Flight recorder deployment system and method

• US 8,706,357 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRS C3 & Aviation Co. (Michigan) (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: DRS C3 & Aviation Co. (Michigan) (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Inventors: van den Heuvel, Blake, Kaufmann, Ari, O'Hara, Vincent James
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whittington, Jess
• Application Number:
  US13/830,248
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0065 Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provides an automatic deployable flight recorder (ADFR) system that includes a deployable fight recorder, a plurality of crash sensors, and a recorder release unit. The recorder release unit is communicatively coupled to the deployable fight recorder and the plurality of crash sensors, and is configured to initiate deployment of the deployable flight data recorder from an aircraft when a deployment criteria that is adjusted based on a flight condition of the aircraft is satisfied.

Claims

1. A flight recorder release unit comprising:

one or more deployment circuits for transmitting a deployment signal to deploy a fight recorder from an aircraft;

a deployment controller coupled to the one or more deployment circuits, the deployment controller including;

a sensor monitoring module that enables the one or more deployment circuits to transmit the deployment signal when crash sensor data from a plurality of crash sensors indicate a deployment criteria corresponding to a sensitivity state of the sensor monitoring module is detected; and

a sensitivity selection module that sets the sensitivity state of the sensor monitoring module to be in one of a plurality of sensitivity states based on flight status information of the aircraft, wherein the plurality of sensitivity states include a low sensitivity state when the flight status information indicate the aircraft is on the ground, a normal sensitivity state when the flight status information indicate the aircraft is cruising in flight, and an alert sensitivity state when the flight status information indicate the aircraft is taking off or landing.

2. The flight recorder release unit of claim 1, wherein the sensor monitoring module disables the one or more deployment circuits when the sensor monitoring module is in a low sensitivity state to prevent deployment of the flight recorder.

3. The flight recorder release unit of claim 1, wherein the deployment criteria in the normal sensitivity state requires a greater number of the crash sensors to trigger than the deployment criteria in the alert sensitivity state.

4. The flight recorder release unit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensitivity states further includes a high alert sensitivity state, and the deployment criteria in the high alert sensitivity state requires a fewer number of the crash sensors to trigger than the deployment criteria in the alert sensitivity state.

5. The flight recorder release unit of claim 4, wherein the deployment criteria in the high alert sensitivity state requires just one of the crash sensors to trigger.

6. The flight recorder release unit of claim 4, wherein the sensor monitoring module is set in the high alert sensitivity state when the sensitivity selection module receives a warning signal from an aircraft warning system.

7. The flight recorder release unit of claim 1, wherein the sensor monitoring module further monitors each of the crash sensors for sensor malfunction while in flight, and removes those of the crash sensors determined to have malfunctioned from the deployment criteria.

8. The flight recorder release unit of claim 4, wherein the deployment controller transmits an ELT (emergency locator transmitter) activation signal to the flight recorder to initiate in-flight transmission of an ELT signal from the flight recorder when in the high alert sensitivity state.

9. The flight recorder release unit of claim 1, wherein the deployment criteria is further based on weighted values of the crash sensors, wherein the weighted values are based on at least one of:

reliability of the respective crash sensor;

sensor type of the respective crash sensor;

or

location on the aircraft of the respective crash sensor.

10. The flight recorder release unit of claim 1, wherein the one or more deployment circuits include two deployment circuits, and the fight recorder is deployed from the aircraft only when both deployment circuits transmit the deployment signal.

11. A method for activating deployment of a deployable flight recorder from an aircraft using a plurality of crash sensors on the aircraft, the method comprising:

determining a flight condition of the aircraft;

determining one of a plurality of crash risk levels based on the flight condition of the aircraft, wherein the plurality of crash risk levels include a low crash risk level corresponding to the flight condition of the aircraft being on the ground, an intermediate crash risk level corresponding to the flight condition of the aircraft being at a cruising altitude or cruising speed, and a high crash risk level corresponding to the flight condition of the aircraft during takeoff or landing; and

activating the deployment of the deployable flight recorder from the aircraft when a deployment criteria corresponding to the determined crash risk level is satisfied, wherein the deployment criteria is based on crash sensor data from the plurality of crash sensors.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein when the determined crash risk level is the low crash risk level, the deployment of the deployable flight recorder is disabled regardless of the crash sensor data of the crash sensors.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein an increase in the crash risk level corresponds to an increase in the sensitivity of the crash sensors or to a decrease in the number of the crash sensors that are required to trigger to activate the deployment of the deployable flight recorder.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of crash risk levels further includes a maximum crash risk level, and the deployment criteria of the maximum crash risk level requires a fewer number of the crash sensors to trigger to activate the deployment of the deployable flight recorder than the deployment criteria of the high crash risk level.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the deployment criteria of the maximum crash risk level requires just one crash sensor to trigger to activate the deployment of the deployable flight recorder.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the crash risk level is elevated to the maximum crash risk level from either the intermediate crash risk level or from the high risk level when an aircraft warning system of the aircraft issues a warning of an imminent danger.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring each of the crash sensors for sensor malfunction while in flight; and

removing those of the crash sensors determined to have malfunctioned from the deployment criteria.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

initiating in-flight transmission of an ELT signal when an aircraft warning system of the aircraft issues a warning of an imminent danger.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the deployment criteria is further based on weighted values of the crash sensors, wherein the weighted values are based on at least one of:

reliability of the respective crash sensor;

sensor type of the respective crash sensor;

or

location on the aircraft of the respective crash sensor.

20. A automatic deployable flight recorder system comprising:

a deployable fight recorder;

a plurality of crash sensors; and

a recorder release unit communicatively coupled to the deployable fight recorder and the plurality of crash sensors, the recorder release unit configured to initiate deployment of the deployable flight data recorder from an aircraft when a deployment criteria that is adjusted based on a flight condition of the aircraft is satisfied, wherein the deployment criteria is adjusted based on whether the flight condition indicates the aircraft is on the ground, the flight condition indicates the aircraft is cruising in flight, or the flight condition indicates the aircraft is taking off or landing.

21. The automatic deployable flight recorder system of claim 20, wherein the flight recorder release unit transmits an ELT (emergency locator transmitter) enable signal to the deployable flight recorder to initiate in-flight transmission of an ELT signal from the deployable flight recorder when the deployment condition is detected.

22. The automatic deployable flight recorder system of claim 20, wherein the deployment condition is further based on weighted values of the respective crash sensor, wherein the weighted values are based on at least one of:

reliability of the respective crash sensor;

sensor type of the respective crash sensor;

or

location on the aircraft of the respective crash sensor.

23. The automatic deployable flight recorder system of claim 20, wherein the plurality of crash sensors include one or more of an water immersion sensor, an inertia sensor, or a frangible switch sensor.

24. The automatic deployable flight recorder system of claim 20, wherein the plurality of crash sensors include one or more crash sensors placed at a nose of the aircraft, one or more crash sensors placed at a belly of the aircraft, and one or more crash sensors placed at a tail fin of the aircraft.

25. The automatic deployable flight recorder system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the crash sensors is implemented as a microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensor.