Aircraft catastrophic security system

• US 6,573,839 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2001
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stephen G. Kimmet
• Original Assignee: Stephen G. Kimmet
• Inventors: Kimmet, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US10/002,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20030058135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/531, 340/539, 340/506, 340/825.72, 340/825.36, 701/14, 701/29, 701/35
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0015 Devices specially adapted for the protection against criminal attack, e.g. anti-hijacking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0034 by ground-control override
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

An aircraft catastrophic security system is provided to prevent terrorists and major aircraft equipment failures from causing major catastrophic results in the air or on the ground. The system employs on-board aircraft danger signal personnel and devices to generate danger signals, a complex code scheme to assure security of signals, on-board aircraft processing devices to sense the danger signals, to place the aircraft into a controlled, restricted state, to signal external processing devices and authorized personnel of the dangerous on-board aircraft conditions, and to inform national and local authorities of the aircraft'"'"'s condition. Even without danger signals from the aircraft, the external authorized personnel may deem to take over control of the aircraft. In either case, by way of an on-board aircraft control device, the aircraft catastrophic security system also remotely, controllably operates the aircraft from the external processing device, so as to enforce safe disposition of the aircraft.

Claims

1. An aircraft catastrophic security system comprising:

a) at least one on-board aircraft danger signal device transmitting a plurality of danger signals and receiving and transmitting a plurality of danger signal personnel codes and receiving and transmitting a plurality of danger signal device codes;

b) an on-board aircraft control device controllably operating an aircraft and being controlled externally, remotely for controllably operating said aircraft;

c) an on-board aircraft processing device receiving said danger signals from a plurality of danger signal devices and receiving and transmitting said danger signal personnel codes from and to a plurality of danger signal personnel and transmitting and receiving said danger signal device codes from and to said plurality of danger signal devices and transmitting and receiving on-board control state conditions information and operating said on-board aircraft control device and transmitting said on-board control state conditions information to national and local authorities; and

d) an external processing device transmitting and receiving said on-board aircraft control state conditions information to and from said plurality of on-board aircraft processing devices and transmitting and receiving said on-board aircraft control state conditions information to and from said plurality of on-board aircraft control devices and transmitting and receiving a plurality of aircraft operating commands to and from said plurality of on-board aircraft processing devices and transmitting and receiving on-board aircraft operating commands to and from said plurality of on-board aircraft control devices.

2. A method of operating an aircraft catastrophic security system comprising the steps of:

a) placing an aircraft into normal operating mode by an external processing device;

b) logging danger signal personnel on-board of said aircraft, through the use of danger signal personnel codes, by an on-board aircraft processing device;

c) logging on-board danger signal devices of said aircraft, through the use of danger signal device codes, by said on-board aircraft processing device;

d) monitoring danger signals of said aircraft by said on-board aircraft processing device;

e) placing on-board aircraft control device in a controlled, restricted operating mode upon receipt of said danger signal by said on-board aircraft processing device;

f) transmitting said danger signal to said external processing device by said on-board aircraft processing device;

g) informing national and local authorities of said danger signal by said on-board aircraft processing device;

h) controlling said on-board aircraft control device by said external processing device; and

i) disposing of said aircraft by said external processing device.