Aircraft security system and method

A method of monitoring and securing a plurality of vessels stowed at a site storage location including vessels normally stowed at the site storage location and vessels temporarily located at the site storage location, each of the plurality of vessels being provided with at least one sensor adapted to transmit a uniquely identified coded signal at predetermined time intervals and wherein the site storage location is provided with a receiver adapted to receive the coded signals and computer means for storing the received signals and taking appropriate action in response thereto, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) maintaining in the computer means a data base that includes a file for each of the vessels normally stowed at the site storage location, each such file including the time of the last transmission received from a sensor aboard the vessel associated with the file;
• (b) periodically interrogating the data base to determine the time of last received transmission for each of the vessels normally stowed at the site storage location;
• (c) comparing the times of last received transmission to the current time to determine the time interval since last received transmission for each of the vessels normally stowed at the site storage location;
• (d) comparing the determined time interval to a predetermined maximum time interval;
• (e) identifying a vessel as overdue for check-in if the determined time interval for the vessel is greater than the predetermined maximum time interval;
• (f) notifying security personnel of the overdue check-in condition for appropriate action;
• (g) receiving coded signals from vessels temporarily located at the site storage location;
• and
• (h) creating a file in the computer means for each vessel temporarily located at the site storage location for monitoring the condition of such vessels while they are located at the site storage location.

A method of tracking vessels that move from one site in a network of sites to another site in the network of sites, each of the vessels having a home site at which it is normally stowed, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing each vessel with a transmitter adapted to transmit a uniquely identified coded signal upon occurrence of a predetermined condition;
• (b) providing each site with a receiver adapted to receive signals from vessel transmitters located at the site and a site computer coupled to the receiver for accessing the uniquely identified coded signals received by the receiver;
• (c) providing a central computer means coupled to the site computers and adapted receive information therefrom;
• (d) creating a data base in the site computer of each home site with the data base including the unique identifiers associated with each vessel normally stowed at the home site;
• (e) receiving coded signals from the sensors of vessels at the sites;
• (f) determining for each received signal whether it is associated with a vessel for which the receiving site is the home site;
• (g) if the received signal is not associated with a vessel for which the receiving site is the home site, creating a record of the received signal and making the record available to the central computer means;
• (h) at the central computer means, receiving records of non-home site transmissions from the site computers to track the movement of vessels between sites in the network.

A security system for securing aircraft normally stowed at an airport and aircraft temporarily stowed at the airport, said security system comprising:

• at least one sensor aboard each secured aircraft, said sensor being adapted to transmit a uniquely identified coded signal at predetermined time intervals;
• a receiver at the airport for receiving signals transmitted by said sensors;
• computer means coupled to said receiver for accessing the coded signals received by the receiver;
• a data base stored in said computer means, said data base including a record for each aircraft normally stowed at the airport, each record including the time at which a transmission was last received from a sensor aboard the associated aircraft;
• said computer means being programmed to interrogate said data base at predetermined intervals, to compare the time of last transmission stored in the data base for each aircraft normally stowed at the airport to the current time, and to determine the time interval since last transmission for each aircraft;
• said computer means being further programmed to generate an alarm condition if a time interval is greater than a predetermined maximum time interval for an aircraft;
• said computer means being further programmed to determine when a coded signal is received from an aircraft temporarily stowed at the airport and to create an associated record in said data base for monitoring the temporarily stowed aircraft while it is located at the airport.

A method of monitoring a plurality of vessels stowed at a site, the plurality of vessels including vessels for which the site is the home site and vessels for which the site is not the home site, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing each of the vessels with a transmitter adapted to transmit a uniquely coded signal upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition;
• (b) providing a receiver at the site for receiving signals transmitted by the transmitters;
• (c) providing a site computer coupled to the receiver for accessing the unique codes of signals received by the receiver;
• (d) maintaining a data base in the site computer with the data base containing a record for each vessel for which the site is the home site;
• (e) upon receipt of a signal, comparing the code of the signal to the data base to determine if the site is the home site of the vessel associated with the signal;
• (f) if it is determined in step (e) that the site is the home site of a vessel associated with the signal, taking action appropriate to the predetermined condition;
• (g) if it is determined in step (e) that the site is not the home site of the vessel associated with the signal, creating a record in the cite computer corresponding to the vessel for monitoring the vessel while it is stowed at the site and taking action appropriate to the predetermined condition.