Aircraft anti-terrorism security system

• US 6,844,817 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2002
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Gleine, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAI, ANNE VIET NGA
• Application Number:
  US10/253,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20030058112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 340/574, 340/945, 340/541, 340/425.16, 244/118.5, 180/268
• US Class Current: 340/574
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0036 by disabling or restraining attackers
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0051 by monitoring passengers or crew on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0053 using visual equipment, e.g. cameras

Abstract

In an aircraft cabin floor adjacent to the cockpit, a trap door opens downwardly into a security cell, to trap a terrorist trying to enter the cockpit. Two walls with lockable airtight doors bound a safety buffer cabin between the cockpit and the passenger cabin. Sensors like seat occupancy sensors, motion detectors, video cameras and microphones provide data regarding the location, movement and activities of passengers to a system that evaluates the data to recognize unusual data situations indicating one or more escalation levels of suspicious or aggressive actions by passengers. Alarm signals and terrorist countermeasure devices such as fogging or tranquilizer gas generators, noise generators, high intensity blinding/glaring lights, a cabin lighting master shut-off, window darkening devices, and tranquilizer dart guns are actuated automatically by the evaluation system, or manually by a cockpit input device or a portable signaling device carried by a flight attendant.

Claims

1. In an aircraft having a fuselage, a floor in said fuselage, a below-deck space in said fuselage below said floor, a cockpit in said fuselage above said floor, a cabin in said fuselage adjacent to said cockpit above said floor, a cockpit wall separating said cockpit from said cabin, and a cockpit door arranged in said cockpit wall to selectively open or close a passage through said cockpit wall between said cabin and said cockpit,

an improvement comprising:

an enclosed security cell arranged below said floor in said below-deck space at a location adjacent to and extending aft from said cockpit door, wherein said security cell is large enough and adapted to receive and confine a person therein;

a trap door arrangement including a trap door arranged in said floor in said cabin at a location adjacent to and extending aft from said cockpit door, and a power actuator connected to said trap door to actuate said trap door to selectively open or close a passage through said floor from said cabin into said security cell; and

at least one feature selected from the ground consisting of;

a first feature wherein said security cell is structurally strong to withstand a firearm discharge and a bomb explosion, and

a second feature wherein said security cell is airtight, said trap door is hermetically sealed when closed, and said improvement further comprises a knock-out gas source providing a knock-out gas, and a gas nozzle connected to said knock-out gas source and arranged in said security cell to introduce said knock-out gas into said security cell.

2. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 1, comprising said second feature wherein said security cell is airtight, said trap door is hermetically sealed when closed, and said improvement further comprises said knock-out gas source providing said knock-out gas, and said gas nozzle connected to said knock-out gas source and arranged in said security cell to introduce said knock-out gas into said security cell.

3. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 1, comprising said first feature wherein said security cell is structurally strong to withstand a firearm discharge and a bomb explosion.

4. In an aircraft having a fuselage, a cockpit in said fuselage, a cabin in said fuselage adjacent to said cockpit, a cockpit wall separating said cockpit from said cabin, and a cockpit door arranged in said cockpit wall to selectively open or close a passage through said cockpit wall between said cabin and said cockpit,

an improvement comprising:

a security wall arranged spaced apart from and parallel to said cockpit wall in said cabin so as to separate said cabin into a safety buffer zone cabin between said cockpit wall and said security wall, and a passenger seating cabin on a side of said security wall opposite said safety buffer zone cabin;

a security door arranged in said security wall to selectively open or close a passage through said security wall between said passenger seating cabin and said safety buffer zone cabin;

a power actuator connected to said security door to actuate said security door to selectively open or close said security door; and

passenger seats installed in said passenger seating cabin; and

wherein there is no passenger seat and no restroom and no other passenger service facility in said safety buffer zone cabin; and

wherein said cockpit door is hermetically sealed in a closed position thereof, said security door is hermetically sealed in a closed position thereof, said cockpit wall is airtight, said security wall is airtight, and said safety buffer zone cabin can be hermetically sealed when said cockpit door and said security door are closed, and further comprising a knock-out gas source providing a knockout gas, and a cam nozzle connected to said knock-out gas source and arranged to introduce said knock-out gas into said safety buffer zone cabin.

5. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 4, further comprising a pneumatic horn arranged in said safety buffer zone cabin.

6. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 4, further comprising a high-intensity strobe light arranged in said safety buffer zone cabin.

7. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 4, further comprising an infrared video camera arranged in said safety buffer zone cabin.

8. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 4, further comprising a tranquilizer dart gun arranged in said safety buffer zone cabin.

9. In a passenger transport aircraft having a fuselage, a cockpit in said fuselage, a cabin area in said fuselage adjacent to said cockpit, a cockpit wall separating said cockpit from said cabin area, and a cockpit door arranged in said cockpit wall to selectively open or close a passage through said cockpit wall between said cabin area and said cockpit,

an improvement comprising a security system for monitoring activities and carrying out preventive measures against aggressive activities of persons in said cabin area, said security system comprising:

plural sensors that are arranged in said cabin area and that are adapted to sense activities or behavior of persons in said cabin area and to provide corresponding sensor signals dependent on and indicative of said activities or behavior;

an information evaluation and monitoring system having at least one information input, at least one alarm signal output, and at least one actuating signal output, wherein said sensors are connected in a signal transmitting manner to said at least one information input of said information evaluation and monitoring system to provide said sensor signals thereto, and wherein said information evaluation and monitoring system is adapted to evaluate said sensor signals so as to evaluate said activities or behavior and to output at least one alarm signal and/or at least one actuating signal responsively thereto at said at least one alarm signal output and/or said at least one actuating signal output respectively;

a first optical warning signal device and a first acoustic warning signal device adapted to emit optical and acoustic warning signals respectively, arranged in said cabin area, and connected in a signal receiving manner to said at least one alarm signal output;

a second optical warning signal device and a second acoustic warning signal device adapted to emit optical and acoustic warning signals respectively, arranged in said cockpit, and connected in a signal receiving manner to said at least one alarm signal output; and

plural countermeasures adapted to prevent or hinder aggressive activities of persons in said cabin area, arranged in said cabin area, and connected in a signal receiving manner to said at least one actuating signal output.

10. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said information evaluation and monitoring system comprises:

an information acquisition unit having said at least one information input and an acquired data output;

an information evaluation unit including at least one of data evaluation logic circuitry and data evaluation software, a data input connected in a signal receiving manner to said acquired data output of said information acquisition unit, and at least one evaluated data output;

an alarm unit having said at least one alarm signal output, an input connected in a signal receiving manner to said at least one evaluated data output, and a cross-connection; and

an operating unit having said at least one actuating signal output, an input connected in a aignal receiving manner to said at least one evaluated data output, and a cross-connection connected in a signal transmitting and receiving manner to said cross-connection of said alarm unit.

11. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 10, wherein said operating unit further has a manual actuation input connected to a manual actuation input signal device arranged in said cockpit, to manually trigger actuation of said countermeasures.

12. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 10, wherein said information evaluation unit further comprises a flight data input via which said information evaluation unit receives flight data regarding flight operating parameters of said aircraft, a stored set of nominal data values, and an evaluation logic that compares actual data received via said data input from said acquired data output of said information acquisition unit and said flight data with said stored set of nominal data values, to determine whether a critical threshold value of said nominal data values has been exceeded, and responsively thereto providing a corresponding signal via said at least one evaluated data output.

13. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said security system further comprises a release element that is arranged in said cabin area adjacent to said first optical warning signal device and said first acoustic warning signal device, and that is connected to said information evaluation and monitoring System and must be operated to activate said second optical warning signal device and said second acoustic warning signal device.

14. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said aircraft further includes a cabin lighting system and cabin windows arranged in said cabin area, and wherein said countermeasures include at least one countermeasure selected from the group consisting of an automatic power actuated cockpit door locking device that selectively locks said cockpit door in a closed position in said cockpit wall, a cabin lighting master shut-off connected to said cabin lighting system to selectively shut-off all lighting in said cabin area, window darkening devices arranged on said cabin windows to selectively darken said cabin windows, a high intensity glaring or blinding light unit arranged in said cabin area, a high intensity noise generator arranged in said cabin area, and a gas source arranged to selectively introduce a gas into said cabin area.

15. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 14, wherein said countermeasures include all of said countermeasures recited in said group.

16. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 14, wherein said countermeasures include said cockpit door locking device, which selectively locks said cockpit door in said closed position in a hermetically sealed and mechanically secure manner.

17. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 14, wherein said countermeasures include said cabin lighting master shut-off.

18. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 14, wherein said countermeasures include said high intensity glaring or blinding light unit.

19. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 18, wherein said high intensity glaring or blinding light unit comprises a high intensity strobe light.

20. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 14, wherein said countermeasures include said window darkening devices.

21. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 20, wherein said window darkening devices comprise automatic power actuated window shades arranged on said cabin windows.

22. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 20, wherein said window darkening devices comprise electro-optic or electro-chromic films arranged on said cabin windows.

23. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 14, wherein said countermeasures include said high intensity noise generator.

24. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 23, wherein said noise generator comprises a pneumatic horn.

25. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 14, wherein said countermeasures include said gas source, and a gas injection nozzle connected to said gas source and arranged in said cabin area to introduce said gain directly into said cabin area.

26. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 14, wherein said aircraft further includes an air conditioning and recirculation system, and wherein said countermeasures include said gas source, and a gas injection nozzle connected to said gas source and arranged in said air conditioning and recirculation system to introduce said gas indirectly into said cabin area via said air conditioning and recirculation system.

27. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 14, wherein said countermeasures include said gas source, which is a source of a fogging gas.

28. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 14, wherein said countermeasures include said gas source, which is a source of a knock-out gas.

29. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said countermeasures include a tranquilizer dart gun arranged in said cabin area.

30. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said aircraft further includes a below-deck space and a cabin floor separating said cabin area from said below-deck space, and wherein said countermeasures include an enclosed security cell arranged in said below-deck space, a trap door arranged in said cabin floor adjacent to said cockpit door to selectively open or close a passage from said cabin area through said cabin floor into said security cell, and a power actuator connected to said trap door and connected to said at least one actuating signal output of said information evaluation and monitoring system so as to actuate an opening and closing of said trap door responsive to an actuating signal from said actuating signal output.

31. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 30, wherein said security cell is explosion proof and hermetically sealed when said trap door is cloned, and said countermeasures further comprise a knock-out gas source arranged to selectively introduce a knock-out gas into said security call.

32. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said sensors include a night-vision device arranged in said cabin area.

33. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 32, wherein said night-vision device comprises an infrared camera.

34. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 32, wherein said night-vision device is controllably orientable, and said countermeasures further include a tranquilizer dart gun connected to said night-vision device, so that said tranquilizer dart gun can be oriented and aimed in connection with said night-vision device.

35. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said security system further comprises a portable remote signaling device that is freely movably portable in said cabin area, that is connected by an infrared or radio transmission link to said information evaluation and monitoring system, and that can be manually operated to send a signal to said information evaluation and monitoring system to selectively activate said warning signal devices and said countermeasures.

36. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said aircraft further includes passenger seats in said cabin area, and wherein said sensors include seat occupancy sensors arranged on said passenger seats respectively to sense whether a person is seated in a respective one of said seats.

37. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 36, wherein said Beat occupancy sensors respectively comprise pressure sensors or load sensors.

38. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 36, wherein said information evaluation and monitoring system contains stored information representing an acceptable threshold number of persons who may leave their respective assigned ones of said passenger seats in said cabin area in a prescribed time interval, and said information evaluation and monitoring system further comprises a comparator arrangement adapted to compare said sensor signals from said seat occupancy sensors with said stored information and to output said at least one alarm signal responsively if said sensor signals indicate said acceptable threshold number has been exceeded.

39. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said aircraft further includes passenger seats with seat belts and seat belt buckles in said cabin area, and wherein said sensors include seat belt buckle status sensors arranged on said seat belt buckles to sense whether said seat belt buckles are respectively buckled or unbuckled.

40. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said aircraft further includes passenger seats in said cabin area and passenger alarm buttons arranged on said passenger seats and connected to said information evaluation and monitoring system, and wherein said passenger alarm buttons can be respectively manually depressed to send an alarm signal to said information evaluation and monitoring system.

41. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said sensors include motion detectors arranged in said cabin area to sense forward and aft motion of persona in said cabin area.

42. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 41, wherein said information evaluation and monitoring system contains stored information representing an acceptable threshold speed of at least one person moving forward along an aisle in said cabin area toward said cockpit, and said information evaluation and monitoring system further comprises a comparator arrangement adapted to compare said sensor signals from said motion detectors with said stored information and to output said at least one alarm signal responsively if said sensor signals indicate said acceptable threshold speed has been exceeded.

43. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, wherein said sensors include a video camera and an audio microphone arranged in said cabin area.

44. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, further comprising a voice and/or video recorder connected to said at least one alarm signal output of said information evaluation and monitoring system to record an alarm signal, and an external transmitting antenna connected to said at least one alarm signal output of said information evaluation and monitoring system to transmit an alarm signal externally from said aircraft.

45. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 9, further comprising a security wall with a security door therein, spaced apart from and extending parallel to said cockpit wall in said cabin area so as to separate said cabin area into a passenger seating cabin and a safety buffer zone cabin between said passenger seating cabin and said cockpit, and further comprising a powered door actuator connected to said security door and to said at least one actuating signal output of said information evaluation and monitoring system so as to selectively open and close said security door.

46. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 45, wherein said Security door is hinged to said security wall to swing into said safety buffer zone cabin, and said powered door actuator is arranged in said security door.

47. The improvement in the aircraft according to claim 45, wherein said security door is a sliding or rolling door that slides or rolls into or out of a cavity in said security wall, and said powered door actuator is arranged in or on an upright edge of said security door inside said cavity in said security wall.