Cockpit access protection system
First Claim
1. A method for securing a plurality of aircraft, each aircraft having a fuselage cabin with a cockpit, a galley area, adjacent to said cockpit, a main cabin door to the outside, a cockpit door and a galley door, separating the cockpit and galley respectively from the remaining portion of the cabin, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) prior to flight of an aircraft, allowing authorized persons to enter the cockpit;
(b) prior to or during flight of the aircraft, closing and locking the cockpit door to prevent access to the cockpit by unauthorized personnel from the remaining portion of the aircraft cabin;
(c) during flight of the aircraft, removing unauthorized personnel from the galley area;
(d) thereafter closing and locking the galley door to prevent access to the galley by unauthorized personnel from the remaining portion of the aircraft cabin;
(e) thereafter unlocking said cockpit door and allowing authorized personnel into the galley area from the cockpit;
(f) closing and locking said cockpit door;
(g) thereafter unlocking said cockpit door and allowing authorized personnel to reenter said cockpit;
(h) thereafter closing and locking said cockpit door to prevent access to the cockpit by unauthorized personnel;
(i) thereafter unlocking said galley door and allowing unauthorized personnel into the galley area;
(j) repeating steps (c)–
(i) whenever the pilot needs to leave the cockpit during flight;
(k) in the event of a security breach on the aircraft, transmitting an alert between a ground control center and the aircraft; and
(l) transmitting a command from the control center to each of said plurality of aircraft to prevent unlocking of said cockpit door of each aircraft.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The cockpit access protection system relies on a method whereby the locked cockpit doors of a plurality of aircraft may be unlocked only by authorized personnel within the cockpit (e.g., the pilot and copilot). In the event of a security breach in any one aircraft, the control of the cockpit doors of all aircraft shift to a ground control center which commands all cockpit doors to remain locked until the security breach is removed. In this way, neither flight attendant personnel within the aircraft cabin nor the pilot or copilot within the cockpit can be forced to unlock the cockpit door.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for securing a plurality of aircraft, each aircraft having a fuselage cabin with a cockpit, a galley area, adjacent to said cockpit, a main cabin door to the outside, a cockpit door and a galley door, separating the cockpit and galley respectively from the remaining portion of the cabin, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) prior to flight of an aircraft, allowing authorized persons to enter the cockpit; (b) prior to or during flight of the aircraft, closing and locking the cockpit door to prevent access to the cockpit by unauthorized personnel from the remaining portion of the aircraft cabin; (c) during flight of the aircraft, removing unauthorized personnel from the galley area; (d) thereafter closing and locking the galley door to prevent access to the galley by unauthorized personnel from the remaining portion of the aircraft cabin; (e) thereafter unlocking said cockpit door and allowing authorized personnel into the galley area from the cockpit; (f) closing and locking said cockpit door; (g) thereafter unlocking said cockpit door and allowing authorized personnel to reenter said cockpit; (h) thereafter closing and locking said cockpit door to prevent access to the cockpit by unauthorized personnel; (i) thereafter unlocking said galley door and allowing unauthorized personnel into the galley area; (j) repeating steps (c)–
(i) whenever the pilot needs to leave the cockpit during flight;(k) in the event of a security breach on the aircraft, transmitting an alert between a ground control center and the aircraft; and (l) transmitting a command from the control center to each of said plurality of aircraft to prevent unlocking of said cockpit door of each aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification