Aircrew automation system and method
Inventors
Duda, Jessica E. • Tylko, John • Mindell, David • KUNZI, FABRICE • Piedmonte, Michael • Allee, John • Torgerson, Joshua • Ryan, Jason • Paduano, James Donald • Wissler, John Brooke • Musto, Andrew • Feenstra, Wendy
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10642270-B2
Publication Date
2020-05-05
Expiration Date
Abstract
An aircrew automation system and method for use in an aircraft. The aircrew automation system comprises one or more processors, an optical perception system, an actuation system, and a human-machine interface. The optical perception system monitors, in real-time, one or more cockpit instruments of the aircraft visually to generate flight situation data. The actuation system mechanically engages at least one flight control of the aircraft in response to the one or more flight commands. The human-machine interface provides an interface between a human pilot and the aircrew automation system. The human-machine interface comprises a display device to display a status of the aircraft and the actuation system.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an aircrew automation system that operates an aircraft by imaging cockpit instruments with an optical perception system to yield, in real-time, image data representing the cockpit instruments. The one or more processors generate real-time flight situation data based on the image data, and then generate one or more flight commands based at least in part on the real-time flight situation data. The flight commands are communicated to a flight control system to control at least one flight control of the aircraft.
The invention further displays, via a display device operatively coupled with the processors, a status of the aircraft and of the aircrew automation system, integrating flight control status with aircrew-automation status information. In the claimed system, a human-machine interface provides an interface between a human pilot and the aircrew automation system, where the human-machine interface comprises the display device for displaying the status.
The invention is implemented as an open-architecture core platform that is modular and portable, and that uses optical perception for real-time visual monitoring of cockpit instruments. The system also includes a knowledge acquisition system configured to determine aircraft-specific information, and the generated results support aircraft state monitoring and aircraft state vector estimation, including machine-learning anomaly detection and contingency operation application, along with aircraft state logging for debrief/training.
Claims Coverage
The document provides two independent claims: a method of operating an aircraft using an aircrew automation system with an optical perception system and processors, and an aircrew automation system comprising processors, a perception system, flight-command generation/control, and a human-machine interface. Across the independent claims, there are five main inventive features: optical imaging of cockpit instruments, real-time flight situation data generation, flight-command generation, flight-control command communication/control, and display of aircraft and automation status via an HMI.
Optical imaging of cockpit instruments for real-time image data
Imaging, via the optical perception system, cockpit instruments of the aircraft to yield, in real-time, image data representing the cockpit instruments.
Real-time flight situation data from image data
Generating, via the one or more processors, real-time flight situation data based on the image data.
Flight commands generated from real-time flight situation data
Generating, via the one or more processors, one or more flight commands based at least in part on the real-time flight situation data.
Flight commands communicated to control flight controls
Communicating the one or more flight commands to a flight control system of the aircraft to control at least one flight control of the aircraft.
Displaying status of aircraft and aircrew automation system via a display device
Displaying, via a display device operatively coupled with the one or more processors, a status of the aircraft and of the aircrew automation system.
Processor-based interfaces for connecting systems or subsystems
One or more processors to operatively connect a plurality of systems or subsystems via one or more interfaces.
Perception system visually monitors cockpit instruments to generate flight situation data
A perception system operatively coupled with the one or more processors to monitor, in real-time, one or more cockpit instruments of the aircraft visually to generate real-time flight situation data.
Processor-generated flight commands and flight-control control
The one or more processors are configured to generate one or more flight commands based at least in part on the real-time flight situation data, wherein at least one of the one or more processors is configured to control at least one flight control of the aircraft using the one or more flight commands.
Human-machine interface displaying aircraft and automation status
A human-machine interface operatively coupled with the one or more processors to provide an interface between a human pilot and the aircrew automation system, wherein the human-machine interface comprises a display device to display a status of the aircraft and of the aircrew automation system.
Overall, the claim set centers on visually monitoring cockpit instruments with an optical perception system, converting that monitoring into real-time flight situation data, generating flight commands from the real-time flight situation data, using the commands to control at least one flight control, and presenting aircraft and automation status to a human pilot via a human-machine interface display.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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