Secure aircraft camera monitoring system

• US 10,404,949 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2016
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Lee, Donald B., Hood, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hallenbeck-Huber, Jeremiah C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tchoussou, Boubacar Abdou
• Application Number:
  US15/207,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20180013985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 348144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00103 specially adapted for radio transmission, e.g. via satellites H04N1/00098 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00137 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00172 directly from a still digital camera or from a storage medium mounted in a still digital camera H04N1/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/21 Intermediate information storage H04N1/387, H04N1/41 take precedence ; for control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32358; indexing, editing G11B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4486 using digital data encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3281 Encryption; Ciphering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Secure aircraft camera monitoring includes capturing images of an area of interest proximate to an aircraft, and securely transmitting the images as data files over an encrypted communication network associated with the aircraft. In one example, a system includes an image capture device configured to be secured to an aircraft to capture a plurality of images of a field of view of an area of interest proximate to the aircraft. The system also includes a processor configured to receive the plurality of captured images and convert the captured images to a plurality of data files. The system further includes a memory configured to store the data files, and a communication interface configured to connect to an encrypted communication network associated with the aircraft, wherein the communication interface is configured to securely transmit the data files over the encrypted communication network.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture a plurality of images of a field of view of an area of interest;

a processor configured to receive the plurality of captured images and convert the captured images to a plurality of data files;

a memory configured to store the data files;

a wireless communication interface configured to connect to an encrypted wireless communication network associated with an aircraft, wherein the wireless communication interface is configured to securely transmit the data files over the encrypted wireless communication network;

a housing implemented with the image capture device, the processor, the memory, and the wireless communication interface to provide a camera configured to be selectively and removably attached to the aircraft to monitor activity in the area of interest;

wherein the camera is a first camera, the system further comprises a second camera configured to be selectively and removably attached to the aircraft after the first camera is attached, to monitor activity in a second area of interest, connect to the encrypted wireless communication network, and communicate over the encrypted wireless communication network;

wherein the first camera and the second camera are configured to establish a communication link with each other over an encrypted wireless mesh network separate from the encrypted wireless communication network associated with the aircraft to provide for ad-hoc sharing of the data files between the first and second cameras over the encrypted wireless mesh network; and

wherein the first camera is configured to transfer the plurality of data files to the second camera by the wireless communication interface over the encrypted wireless mesh network to provide for redundant storage of the data files in response to a change in luminance within the field of view of the area of interest detected by the system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first camera is configured to be fixably installed within a portion of the aircraft to covertly monitor the activity in the area of interest.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first camera and the second camera are each configured to wirelessly communicate the data files to on-board aircraft electronics through the encrypted wireless communication network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the change in luminance is detected by the image capture device.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a luminance sensor in communication with the processor, wherein the change in luminance is detected by the sensor.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an infrared light emitting diode (LED) configured to illuminate the area of interest.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is implemented as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) selectively configurable to change operations performed by the processor.

8. An aircraft comprising the system of claim 1.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a magnet configured to selectively and removably attach the first camera and/or the second camera to the aircraft.

9. A method comprising:

providing a first camera configured to be selectively and removably attached to an aircraft, the first camera comprising a housing, an image capture device, a processor, a memory, and a wireless communication interface;

securing the first camera to the aircraft to monitor activity in an area of interest;

capturing, by the image capture device, a plurality of images of a field of view of the area of interest;

converting, by the processor, the captured images to a plurality of data files;

storing, by the memory, the data files;

securely transmitting, by the wireless communication interface connected to an encrypted wireless communication network associated with the aircraft, the data files over the encrypted wireless communication network;

storing the data files to a memory of the first camera;

securing a second camera to the aircraft after the first camera is secured to the aircraft, to monitor activity in a second area of interest, connect to the encrypted wireless communication network, and communicate over the encrypted wireless communication network;

establishing a communication link between the first and second cameras over an encrypted wireless mesh network separate from the encrypted wireless communication network associated with the aircraft to provide for ad-hoc sharing of the data files between the first and second cameras; and

transferring the data files from the first camera to the second camera over the encrypted wireless mesh network to provide for redundant storage of the data files in response to detecting a change in luminance within the field of view of the area of interest.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the securing comprises fixably installing the first camera within a portion of the aircraft to covertly monitor activity in the area of interest.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first camera and the second camera are each configured to communicate the data files to on-board aircraft electronics through the encrypted wireless communication network.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the change in luminance is detected by the image capture device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the change in luminance is detected by a luminance sensor.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising illuminating, by an infrared light emitting diode (LED), the area of interest.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising selectively and removably attaching the first camera and/or the second camera to the aircraft by a magnet.