Device for managing the waking up phase of an aircraft pilot

• US 7,969,327 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Pin, Garance, Christophe, Laure
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu; Julie
• Application Number:
  US12/259,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20090109038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/963
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/00 Equipment not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A device for managing an awakening phase, in flight, of a pilot in the cockpit of an airplane, following a rest period, to guarantee his or her return to a state estimated compatible with flying operations, also called state of vigilance, wherein it includes management means for inducing progressive physical stimuli for generating an awareness by the resting pilot that his or her rest period is over, starting a procedure in the form of actions to be carried out by the pilot, means for displaying the procedure drawn up by the management means. The management device includes a warning device in case a state of hypo-vigilance is detected in the pilot, which is activated when the pilot is assumed to be in a state of vigilance.

Claims

1. A device for managing the awakening phase, in flight, of a pilot in the cockpit of an airplane, following a rest period, to guarantee his or her return to a state considered as compatible with flying operations, also called state of vigilance, comprising:

management means for;

receiving at least one activation signal from a device for managing the pilot'"'"'s rest, for managing a rest period of said pilot,

inducing progressive physical stimuli for generating an awareness by the resting pilot that his or her rest period is over,

starting a procedure requesting the pilot to carry out a list of successive operations relating to the airplane and to the flight, without any effect on the airplane or the flight,

means for displaying the list of the operations as mentioned in the procedure.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the management means comprises a control device acting on means for generating and emitting sound signals.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the management means comprises a control device acting on means for generating and emitting visual signals.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the display means comprises a screen in the cockpit of the airplane, on which the various operations to be carried out and to be acknowledged by the pilot are displayed.

5. A device according to claim 1, generating a control signal for activating a warning device when the pilot is assumed to be in a state of vigilance.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the warning device generates a control signal for activating at least a hypo-vigilance warning when the pilot is detected as being hypo-vigilant.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the control signal activates at least one hypo-vigilance warning with a higher level than a preceding active hypo-vigilance warning when the pilot has not carried out an expected action in response to said previous alarm within a preset period.