Method of intelligence support of aircraft crew

A novel intelligence support of an aircraft crew and the like embodying videocards with pictogram signs indicating corrective action to be taken by the crew for emergency flight situations and monitoring the achieving of such corrective action.

The present invention relates to intelligence support expert systems (ISS) 
for use by operators of complex human-machine-space systems, including 
aircraft crew members (ACM) and leaders of airfield flight control (LFC); 
being more particularly concerned with providing necessary information for 
dealing clearly with emergency flight situations. 
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
This invention describes a novel method of providing information to 
aircraft crew members and flight control personnel during emergency flight 
situations (EFS). The invention is based on the task of providing 
intelligence support for the aircraft crew for diagnosis and checking 
workability and functionality of aircraft and systems and subsystems 
automatically, if emergency flight situations appear; providing visual 
perception of necessary informational support of ACM for eliminating EFS. 
An analysis of causes of flight accidents demonstrates that flight safety 
is much influenced by the quality of information being given to aircraft 
crews. This problem comes out especially timely as the "glass" cockpit 
becomes more widely implemented because an effort to squeeze vast amounts 
of information into a limited surface area of electronic indicates 
instigates a serious problem of difficulty of perception and is 
accompanied by insufficient scope of research work in the approaches to 
encoding of this information. 
To solve it, the invention uses a fragmentary-pictographic method of 
information presentation as a principle of designing the interface of the 
aircraft intelligence support system. Such fragmentary-pictographic 
interfacing is an essentially more adequate instrument considering its 
correspondence to inner (psychological) toolset of mental activity as a 
whole and of the operator in particular. 
In accordance with the invention, this information support is illustrated 
for each crew member with appropriate prompts in time and form that allow 
each to understand the intelligence and use it and in shortest format. 
Also, it controls operations of each crew member and immediately warns 
them of mistakes (by "feedback"). This method includes measuring and 
processing of flight information, for presentation on screens in 
"videocard" form, divided on four information fields (IF). 
For example, a left IF introduces the information about the type of EFS. A 
right upper IF may point out which of the crew members must operate. A 
central upper IF may indicate necessary conditions to eliminate EFS. All 
such information is introduced in a system of pictogram signs and 
connected elements-functional lines such as "to do", "to check", "to wait" 
as later more particularly described in connection with later-described 
FIG. 4. 
This invention is thus a part of an intelligence support system (ISS) of 
work of complete human-machine-space system operators. It regulates the 
activity of aircraft crew members (ACM) and airfield flight control 
leaders (LFC). This invention describes the method interfacing with 
aircraft crew members (ACM) and airfield flight control leaders (LFC). In 
addition to providing information for treating with emergency flight 
situations (EFS), the invention also may be used in other areas of human 
activity where complex operation and technologies are involved. 
Underlying the invention is an expert system of pictograms to help the 
pilot of, for example, a helicopter or other craft to accomplish safey 
flight regimes by checking weight, balance, torque moment during flying 
with the cargo on the external suspension and inside the fuselage of the 
helicopter. 
Previously known methods have been based on the measuring of flight 
information, calculation, and showing on the pilot's screen of information 
about needing engine thrust (power) in different flight conditions 
according to flight weight and inside cargo, stored into random access 
memory (RAM) of an onboard computer, and information about ambient 
temperature and fuel quantity which are also inputted to the computer by 
the pilot. 
By command of the pilot, such systems show on the screen information about 
fuel quantity, flight altitude, condition of anti-ice system and cargo 
weight on each of 3 external suspensions. Also the information about 
flight weight, center of gravity, reserve quantity of fuel, engine type, 
etc., is inputted manually into random access memory of the computer and 
may be recovered by the pilot if such is necessary. 
The main drawbacks of such prior methods are: 
many operations must be done with the control unit of the computer through 
introducing necessary information by the pilot, such being unacceptable 
during the flight with EFS; 
non-optimal method of introducing information to crew in letter and digit 
form, requiring too much time for proper understanding; 
no options for an expert system to control correct operations of the pilot. 
OBJECTS OF INVENTION 
The primary object of the invention, accordingly, is to provide a novel 
method and system of intelligence support for the aircraft crew or flight 
control personnel that shall not be subject to the above-described 
disadvantages and others of prior methods, but to the contrary, provide 
advancement of safety in flight by raising the efficiency of perception 
and display of information, with reduction of the probability of wrong 
crew operations and providing a check of the crew's actions to eliminate 
EFS. 
A further object is to provide such improvement with the aid of user 
friendly pictograms or icons operated under appropriate computer control. 
