Patent ID: 8164464

Claim:
A method for assessing the capability of a person to operate an aircraft, said method comprising the steps of: (a) sensing the value of an information parameter concerning said person for assessing the fitness of said person to operate said aircraft, said operator information parameter comprising at least one of a physiologic information parameter for said person and an action information parameter about at least one action of said person; (b) sensing the value of an information parameter concerning said aircraft, said aircraft parameter comprising at least one of the (i) attitude, (ii) location, (iii) velocity, (iv) vertical airspeed, (v) rate of change of pitch, (vi) rate of change of roll, (vii) rate of change of yaw, and (viii) g-forces of said aircraft; (c) determining whether the values of said operator and said aircraft information paramaters are not within a range of values deemed to be acceptable for said person and said aircraft, respectively, if said person were capable of properly operating said aircraft; (d) generating an emergency condition signal when said value of said at least one of said information parameters is not within said range of acceptable values, thereby indicating said person's decreased fitness to operate said aircraft; (e) disabling control of said aircraft by said person in response to said signal; (f) enabling control of said aircraft by an alternate source of control in response to said signal; and (g) landing the aircraft safely by means of said alternate source of control; wherein said alternate source of control includes at least one of a flight control system and an off-aircraft human pilot.