Flight information recording method and device for aircraft

• US 5,283,643 A
• Filed: 06/23/1992
• Issued: 02/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yoshizo Fujimoto
• Original Assignee: Yoshizo Fujimoto
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Yoshizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US07/862,571
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 358/103, 358/108, 358/901, 358/335, 340/973, 381/183
• US Class Current: 348/143
• 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 47/08 Arrangements of cameras

Abstract

Displacements of connecting rods (55) between control devices and control surfaces (10) manipulated by a pilot (8), a pulse data based on the normal pulse of the pilot (8), and time data of the related information are indicated on a central display unit (30) arranged on an instrument panel (9) together with various gauges; a view of instrument panel (9) including a displayed data on the central display unit (30) is captured by a first television camera (20) disposed in a cockpit (6) as a first piece of image information; the actual state of a main wing (2) and that of tail stabilizer (3) reflected on mirrors (22,23) installed on the middle part of the upper fuselage are captured by a second television camera (21) installed on a vertical stabilizer (4) facing the nose of the fuselage as a second piece of image information; and both pieces of image information from respective camera are synchronized and combined as complex image information and recorded on magnetic tape through a video recorder (24).

Claims

1. Flight information recording method using a flight information recording device comprising a central display unit 30, a first television camera 20, a second television camera 21, and a video recorder 24, said method comprising:

indicating displacements of connecting rods 55 between control devices 40, 41, 40a, 42 and control surfaces 10 manipulated by a pilot 8, and time data of the related information on said central display unit 30;

capturing a view of instrumental panel 9 including a displayed data on said central display unit 30 together with general pointer gauges and/or instruments by said first television camera 20 installed in a cockpit 6 as a first piece of image information 26;

capturing the actual state of a main wing 2 and that of a tail stabilizer 3, a vertical stabilizer 4, rudder 14 and elevations 13 which were reflected via mirrors 22, 23 installed on the middle of the upper fuselage to said second television camera 21 installed on a vertical stabilizer 4 facing the nose of the fuselage as a second piece of image information 27;

and synchronizing and combining said first and second image information as complex image information 28, and recording said complex image information on magnetic tape by said video recorder 24.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said second piece of image information 27 comprises image information of the horizon H in relation to said main wing 2 during level flight.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein pulse data of the pilot 8 is detected by a pulse detector 60 installed on a grip of a control stick 40a or a control wheel 40.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein pulse data of the pilot 8 is detected by a pulse detector 71 provided in an earlobe clip 73 on pilot'"'"'s ear 8a, which clip is coupled to a headset 70 worn by the pilot 8.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein pulse data of the pilot 8 is detected by an electrocardiographic sensor 72 which is pressed on pilot'"'"'s ear 8a.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the actual state of the pilot 8 is captured by said television camera 20 using a mirror 29 provided on said instrument panel 9.

7. A flight information recording device comprising:

a central display unit 30 provided on an instrument panel 9 having display devices arranged to indicate flight information;

a first television camera 20 facing said central display unit 30;

mirrors 22, 23 provided inside a cockpit 6 and on top of the rear fuselage respectively facing a tail stabilizer 3;

a second television camera 21 provided on a vertical stabilizer 4 facing the nose of fuselage;

a video recorder 24 recording complex image information 28 synthesized from two images captured by said first and second television cameras on magnetic tape.

8. Flight information recording device according to claim 7 wherein a built-in microphone is provided in said first television camera 20 which records voices and sounds generated in the cockpit 6 such as conversation, ATC communications, and engine sounds.

9. Flight information recording device according to claim 7, said central display unit 30 comprising;

display devices 31, 32, 33, 34 indicating displacements of connecting rods which connect control devices such as a control wheel 40 or a control stick 40a, a rudder petal 41 and a flap lever 42 and the like to control surfaces 10;

a display device 36 indicating pulse data of the pilot 8 based on a normal pulse of the pilot shown at the lower part of the display as reference;

a display device 35 indicating information about the time that each event takes place.

10. Flight information recording device according to claim 9, wherein an arrangement of said display devices 31, 32, 33, 34 is molded after actual configuration of said control surfaces.

11. Flight information recording device according to claim 9 wherein a calendar time and a flight duration are indicated in the same window 35a of said display array, but alternatively and intermittently.