Other and further objects will be explained hereinafter and pointed out in 
connection with the appended claims. 
SUMMARY 
In summary, however, the invention embraces a method of intelligence 
support of an aircraft crew and the like based on measuring flight 
information and inputting the same to an onboard computer operating with 
special software, that comprises, coding emergency flight situations 
information by pictogram signs for display; downloading the same to the 
memory of the computer and comparing the same with the measuring of flight 
information in an emergency flight situation; and displaying to the crew 
members as videocards, the pictogram signs, with successive videocards 
being introduced only if all operations or instructions according to the 
previous videocard were successfully fulfilled; and, if such operations 
were wrongly made, presenting to the crew members from the computer, 
information as to what kind of mistake was made, who did it, and how to 
correct the mistake. Preferred designs and modes of operation are 
hereinafter more fully described.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) OF INVENTION 
The before-described intelligence support of the aircraft crew is based on 
measuring flight information, down-loaded to the onboard computer (BC) or 
processor 1 and treated according to a special program. All EFS are coded, 
using pictogram signs and are preinstalled to energy independent read only 
memory (ROM) of the computer. The measured flight information is analyzed 
by the BC, and if EFS is occurring, the BC introduces on the display, 
information about the subsequent operations of crew members to eliminate 
the EFS. 
This information, in accordance with the invention, appears in "videocard" 
form. Each successive or following videocard shows only after the correct 
accomplishing of the necessary operations which were indicated or shown on 
the previous videocard. If the subsequent operation or the operation 
fulfillment is wrong, information appears as to what is the mistake, who 
did it, and how to correct it. The information on the screen is provided 
and shown by the system of the before-mentioned pictograms (icon) signs 
and special functional lines; such as "to do", "to check", "to wait". 
The block-diagram FIG. 1 includes a processor 1 or onboard computer (BC) 
which is energized by a power-module 2. Information from the aircraft 
system and subsystem sensors 4 is transmitted into the processor 1 through 
an interface module 3 that consists of a multiplex analog-digital 
converter or transformer and a multiplex digital transformer. The output 
of the processor 1 is fed back by connection with floating point unit 5, 
random access memory 6 and energy-independent read only memory 7. The 
processor is also connected with a module 8 of the control unit ISS which 
consists of a keyboard, code keyboard and graphic processor 9. The graphic 
processor is connected with a video adapter 10 which is connected with 
displays 11 at the "glass" cockpit working places of the crew members. 
Such a glass cockpit includes the pilot's working station having displays 
so-labeled in FIG. 2; one on the front control panel and one on the 
horizontal control panel of the ISS between the pilot's and the co-pilot's 
seats. 
The control unit (FIG. 3) consist of three functional fields. There are 
light-knobs 12 for "Switch on" and 13 for "Auto-Manual", and a display 
brightness regulator 14, all on the right upper functional field (FF). 
There are knobs 15 for "Test", 16 for "Menu", 17 for "Return", 18 for 
"Continue", 19 for "Output", and 20 for "Input" on the left upper field, 
FF.sup.1. There are knobs from "0" to "9", knobs for 21 "Fuel/Cargo" and 
22 for "Cancel" on the lower FF.sup.11. 
An example of information provided for the crew is shown in FIG. 4; i.e. 
the before-mentioned instruction "Go-around with one failed engine". 
Information about the type of EFS is shown on the left upper information 
field (IF). Information as to the appropriate crew member who has the duty 
to operate in this EFS, is shown on the right upper IF'. Information about 
the necessary conditions for realizing this flight regime is then shown on 
the central upper IF". Information about the necessary operations and 
their sequence to accomplish this flight regime is shown on the lower 
IF'". 
The description of the operation of the method of the invention for this 
illustrative example is stated below. 
Before take-off, the pilot pushes knob 12 "Switch On" (FIG. 3). ISS is then 
inserted. The green light "Switch On" on light-knob 12 turns on. The green 
light for "Auto-Manual" on light-knob 13 also turns on. 
The following information is downloaded to random access memory of the on 
board computer (BC) after ISS turns on: 
fuel weight 
weight and location of cargo inside and outside of fuselage. 
The total fuel weight is down-loaded manually if the aircraft is not 
fueled. 
During flight, the BC calculates the remainder of fuel according to 
fuel-sensor information that allows BC to provide to the crew members the 
flight weight and balance at any time, and especially during EFS, if such 
occurs. 
