Heads down warning system

• US 8,937,552 B1
• Filed: 01/02/2013
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Williams, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US13/732,671
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 340/575, 340/576, 340/425.5, 340/439, 340/436, 348/148, 348/222.1, 348/77, 348/78, 348/135, 348/103, 701/36, 701/45, 701/1
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft

Abstract

An environment associated with at least one crew member is identified, and a line-of-sight associated with the at least one crew member is determined. An alarm is generated when the line-of-sight remains within a predetermined area for an elapsed time that exceeds a first predetermined temporal threshold associated with the identified environment.

Claims

1. A method for managing crew resources, the method implemented using a computing device coupled to a memory device, the method comprising:

identifying an environment associated with at least one crew member;

determining a first line-of-sight associated with a first crew member of the at least one crew member;

determining a second line-of-sight associated with a second crew member of the at least one crew member; and

generating an alarm when both the first line-of-sight and the second line-of-sight are within a predetermined area for an elapsed time that exceeds a first predetermined temporal threshold associated with the identified environment.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein determining a line-of-sight further comprises detecting an eye position of the at least one crew member.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein determining a line-of-sight further comprises detecting a head position of the at least one crew member.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising receiving a plurality of input signals from a user input device, wherein generating an alarm further comprises generating the alarm when a quantity associated with the plurality of input signals is greater than a predetermined threshold associated with the identified environment.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein generating an alarm further comprises generating the alarm when the line-of-sight is outside of a predetermined area for an elapsed time that exceeds a second predetermined temporal threshold associated with the identified environment.

6. A computing system for managing crew resources, said computing system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage device having encoded thereon computer readable instructions that are executable by the processor to perform functions comprising;

identifying an environment associated with at least one crew member;

determining a first line-of-sight associated with a first crew member of the at least one crew member;

determining a second line-of-sight associated with a second crew member of the at least one crew member; and

generating an alarm when both the first line-of-sight and the second line-of-sight are within a predetermined area for an elapsed time that exceeds a first predetermined temporal threshold associated with the identified environment.

7. A computing system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the functions performed by the processor further comprise detecting an eye position of the at least one crew member.

8. A computing system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the functions performed by the processor further comprise detecting a head position of the at least one crew member.

9. A computing system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the functions performed by the processor further comprise receiving a plurality of input signals from a user input device, wherein the alarm is generated when a quantity associated with the plurality of input signals is greater than a predetermined threshold associated with the identified environment.

10. A computing system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the functions performed by the processor further comprise generating the alarm when the line-of-sight is outside of a predetermined area for an elapsed time that exceeds a second predetermined temporal threshold associated with the identified environment.

11. A system for managing crew resources, said system comprising:

a sensor configured to detect at least one of an eye position and a head position of at least one of a first crew member and a second crew member; and

a computing system comprising a processor, and a computer-readable storage device having encoded thereon computer readable instructions that are executable by the processor to perform functions comprising;

identifying an environment associated with the at least one crew member;

determining a first line-of-sight associated with the first crew member based on at least one of the eye position and the head position of the first crew member;

determining a second line-of-sight associated with the second crew member based on at least one of the eye position and the head position of the second crew member; and

generating an alarm when both the first line-of-sight and the second line-of-sight are within a predetermined area for an elapsed time that exceeds a first predetermined temporal threshold associated with the identified environment.

12. A system in accordance with claim 11 further comprising a user input device configured to transmit a plurality of input signals, wherein the alarm is generated when a quantity associated with the plurality of input signals is greater than a predetermined threshold associated with the identified environment.

13. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the functions performed by the processor further comprise generating the alarm when the line-of-sight is outside of a predetermined area for an elapsed time that exceeds a second predetermined temporal threshold associated with the identified environment.

14. A system in accordance with claim 11 further comprising a flight instrument positioned within the predetermined area, wherein the flight instrument includes at least one of an altimeter, an attitude indicator, an airspeed indicator, a course deviation indicator, a heading indicator, a magnetic compass, a radio magnetic indicator, and a vertical speed indicator.