Device for monitoring at least one pilot in a cockpit of an aircraft

• US 6,919,808 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Original Assignee: Eurocopter
• Inventors: Longere, Jean-Yves
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SON M
• Application Number:
  US10/383,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20030169173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 340/576, 340/573.4, 340/945, 340/964, 340/5.8, 340/574, 340/573.1, 340/963, 340/5.85, 340/426, 235/384, 235/375, 701 3- 7, 244/118.5
• US Class Current: 340/576
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0015 Devices specially adapted for the protection against criminal attack, e.g. anti-hijacking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0053 using visual equipment, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0056 detecting passenger or crew behavior by sensors, e.g. biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231

Abstract

The device (1) comprises a means (2) comprising at least one means of sensory recognition (3, 4), for pre-flight automatic characterization of the pilot who is located at a control station in the cockpit by establishing a reference profile, a means (5) comprising at least one means of sensory recognition (6, 7), for real-time automatic characterization, throughout the flight, of the person located at the control station, by establishing an actual profile, a means (8) for comparing in real time the actual profile with the reference profile, and for transmitting a dissimilarity signal, when they are different, and a means (9) for sending an alert signal to an air traffic control station (10), when a dissimilarity signal is transmitted.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring at least one pilot in a cockpit of an aircraft, which device comprises:

a first means comprising at least one means of sensory recognition, for pre-flight automatic characterization of said pilot who is located at a control station in said cockpit, by establishing a reference profile of said pilot;

a second means comprising at least one means of sensory recognition which exhibits a coverage of 360°

at said control station and which comprises a temporal filter, for real-time automatic characterization, throughout the flight, of a person located at said control station, by establishing an actual profile of said person;

a means of information processing for comparing in real time, throughout the flight, said actual profile with said reference profile, and for transmitting a dissimilarity signal, when said actual profile is different from said reference profile only if said actual profile corresponds to a person;

a means of alert for sending an alert signal to an air traffic control station, when said means of information processing transmits a dissimilarity signal; and

a means for sending a signal of proper operation to said air traffic control station.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

each of maid first and second means comprises at least two different means of sensory recognition, respectively of a first type and of a second type,

the first and second types of sensory recognition of the first means establish first and second reference profiles, respectively, and

the first and second types of sensory recognition of the second means establish first and second actual profiles, respectively.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means of information processing transmits a dissimilarity signal, when at least one of said first and second actual profiles is different from the corresponding first or second reference profile.

4. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said means of information processing compares in real time, throughout the flight, said first actual profile with said first reference profile and transmits, when they are different, a dissimilarity signal, and

said device comprises a means of confirmation for comparing said second actual profile with said second reference profile, only when the dissimilarity between the first actual profile and the first reference profile is assumed, and for transmitting a dissimilarity confirmation signal, when the comparison establishes that said second actual profile is also different from said second reference profile.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, which furthermore comprises at least one means of validation of said reference profile.

6. The device am claimed in claim 5, wherein said means of validation comprises:

an element for inputting a particular code; and

an element for comparing this particular input code with a prerecorded code and for validating the reference profile should said codes be identical.

7. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said means of validation comprises:

an element for sending a validation request signal to an air traffic control station; and

an element for receiving a validation signal from an air traffic control station, and for validating said reference profile, should a validation signal be received in response to a sent validation request signal.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, which furthermore comprises a means for sending said actual profile to an air traffic control station should a dissimilarity signal be transmitted.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, which furthermore comprises a means which is triggerable from an air traffic control station, for acting on persons located in the aircraft.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, which furthermore comprises a means which is triggerable from an air traffic control station, for acting on a piloting system of the aircraft.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, for simultaneously monitoring at least two pilots of the aircraft, wherein:

the first means establishes a reference profile for each of the pilots;

the second means establishes an actual profile for each person located at the control stations;

the means of information processing compares in real time, for each pilot, the corresponding actual and reference profiles and transmits a dissimilarity signal when they differ;

the means for alert sends an alert signal to an air traffic control station when any dissimilarity signal is transmitted.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11, for simultaneously monitoring at least two pilots of the aircraft, wherein:

said means of alert is able to send at least three different alert signals,

a first alert signal indicates that the corresponding actual and reference profiles for a first pilot differ,

a second alert signal indicate that the corresponding actual and reference profiles for a second pilot differ, and

a third alert signal indicates that the corresponding actual and reference profiles for each of the first and second pilots differ.

13. The device as claimed in claim 11, for monitoring at least two crews of at least one pilot each, which have to swap over in the course of the flight, which furthermore comprises a means for rendering said device passive upon a change of crew, a new reference profile being established for the new pilot after the change of crew.

14. The device as claimed in claim 1, for monitoring at least two crews of at least one pilot each, which have to swap over in the course of the flight, wherein before the flight said first means establishes a reference profile for all the pilots of said crews.

15. A device for monitoring at least two pilots in a cockpit of an aircraft, which device comprises:

a first means comprising at least one means of sensory recognition for pre-flight automatic characterization of each of said pilots who are located at a control station in said cockpit by establishing a reference profile of each pilot;

a second means comprising at least one means of sensory recognition, which exhibits a coverage of 360°

at said control station and which comprises a temporal filter, for real-time automatic characterization, throughout the flight, of each person located at said control station by establishing an actual profile of each person;

a means of information processing for comparing in real time, throughout the flight, for each pilot said corresponding actual and reference profiles, and for transmitting a dissimilarity signal, only when said reference profile for each pilot is different from said corresponding actual profile and each of said actual profiles corresponds to a person;

a means of alert for sending an alert signal to an air traffic control station, when said means of information processing transmits a dissimilarity signal; and

a means for sending a signal of proper operation to said air traffic control station.