Airline cockpit security system
AssigneeSecure Sky Ventures International LLC
InventorStanley M. Craig
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is directed to preventing a hijacker from gaining sufficient flight control of an airliner to use it to do harm. One embodiment of the invention detects when the pilot is not seated and verifies the authorization for the seat to be empty. If the required authorization is not timely provided, a processor executes a hijacking response that includes locking out the flight controls, uninterruptibly and autonomously communicating events on-board the aircraft to ground controllers and others, and uninterruptibly and autonomously navigating the aircraft to a safe landing without control inputs from the cockpit. The present invention, a vehicle security system, is also useful on other vehicles. An embodiment for an automobile is described.
Claims48
A vehicle security system in a propelled, controllable vehicle having at least one station for a human vehicle operator, the at least one station comprising vehicle controls and at least one place for the vehicle operator to occupy while operating the vehicle controls, from which at least one station the vehicle operator operates the vehicle using the vehicle controls, the vehicle security system comprising:
- at least one person sensor configured to detect at least one of the presence and absence of a person occupying the at least one station;
- at least one person identification verifier responsive to the at least one person sensor, configured to determine if the presence of a person occupying the at least one station is authorized;
- and
- at least one station securer configured to secure the at least one station responsive to at least one of the person sensor and the person identification verifier.
A method for preventing a hijacker from gaining control of the flight of an aircraft, the aircraft having at least one station for a human pilot, the station comprising a set of flight control input devices and a pilot's seat to occupy, from which at least one station the pilot flies the aircraft using the flight control input devices, the method comprising:
- detecting changes in the occupancy state of the at least one pilot's seat;
- interrogating for at least one authorization data input in response to a change in the occupancy state of the at least one pilot's seat;
- determining whether the change in the occupancy state of the at least one pilot's seat is authorized or unauthorized, in response to receiving an input;
- and
- responding to the state of authorization of the state of occupancy of the at least one pilot's seat by at least one of continuing normal flight and executing a hijack response.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.