Aircraft control systems

• US 9,786,189 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2016
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Loussides, George N., Zywiak, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US15/005,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20170213467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 701 16, 701 3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/441 Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• 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: B64D 45/0031 means for overriding or restricting access to flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0051 by monitoring passengers or crew on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/02 Automatic approach or landing aids, i.e. systems in which flight data of incoming planes are processed to provide landing data landing aids fitted in or to aircraft B64D45/04; visual or acoustic landing aids B64F1/18
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

A method of controlling an aircraft in the event of pilot incapacity includes detecting, using at least one sensor, the occurrence of an event relating to a pilot'"'"'s capacity to control the aircraft, determining whether the event justifies a controlled takeover of the aircraft from the pilot, asserting a controlled takeover of the aircraft from the pilot if it has been determined that a controlled takeover is justified, and executing a controlled landing of the aircraft without assistance of the pilot.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an aircraft in the event of pilot incapacity, comprising:

detecting, using at least one sensor, the occurrence of an event relating to a pilot'"'"'s capacity to control the aircraft;

determining, using a controller that is operatively connected to the at least one sensor, whether the event justifies a controlled takeover of the aircraft from the pilot;

asserting a controlled takeover of the aircraft from the pilot if it has been determined that a controlled takeover is justified; and

executing a controlled landing of the aircraft without assistance of the pilot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the occurrence of an event includes detecting a biometric parameter using the sensor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the event justifies a controlled takeover includes determining whether the biometric parameter is outside of a predetermined range.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the occurrence of an event includes detecting aircraft course and/or location information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining whether the event justifies a controlled takeover includes determining whether the course information represents a deviation from a predetermined flight course beyond a deviation threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the occurrence of an event includes detecting an aircraft flight state.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether the event justifies a controlled takeover includes determining whether the aircraft flight state is within predetermined aircraft operational parameters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the occurrence of an event includes detecting an action initiated by the pilot or other crew member.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the event justifies a controlled takeover includes providing a signal to the pilot indicating that an event has occurred justifying a controlled takeover to confirm whether the pilot is incapacitated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the event justifies a controlled takeover includes confirming whether the pilot is incapacitated by remote visual observation.

11. The method of any of claim 1, wherein determining whether the event necessitates a controlled takeover includes confirming whether the pilot is incapacitated by illuminating the pilot with a laser and analyzing the reflected light.

12. The method of any of claim 1, wherein asserting a controlled takeover of the aircraft from the pilot includes activating an autonomous flight control of the aircraft.

13. The method of any of claim 1, wherein asserting a controlled takeover of the aircraft from the pilot involves asserting remote flight control of the aircraft.

14. The method of any of claim 1, wherein executing a controlled landing of the aircraft without the assistance of the pilot includes flying the aircraft to a predetermined landing location.

15. The method of any of claim 1, wherein the executing a controlled landing of the aircraft without the assistance of the pilot includes flying the aircraft to the closest safe landing area.

16. An aircraft emergency control system, comprising:

a controller operatively connected to at least one sensor to receive a signal therefrom and a flight control system of the aircraft to control the aircraft, wherein the controller includes a processor, a memory, and instructions executable by the processor to perform a method, the method including;

detecting, using the at least one sensor, the occurrence of an event relating to a pilot'"'"'s capacity to control the aircraft;

determining whether the event justifies a controlled takeover of the aircraft from the pilot, wherein determining whether the event justifies a controlled takeover includes at least one of determining whether a biometric parameter of the pilot is outside of a predetermined range, determining whether course information and/or location of the aircraft represents a deviation from a predetermined flight course beyond a deviation threshold, determining whether the aircraft flight state is within predetermined aircraft operational parameters, receiving a signal confirming whether the pilot is incapacitated by remote visual observation, providing a signal to the pilot indicating that an event has occurred to confirm whether the pilot is incapacitated and determining whether the pilot reacts, illuminating the pilot with a laser and analyzing the reflected light, or receiving an indication from the pilot that imminent incapacitation is likely;

asserting a controlled takeover of the aircraft from the pilot if it has been determined that a controlled takeover is justified; and

executing a controlled landing of the aircraft without assistance of the pilot.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of a biometric sensor, an aircraft state sensor, an imaging device, a responsiveness sensor, or an aircraft location sensor.