Communications: electrical – Aircraft alarm or indicating systems
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-28
2004-06-01
Will, Daniel J. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Aircraft alarm or indicating systems
C340S005640, C340S005650, C340S534000, C340S539110, C340S963000, C348S014010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06744381
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an aircraft emergency warning system for use in connection with aircraft security systems. The aircraft emergency warning system has particular utility in connection with aircraft emergency warning system that covertly pages the flight crew with a warning from the aircraft cabin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Aircraft emergency warning systems are desirable for protecting commercial aircraft from the unannounced onslaught of a hijacking or a terrorist action. In many instances the cabin of an aircraft is where hostile actions originate, the occupants of the cabin many times become aware of a hostile act before the flight crew does. In these instances the advanced warning of an action can mean the difference between thwarting an action or becoming a victim. A need was felt for providing the flight crew with a covert warning of from the aircraft cabin.
The use of aircraft security systems is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,371 to Oyer et al discloses an aircraft security system that includes a central control unit, several remotely located cluster controllers and a plurality of intrusion sensors associated with and controlled by each cluster controller. A two-wire bus carries power from the central control unit for operating each of the cluster controllers and the sensors and carries data signals in both directions between the central control unit and the cluster controllers. The system includes an initial calibration mode wherein sensor type information and sensor parameters are sent from the central control unit to each cluster controller. The signal strength from each sensor is then measured and stored in the central control unit. During later operation, the sensor signal strengths are measured and compared with the initial values. If a trouble condition is detected, appropriate corrective action is taken. However, the Oyer et al '371 patent does not include emergency transmitters camouflaged as ordinary personal items such as a pin, broach, watch, earring, belt buckle or pen to send a warning to an cockpit alarm control system.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,091 to Scott discloses a cockpit transmission assembly that discretely transmits voice conversations emanating from the cockpit of the aircraft automatically to a ground tracking station or a tracking aircraft in an emergency situation, such as a hijacking. The transmission system comprises an audio switching assembly which, when activated, transfers audio signals from a voice recorder assembly normally found on commercial aircraft to a radio transceiver of the aircraft for automatic transmission to ground tracking stations. Activation of the system can occur by a crew member carrying out his normal activities therefore not alerting hijackers when performing duties related to setting the dual transponder control to a preselected code setting and/or the frequency channel selector of the radio transceiver to a preselected frequency. However, the Scott '091 patent does not include emergency transmitters camouflaged as ordinary personal items such as a pin, broach, watch, earring, belt buckle or pen to send a warning to an cockpit alarm control system.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 337,067 to Patterson discloses a combined audible alarm and signaling transmitter that sends an alarm signal and announces an audible alarm when triggered. However, the Patterson '067 patent does not include emergency transmitters camouflaged as ordinary personal items such as a pin, broach, watch, earring, belt buckle or pen to send a warning to an cockpit alarm control system.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe an aircraft emergency warning system that allows aircraft emergency warning system that covertly pages the flight crew with a warning from the aircraft cabin. The Oyer et al '371, Scott '091 and Patterson '067 patents make no provision for including emergency transmitters camouflaged as ordinary personal items such as a pin, broach, watch earring, belt buckle or pen to send a warning to an cockpit alarm control system.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved aircraft emergency warning system which can be used for aircraft emergency warning system that covertly pages the flight crew with a warning from the aircraft cabin. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the aircraft emergency warning system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of aircraft emergency warning system that covertly pages the flight crew with a warning from the aircraft cabin.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of aircraft security systems now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved aircraft emergency warning system, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved aircraft emergency warning system and method which has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in an aircraft emergency warning system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a wireless transmitter
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camouflaged as personal effects. The wireless transmitter
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is capable of transmitting an alarm signal. A cockpit alarm control system is capable of receiving the transmitted alarm signal. The cockpit alarm control system is capable of outputting an activation signal. An aircraft surveillance system is electrically connected to the cockpit alarm control system. The aircraft surveillance system is capable of responding to the activation signal.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
The invention may also include a transmitter switch, a transmitter counter circuit, a microprocessor circuit, a receiver, a non-volatile memory, an audio alert, a video alert, an alarm location display, a surveillance controller, a video camera, a video display, a microphone and an audio output. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important
Tang Son
Will Daniel J.
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