The knob 21 "Fuel/Cargo" changes the type of information input to BC using 
a keyboard shown at the lower functional field of the control display of 
ISS. The proper green light indicator will appear. It is then necessary to 
push the light-knob 21 to change the regime of work. The screen of the 
aircraft is shown on the display with messages such as "Input fuel weight 
at fuel tanks" or "input cargo weight and its location". The location of 
fuel and cargo is determined by a screen pointer using knobs 19 "Choice" 
and 20 "Enter", FIG. 3. The digital meaning is entered by the keyboard and 
an "Enter" knob. The incorrect or wrong entered weight of fuel and cargo 
or cargo location may be corrected by using knobs 19 "Choice" and 20 
"Cancel". To do this the pointer is moved by knob 19 "Choice" to change 
data, and the incorrect data is deleted by knob 22 "Cancel". New proper 
information of fuel or cargo weight is then inputted if necessary. 
If EFS appears, for example, "Engine's failure", the information of that 
failure is transferred from sensor 4, FIG. 3, that located the failed 
engine, to BC (1). The BC identifies and transforms it using special 
software, with all necessary information introduced on the crew 
members'working place displays. 
All necessary information about EFS remains stored in the 
energy-independent read only memory in module 7. When EFS appears and is 
identified, the information about this EFS is downloaded to cache-module 6 
of the RAM for fast access, and such is stored there until the EFS is 
eliminated. During EFS elimination, the data of RAM only is used by BC 
(1). 
When a request for information ("help") is displayed at the screen 11, FIG. 
1, ISS begins to work its regime. 
At "Control", each operation which was done in response to appropriate 
sensor signals is recorded and sent to BC (1) where it is transformed. 
When the operation indicated by "help" has been done properly, the 
information about that operation disappears from the displays through 
introducing the named "dynamic help line". If a crew member makes all the 
necessary operations successfully, then the pictogram sign that signaled 
this crew member disappears from the right upper information field (IF) of 
videocard, FIG. 4, after the last successfully fulfilled operation is 
effected by this crew member. 
If anybody from the crew performed a wrong operation (for example, flight 
engineer (FE) didn't shut off HP fuel valve on failed engine), then on the 
screens, there will immediately appear information (videocard) as to which 
operation is wrong and how it must be properly done (shut off HP fuel 
valve). After correct operation, the ISS continues to show information 
about the next operation. 
After accomplishing all necessary operations according to this an actual 
EFS, the RAM of BC and screens 11 are cleared of the used information. 
Then, the system is returned to the stand-by or "idle" condition with 
reset by special software. 
The manual regime of ISS work is used in case of broken connection lines, 
with sensors 4 located at the systems and subsystems of the aircraft or 
during crew training, to operate in EFS; or when ISS is used at the 
working place of LFC (leader of airfield flight control). To switch ISS to 
such a manual regime, it is necessary to turn on ISS by pushing knob 12 on 
control display unit (FIG. 3), and to switch ISS by operating knob 13 to 
the "Manual" condition. In this case, a yellow light "Manual" must turn on 
at the knob 11 and at the crew member's working place displays. 
After this, the menu of EFS is stored in the energy-independent ROM and 
appears on the displays by pushing knob 16 "Menu". The appropriate EFS is 
chosen by clicking to it using the pointer moved by knob 19 "Choice" and 
clicked by knob 20 "Enter". All information about the chosen EFS appears 
on displays 11 as videocards. 
The videocard shown in this regime is introduced in static form. To return 
ISS to normal, the start-up condition is made by pushing knob 16 "test" on 
left upper information field (IF) of the control display unit. In case 
there is no present EFS in the menu, a videocard with menu will appear by 
pushing knob 18 "Continue", etc. A return to the previous videocard with a 
menu is made by pushing knob 17 "Return". 
Return of ISS to automatic regime is made by pushing knob 13 "Auto-Manual" 
with green light "Auto" turning on the displays, and the videocards with 
menu disappear from the displays. 
The above examples are by way of illustrations only, the invention more 
generally making it possible now to dramatically ameliorate the 
crew-caused accidents statistics and to speed up the performance of 
certain tasks by implementing the newly designed aircraft crew 
intelligence support system of the invention. The fragmentary-pictographic 
method used curtails classical (paper) handbook bulk (1.5 to 4 times 
less), decreases the probability of the erroneous crew actions (2 to 3 
times) and is accompanied by simultaneous gain in operational rate of crew 
performance (1.3 to 2 times faster). The integrated subjective rating by 
flight crews of this new information technique surpasses the one of 
traditional (text) mode of information presentation. 
Further modifications will occur to those skilled in this art, and such are 
considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined 
in the appended claims.