information greater than a specified value.

102. The computer-implemented method of claim 90 further comprising the step of populating a flight information panel with aircraft data including one or more of a flight destination of the aircraft, a flight origin of the aircraft, an aircraft flight number;

and a category of emergency information from the aircraft.

100. (canceled)

103. An aircraft tracking system comprising:

an avionics monitoring system; and

a user interface configured to provide said avionics monitoring system access to monitor at least one of aircraft avionics, aircraft gauges and aircraft devices for identification of possible inflight emergency or inflight technical problems;

wherein said avionics monitoring system functions to automatically initiate an aircraft-to-satellite tracking system to track and report aircraft geo-location to at least one ground-based government authority in specified and designated time intervals in response to an identification of at least one said inflight technical problem by said avionics monitoring system.

104. The aircraft tracking system of claim 103 wherein said user interface comprises hardware and software to enable access to said aircraft avionics, said aircraft gauges, and said aircraft devices.

105. The aircraft tracking system of claim 103 further comprising an onboard emergency transmitter device, said onboard emergency device functioning to activate said aircraft tracking system in response to said identification of a possible inflight technical problem.

106. The aircraft tracking system of claim 103 wherein said aircraft avionics comprises a digital programmable attitude sensor device, said programmable attitude sensor device functioning to activate said aircraft tracking system in response to said identification of a possible inflight technical problem or inflight emergency.

107. The aircraft tracking system of claim 103 wherein said aircraft tracking system is configured for at least one of:

manual activation, manual deactivation, automatic activation, automatic deactivation, activation by remote control, and deactivation by remote control.

108. The aircraft tracking system of claim 107 wherein said automatic activation of said aircraft tracking system is initiated by at least one of:

an aircraft sensor, an aircraft avionic component, an aircraft alarm, an aircraft transmitter, an aircraft transponder, an aircraft radar system, a surveillance system, an aircraft flight data recorder, an aircraft flight data acquisition unit, an aircraft attitude sensor, a differential pressure sensor, an analog sensor, a temperature sensor, an aircraft instability sensor, an emergency frequency sensor, a cockpit door sensor, an aircraft gauge, and a proximity sensor.

109. The aircraft tracking system of claim 107 wherein said automatic activation of said aircraft tracking system is initiated by at least one of aircraft geo-location information or aircraft GPS-location coordinates to automatically track the aircraft by acquiring at least one of time-stamped aircraft geo-location information or time-stamped aircraft GPS-location coordinates.

111. The aircraft tracking system of claim 107 wherein said activation by remote control and said deactivation by remote control are initiated by one of a ground station or air traffic control via a web interface and a satellite communication system.

112. The aircraft tracking system of claim 107 wherein said activation by said aircraft monitoring system comprises activation in response to at least one of:

a change in aircraft attitude greater than a specified amount;

a change in aircraft location greater than a specified distance;

a change in aircraft altitude greater than a specified amount;

a change in aircraft speed greater than a specified amount;

a change in the flight plan greater than a specified amount, a change in aircraft destination location, and a variance in aircraft tracking information greater than a specified value.

110. (canceled)