System and method to detect authorized user

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12304652-B2
Application number	US-202217744411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2022
Priority date	Jun 3, 2021
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A system is described. The system may detect whether a user within a flight deck is authorized to control the aircraft. The user may receive differing levels of authority to control the aircraft depending on whether the user is authorized or unauthorized. The system may also control the aircraft depending on the various phases of the aircraft, including in flight and on the ground. The system may also be used to unlock the controls for the aircraft. The system may unlock the control using biometric information or nonbiometric information. The system may include a camera which is added to a flight deck. The camera may capture images of users within the flight deck. Faces within the images may be detected and compared against authorized users for locking or unlocking the aircraft controls.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system comprising:
a camera configured to capture an image within a flight deck of an aircraft;
a non-transitory memory maintaining program instructions and one or more authorized faces; and
one or more processors configured to execute the program instructions maintained on the memory, the program instructions causing the one or more processors to:
receive the image from the camera;
determine a detected face within the image is unauthorized, thereby indicating an unauthorized user is disposed within the flight deck; wherein the one or more processors detects the detected face by a facial detection algorithm; wherein the one or more processors determines the detected face within the image is unauthorized by comparing the detected face with the one or more authorized faces; and
change a mode of the aircraft from a full authority mode to a reduced authority mode in response to determining the detected face within the image is unauthorized; wherein the unauthorized user has full authority to control one or more user interface elements of the aircraft in the full authority mode; wherein the unauthorized user has reduced authority to control the one or more user interface elements of the aircraft in the reduced authority mode.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a limit is placed on a rate-of-climb, a rate-of-descent, a pitch angle, a roll angle, a yaw angle, and a thrust in the reduced authority mode.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unauthorized user is prevented from moving the aircraft outside of a preset flight path in the reduced authority mode.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive an at-gate input, the at-gate input indicating the aircraft is disposed at a gate of an airport; wherein the one or more processors are configured to change the mode of the aircraft to a no authority mode in response to receiving the at-gate input.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive a second image from the camera and determine a second detected face within the second image is authorized, thereby indicating an authorized user is disposed within the flight deck; wherein the one or more processors are further configured to change the mode of the aircraft from the no authority mode to the full authority mode in response to determining the detected face within the image is authorized.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one input device; wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive an input from the at least one input device; wherein the one or more processors are further configured to change the mode of the aircraft from the reduced authority mode to the full authority mode in response to the input.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one input device includes a microphone; wherein the input includes a phrase which matches an unlock phrase stored in the memory.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one input device includes a non-biometric input device including at least one of a badge reader or a touchscreen display; wherein the input includes at least one of a badge number, a password, or a pin code which matches an authorized badge number, an authorized password, or an authorized pin code stored in the memory.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one input device includes a biometric input device including at least one of a camera, a microphone, or a fingerprint scanner; wherein the input includes a biometric input including at least one of a face, a voice, a fingerprint associated with an authorized user stored in the memory.

10. The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors require at least two biometric inputs and at least one non-biometric inputs which are associated with an authorized user before changing the mode of the aircraft from the reduced authority mode to the full authority mode.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one input device; wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive an input from the at least one input device; wherein the one or more processors are further configured to change the mode of the aircraft from the reduced authority mode to a no authority mode in response to the input.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one input device includes a microphone; wherein the at least one input includes a phrase which matches a duress phrase stored in the memory.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to at least one of contact a ground dispatch or an air marshal in response to the input.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein one or more flight control systems of the aircraft are disengaged in the no authority mode to lock out and prevent the unauthorized user from controlling the aircraft.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein an emergency descent and landing system is engaged in the no authority mode.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one input device includes at least one of a button, a switch, or a touchscreen.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured engage one or more functions based on a current state of the aircraft; wherein the current state of the aircraft includes in-taxi; wherein the one or more processors are further configured to engage an auto-taxi function causing the aircraft to automatically taxi back to a gate in response to the input.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive a second input from the at least one input device; wherein the one or more processors are further configured to change the mode of the aircraft from the no authority mode to the full authority mode in response to the input.

19. A method comprising:
receiving an image from a camera, wherein the camera captures the image within a flight deck of an aircraft;
determining, by one or more processors, a detected face within the image is unauthorized, thereby indicating an unauthorized user is disposed within the flight deck; wherein the one or more processors detects the detected face by a facial detection algorithm; wherein the one or more processors determines the detected face within the image is unauthorized by comparing the detected face with one or more authorized faces maintained in a non-transitory memory; and
changing a mode of the aircraft from a full authority mode to a reduced authority mode in response to determining the detected face within the image is un-authorized; wherein the unauthorized user has full authority to control one or more user interface elements of the aircraft in the full authority mode; wherein the unauthorized user has reduced authority to control the one or more user interface elements of the aircraft in the reduced authority mode.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising changing the mode of the aircraft from the reduced authority mode to a no authority mode in response to receiving a duress input.

Assignees

• Rockwell Collins Inc

Inventors

• Johnson Wade T
• Rao Arjun Harsha
• Wittkop Timothy J
• George Christopher L
• Matessa Michael P
• Wu Peggy

Classifications

• B64C25/50

  Steerable undercarriages; Shimmy-damping · CPC title

• G06V40/70

  Multimodal biometrics, e.g. combining information from different biometric modalities · CPC title

• G06V40/161

  Detection; Localisation; Normalisation · CPC title

• G06V40/172

  Classification, e.g. identification · CPC title

• G06V20/59

  inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions · CPC title