Airplane emergency navigational system

• US 7,693,614 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brian Erkin Turung
• Original Assignee: Brian Erkin Turung
• Inventors: Turung, Brian E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broadhead; Brian J
• Application Number:
  US10/799,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/9, 701/11, 701/213, 701/301, 244/76.R, 244/175, 244/189
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0031 means for overriding or restricting access to flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/005 altimeters for aircraft G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

An emergency navigational system that monitors the navigation of an aircraft by comparing actual flight parameter data to predefined flight parameter data to thereby determine if the actual flight parameter data deviates beyond a defined value, and if so, activating a navigational controller to at least partially control the navigation of the aircraft.

Claims

1. An emergency navigational system that at least partially controls the navigation of an aircraft comprising a comparator device that compares actual flight parameter data at a particular time, at a particular location, or combinations thereof to predefined flight parameter data for said particular time, said particular location, or combinations thereof, and a navigational controller that takes control of at least one navigational control of said aircraft after said data compared by said comparator deviates beyond a predefined value.

2. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, wherein said actual flight parameter data includes data selected from the group consisting of GPS position data, airspeed, altitude, date, time, aircraft flap position, aircraft orientation, and combinations thereof.

3. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, wherein said predefined flight parameter data includes data selected from the group consisting of GPS position data, airspeed, altitude, date, time, aircraft flap position, aircraft orientation, and combinations thereof.

4. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, wherein said navigational controller controls at least one navigational control to at least partially cause said aircraft to at least temporarily cease deviating beyond said predefined value.

5. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, wherein said navigational controller controls at least one navigational control to at least partially cause said aircraft to at least temporarily follow a new preprogrammed flight path.

6. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, wherein said navigational controller releases control of said at least one navigational control after receipt of a release signal from a security controller.

7. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 6, wherein said release signal at least partially originates from a location remote to said aircraft.

8. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 6, wherein said release signal at least partially originates from said aircraft.

9. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, including a database that at least partially stores said predefined flight parameter data prior to flight of said aircraft.

10. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 9, wherein said database is at least partially removable from said aircraft.

11. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, including an aircraft regulator that limits operation of at least one aircraft device on said aircraft while said navigational controller is controlling at least one of said navigational controls, said aircraft device including an aircraft door, an aircraft hatch, aircraft elevators, aircraft lights, aircraft electronic systems, aircraft environmental controls, and combinations thereof.

12. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, wherein said navigational control includes control of aircraft rudder, aircraft flap, landing gear, aircraft speed, exterior lighting, aircraft engine operation, aircraft fuel control, and combinations thereof.

13. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said emergency navigational system is located in a cockpit of said aircraft and at least a portion of said emergency navigational system is located remotely of said cockpit, said portion of said emergency navigational system located in said remote location from the cockpit having sufficient components, sufficient predefined flight parameter data, or combinations thereof control said aircraft.

14. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, including a secondary emergency navigational system that at least partially performs at least one function of said emergency navigational system when at least one function of said emergency navigational system fails.

15. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 14, wherein at least a portion of said secondary emergency navigational system is positioned in a location remote of said cockpit.

16. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, including a security analyzer to verify signals to said emergency navigational system from a location remote to said aircraft.

17. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, wherein said predefined value is constant for at least one flight parameter.

18. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, wherein said defined predefined value is not constant for at least one flight parameter.

19. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, wherein said navigational controller takes control of said at least one navigational control after said compared data has remained beyond said predefined value for a predetermined amount of time.

20. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, including a transmitter that transmits real time navigational data of said aircraft to a location remote of said aircraft during the time said navigational controller controls at least one of said navigational controls.

21. The emergency navigational system as defined in claim 1, including a fuel controller to at least partially expel fuel from said aircraft after said navigational controller controls at least one of said navigational controls.

22. The method of at least partially controlling an aircraft that has deviated from at least one predefined flight parameter comprising:

a. including at least one predefined flight parameter for at least a portion of a flight path of said aircraft into a database, said predefined flight parameter corresnonding to a particular location, to a particular time, or combinations thereof;

b. monitoring at least one flight parameter during the flight of said aircraft which corresponds to said at least one predefined flight parameter;

c. comparing said at least one predefined flight parameter to said corresponding monitored flight parameter; and

,

d. causing an emergency navigational system to activate a navigational controller after determining said monitored flight parameter exceeds a predefined deviation from said predefined flight parameter, said navigational controller at least partially controlling the navigation of said aircraft after being activated.

23. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein said monitored flight parameter data includes data selected from the group consisting of GPS position data, airspeed, altitude, date, time, aircraft flap position, aircraft orientation, and combinations thereof.

24. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein said predefined flight parameter data includes data selected from the group consisting of GPS position data, airspeed, altitude, date, time, aircraft flap position, aircraft orientation, and combinations thereof.

25. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein said navigational controller controls at least one navigational control to at least partially cause said aircraft to at least temporarily cease deviating beyond said predefined deviation.

26. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein said navigational controller controls at least one navigational control to at least partially cause said aircraft to at least temporarily follow a new preprogrammed path.

27. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein said navigational controller releases control of said at least one navigational control after receipt of a release signal from a security controller.

28. The method as defined in claim 27, wherein said release signal at least partially originates from a location remote to said aircraft.

29. The method as defined in claim 27, wherein said release signal at least partially originates from said aircraft.

30. The method as defined in claim 22, including a database that at least partially stores said predefined flight parameter data prior to flight of said aircraft.

31. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein said database is at least partially removable from said aircraft.

32. The method as defined in claim 22, including an aircraft regulator that limits operation of at least one aircraft device on said aircraft while said navigational controller is controlling at least one of said navigational controls, said aircraft device including an aircraft door, an aircraft hatch, aircraft elevators, aircraft lights, aircraft electronic systems, aircraft environmental controls, and combinations thereof.

33. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein said navigational control includes control of aircraft rudder, aircraft flap, landing gear, aircraft speed, exterior lighting, aircraft engine operation, aircraft fuel control, and combinations thereof.

34. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein at least a portion of said emergency navigational system is located in a cockpit of said aircraft and at least a portion of said emergency navigational system is located remotely of said cockpit, said portion of said emergency navigational system located in said remote location from the cockpit having sufficient components, sufficient predefined flight parameter data, or combinations thereof to control said aircraft.

35. The method as defined in claim 22, including a secondary emergency navigational system that at least partially performs at least one function of said emergency navigational system when at least one function of said emergency navigational system fails.

36. The method as defined in claim 35, wherein at least a portion of said secondary emergency navigational system is positioned in a location remote of said cockpit.

37. The method as defined in claim 22, including a security analyzer to verify signals to said emergency navigational system from a location remote to said aircraft.

38. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein said predefined deviation is constant for at least one flight parameter.

39. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein said predefined deviation is not constant for at least one flight parameter.

40. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein said navigational controller takes control of said at least one navigational control after said compared data has remained beyond said predefined deviation for a predetermined amount of time.

41. The method as defined in claim 22, including a transmitter that transmits real time navigational data of said aircraft to a location remote of said aircraft during the time said navigational controller controls at least one of said navigational controls.

42. The method as defined in claim 22, including a fuel controller to at least partially expel fuel from said aircraft after said navigational controller controls at least one of said navigational controls.