Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Aeronautical vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-17
2003-06-24
Beaulieu, Yonel (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Aeronautical vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
active
06584382
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method for operating complex machines and moving vehicles using a high level of vehicle automation and operator controls and displays to achieve a substantial reduction in operator required skill level and training.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Complex machines and moving vehicles (for example airplanes or helicopters) are either automatically controlled by programmed computers or require highly skilled well-trained operators to operate safely. Remotely operated machines or vehicles also require different skill for operation than do locally operated machines or vehicles, therefore requiring different lengthy training and in most cases a different set of skills.
The addition of an automatic mode of control to manually controlled machines or vehicles, in the past 50 years, did not revolutionize the man-machine interface in such a way that operating such machines or vehicles in operator guided mode is dramatically simpler. For example, while the operation of an airplane or a helicopter can be fully automatic when the pilot engages the autopilot, the pilot skill level and training required for safe operation of such airplane or helicopter are not significantly reduced as compared to what they were in the 1950s or 1960s even though most advanced aircraft use automatic stabilization and other lower levels of automatic controls when they are manually controlled or guided by the operator.
The complex machines and complex moving vehicles are designed to have a man-machine interface (controls and displays) which is largely specific to the machine or vehicle, therefore requiring lengthy training and operator testing and screening specific to the qualification for the operation of the particular machine or vehicle. For example, even after thousands of hours of piloting a particular jet transport, for example a Boeing 737, the pilot cannot qualify for piloting a very similar Airbus 320 without lengthy training, mainly because the controls and displays of the two aircraft are different.
The high skill levels and lengthy training required to operate complex machines and aircraft have severe negative effects of reducing the safety levels, increasing the cost of operation and limiting the market for such machines and vehicles.
The current market for airline pilots is such that the military is not successful in recruiting candidates with adequate skill level, and then training and screening them as military pilots at the rate they leave military service to join airline service. A relaxation of the required skill level and of training period should relieve such pilot shortage situation.
Remotely operated vehicles or Unmanned Vehicles (UVs) found ever increasing use mostly by the military over the period 1950-2000 and are expected to find substantial commercial uses. These vehicles include Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) and Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). The market for UAVs alone has reached the two billion dollars per year level. Like manned vehicles, these UVs are either completely automated or autonomous (like cruise missiles) or they offer a mode of remote operator control. When completely automated or autonomous, the UVs offer no operational versatility once they are programmed and launched. When a mode of remote operator control is offered, the mission of the UV may be altered by the operator as the mission progresses to better suit the developing needs as new knowledge is gained from the vehicle operation or from other sources or as the situation outside the vehicle develops.
The complexity of operation or guidance by a remote operator is such that the autonomous vehicles, such as terrain-following cruise missiles, were perfected in a relatively short time, while the acceptance of UVs with remote operation lagged behind mainly because of the skill levels and training required and the resultant unacceptable vehicle losses due to operator errors.
Currently, the serious accident rates of unmanned aircraft with any mode of operator guidance is approximately 3,000 fold higher than that of a transport aircraft in airline service. The fact that this large gap between loss rates exists, although the UAVs are very sophisticated (cost 1-20 million dollars each) and the military users carefully select, train and screen operators, severely limits the use of such UAVs to missions that the risk to a manned aircraft is unacceptable.
The current situation described above applies to the operation of all machinery and vehicles which usually require quick operator reactions in response to dynamic situations in order to achieve both operating safety and operating efficiency (machine or vehicle productivity). The high operator skill level, lengthy training and high demand for operator currency (recent operation of the same machine or vehicle) are required to establish the “proficiency” of almost flawless quick operator reaction in a complex man-machine interface (controls and displays) unique to the particular machine.
To judge the demands of skill level and proficiency several aspects may be considered such as:
a. The number of manual controls which are critical to safe operation;
b. The operator control/reaction speed required for efficient machine operation;
c. The number of other, non safety critical, controls and the frequency of operator actions needed.
To better understand the above description of the current situation, we can examine the family automobile. We may define only three controls e.g., steering, acceleration, and brake, as safety critical controls. The driver reaction speed required for safe driving is dependent on the car speed, traffic, road (straight/winding, blind turns, etc.) and visibility/weather conditions. Each one of these driving conditions above or a combination of these and other factors (like car qualities) can directly affect the driving safety and the demands on driver skills and proficiency.
Early in the last century of automotive development the industry standardized the above listed three automobile safety critical controls. But, the industry took the liberty of varying all other driver-automobile interfaces ranging from parking brake to adjustment of radio and from display of speed to display of low oil pressure. While these are non safety critical controls and displays, they may significantly affect either safety of a driver looking for the wiper controls when rain starts while driving a rented car or affect the efficiency of operation, e.g. stopping by the side of the road to find the controls for the wiper.
It is important to examine the effects of three technologies which became widespread in the 1980's and
1990's:
a. Automation of operation of machinery and vehicles
b. Computerized displays and controls
c. Use of computer networks to relay manual controls.
The automation of operation of systems or subsystems of machinery and vehicles can substantially reduce the workload of the operator and result in safer operation and/or higher operator response rate. For example, anti-skid brakes and traction control in an automobile can provide for safer operation at more marginal driving conditions and/or with a less skilled or lower proficiency driver. Even the automation of the non safety critical controls can free the operator to better perform the more important controls. For example, rain activated wipers, speed (“cruise”) control, automatic air conditioning controls and voice warnings can help the driver concentrate on the road conditions instead of scanning the displays or operating the manual controls.
The widespread use of computers makes the public more proficient with computer type displays and controls including digital and graphic displays, menu driven displays and controls, and activation of controls displayed on computer screens.
Even when the modern machine or vehicle controls are not automated and the man-machine interface is based on manual control, by the operator, of discrete control functions, in many larger and/or more expensive machines or vehicles, comput
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