Cabin awareness and warning system

• US 6,972,694 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2003
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Carroll, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie Bichngoc
• Application Number:
  US10/353,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20040145498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/963, 340/539.11, 340/541, 340/5.52, 340/5.53
• US Class Current: 340/963
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0053 using visual equipment, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1965 the vehicle being an aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet

Abstract

A method for monitoring the security state of an aircraft cabin. The method includes surveiling the main cabin of an aircraft, monitoring radio frequencies predesignated for handheld radio devices for signals, recording the generated images and monitored sounds on non-volatile media, and generating an alert in response to a threat perceived while surveiling and monitoring.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring the security state of an aircraft main cabin, the system comprising:

a central processor, the central processor configured to generate facial parameters based upon received video images;

a plurality of cameras configured to generate the video images of passengers within an aircraft main cabin and electronically connected with the central processor;

a display connected with the processor and configured to display the video images, and further configured to display messages generated by the central processor; and

a device configured to receive radio signals and further configured to generate a signal sent to the central processor in response to a received radio signal, wherein the central processing unit is configured to sense the presence of the radio signals in order to select a video image generated by a camera, the video image selected based upon the presence of a source of the radio signal within the cabin.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured as a walkie-talkie.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the radio signals and the images generated by the plurality of cameras are stored on non-volatile media.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more handheld devices for receiving and transmitting radio signals to the device, each handheld device having a panic button for generating a panic signal when activated.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the central processor generates a warning message on the display in response to a predefined radio signal.

6. The system of claim 1, further including a video switch configured to selectively display from one or more of the camera-generated images and one or more messages generated by the central processor.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the video switch is manually controlled.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the video switch is automatically controlled, such that the video switch will select one or more of the camera-generated images based upon movement.