GB2314542A

GB2314542A - Pilot flight safety advisor and flight/mission controller

Info

Publication number: GB2314542A
Application number: GB9613236A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Trevor Henry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-06-25
Filing date: 1996-06-25
Publication date: 1998-01-07
Also published as: GB9613236D0

Abstract

A system that can monitor an aircraft by monitoring messages on the aircraft's systems network, can check the state of switching and other devices and can detect potential problems and advise the pilot so he can react accordingly. This is achieved by means of an advisor/controller device that analyses the information monitored and generates an appropriate aural warning message via a speaker in the cockpit. Using the same method, the system can also remind the pilot to carry out tasks. In certain cases, the system can initiate a task itself by generating either a message over the aircraft's system network or controlling a switching device. The advisor/controller device 3, comprises a power socket 4, and may be connected to the aircraft's system network by a socket 5, to a cockpit speaker via a socket 6, and to devices such as switches via a socket 7.

Description

PILOT FLIGHT SAFTEY ADVISOR AND FLIGHT/MISSION CONTROLLER This invention relates to a pilot flight saftey advisor and flight/mission controller.

All aircraft commercial and militar are ven complicated machines consisting of a large number of s!stems. all duplicated a number of times for reliability's sake. Many of these systems have displays and controls in the cockpit. duplicated yet again. Fundamentally. the pilots task to assess the state of and control all these systems to achieve either a safe flight. or successful mission. The pilots workload is immense. but as yet. no method has been found to reduce it. without introducing the possibilitn of flight safety problems.

Most nesv aircraft now have a system network which connects all the major components together so that the! can communicate with each other. An immense amount of information is available on this network. which givcs an accurate picture of the current state of the aircraft. The amount of information could easil! be increased so that even major system state in available. i.e each systems opinion of its current situation. control states. sensor information. etc.

All this information can monitored by another system. The pilot flight saftey advisor and flight/mission controller. The flight safety advisor capability can assess the information. look for potential problems.

and advlse the pilot accordingly. so that he can take evasive action. The capability can also detect tasks that the pilot has forgotten and remind him. i.e. lower the undercarriage. The flight/mission controller capability. in certain cases. can carry out tasks that the pilot would normally do. This control could be limited to only non-flight safety tasks.

This pilot flight saftex advisor and flight/mission controller system would be effectively be above all the other systems. monitoring and occasionally controlling. The other systems would still operate as normal. having the same displays and controls. If the pilot flight saftey advisor and flight/mission controller failed. then it have no-effect on the aircraft and therefore the flight or omission. The pilots workload would just increase.

According to the present invention there is provided a system that continuosly monitors and asseses the current state of an aircraft. advises the pilot of potential problems and that can control selected tasks therefore reducing pilot workload and improving flight safetv.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 shows the pilot flight saftex advisor and flight/mission controller. with power and other sockets to the front.

Referring to the drawing the pilot flight saftey advisor and flight/mission controller consists of a body 3 which is fed power via the power socket 4 connected to the aircraft's system network bs the network socket 5. The system is also connected to a speaker in the aircraft's cockpit via the speaker socket 6 and to simple devices such as switches via the discretes socket 7.

Usually messages on a network are either - --addressed". so only a particular system will receive them. or global so all systems receive them. In this example of the pilot flight saftev advisor and flight/mission controllers' case. the address check is removed. so that it receives and processes even' message.

The messages fed in via the network socket 5 are decoded. stored away. In addition. the state of switches and other simple devices is fed in via the discrete socket 7. Periodically or when a particular piece of information is received the pilot flight saftey advisor and flight/mission controller analyses the information it has received. If the pilot flight safte advisor and flight/mission controller 3 analysis of the information dictates that the pilot should be advised or warned. then it generates in a human voice.

an appropriate message. and passes that warning/advise. by signal. via the speaker socket 6 to the cockpit speaker.

If the pilot flight saftey advisor and flight/mission controller 3 analysis of the information dictates that a task can be carried out then a message is sent to the appropriate system via the network socket 6 or the discretes socket 7.

The pilot flight saftey advisor and flight/mission controller sends a message on to the network via the network socket 4 periodically stating that it is present and functioning correctly. If it fails or the network fails then this will be indicated to the pilot.

The pilot flight saftey advisor and flight/mission controller periodically sends a pulse. out of human hearing range. via the speaker socket 6 to the cockpit speaker. Feedback is fed back via the speaker socket 6. If the feedback is not received then it is deemed that the pilot flight safe). advisor and flight/mission controller has failed. The system shuts off. stopping the present and functioning message.

Example of pilot advise.

If a messages over the network via the network socket 4 indicate that the aircraft has achieved V2 then send a signal via the speaker socket 6 W2 ACHIEVED" If a messages over the network via the network socket 4 indicate that the aircraft has achieved V2 for I () seconds. and that the undercarriage is still down then send a signal via the speaker socket 6 every I () seconds until a message via the network socket 4 indicates the undercarriage is up.

-*UNDERCARRIAGE STILL DOWN" Example of non-flight safety control.

If a messages over the network via the network socket 4 indicate that the aircraft has achieved its allocated height band. and has levelled out. then turn off the non-smoking and seat belt signs by sending control via the discrete socket 7.

Claims

I. A system that continuosly monitors and asseses the current state of an aircraft advises the pilot of potential problems and that can control selected tasks . therefore reducing pilot workload and improving flight safety.
2. A pilot flight saftey advisor and flight/mission controller substantiallv as described herein with reference to Figure I of the accompanying drawing.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS I A pilot flight saftey advisor and flight/mission controller in or on aircraft. which continuously monitors the current operational status of said aircraft and advises the pilot. using a computer gcncratcd synthetic human voice. of any detectable status which is of interest. comprising of: mcaiis for monitoring the operation status of said aircraft.

proccssing means for determining whether a dctectable operational status of interest has occurred and sclccting an appropriate synthetic human voice message.

means for generating a synthetic human voice.

2 A pilot flight saftey advisor and flight/mission controller substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 1 ofthe accompanxing drawing.