Aircraft incident surveillance system

• US 6,373,521 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2000
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kevin D. Carter
• Original Assignee: Kevin D. Carter
• Inventors: Carter, Kevin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/619,070
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.718, H04/N.947, 348/143, 348/144, 348/146, 348/150, 348/159, 348/36, 348/37, 348/39, 360/5, 244/17.15, 244/2, 244/6, 244/7.A, 244/8, 244/17.11, 244/122.A, 244/138.A
• US Class Current: 348/144
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera

Abstract

The invention is of an aviation incident surveillance system which is to be carried on-board aircraft and stand ready at any time for deployment to visually record the final seconds of the downed aircraft. The system of the present invention centers on a rotocraft capsule which suspends itself approximately at an altitude at which the capsule is deployed from the distress aircraft while on-board video cameras and data recording systems record the environment surrounding the capsule which, of course, will include the aircraft from which the capsule was deployed. The capsule is provided with a self deploying, ballistic parachute system for gently landing the School upon expiration of the capsule'"'"'s internal power sources for driving the rotocraft components.

Claims

1. An aircraft incident surveillance system comprising:

a housing member having a protective shell component and a transparent lens member;

a video camera member mounted within said housing member and configured and position for capturing images visible through said transparent lens member;

data recording means for recording video images captured by said video camera member and for resiliently storing said images for later viewing by video player means;

a rotocraft assemblage attached to and extending from said housing member, blades of said rotocraft assemblage being driven by a motor/gear box means within said housing member under power of an internal battery power source, said rotocraft assemblage for aerodynamically suspending said aircraft incident surveillance system for a time period during which said video camera member records images through said lens member; and

ballistic parachute means for facilitating a controlled dissent of said aircraft incident surveillance system upon exhaustion of said battery power source for said rotocraft assemblage.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising second video camera means which said second video camera means are configured for recording infrared images, said second video camera means being mounted within said housing member and in relation to said lens member, or a second lens member, whereby said second video records infrared images of an environment surrounding said housing member.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising electrical power interface means positioned externally of said housing member through which power from an aircraft on which said surveillance system is stationed is channeled to said battery power source to maintain said battery power source at a fully charged condition.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising aircraft distress sensing means external to said housing member which, when sensing aberrant flight path or aircraft control characteristics, actuators surveillance system deployment means for automatically deploying said surveillance system to record the likely associated aircraft incident for later analysis.