Patent application EP22177246A (EP), filed 2022-06-03
Publication number: EP4099303A1
Title: PILOT SAFETY SYSTEM WITH CONTEXT-SENSITIVE SCAN PATTERN MONITORING AND ALERTING
Abstract: An aircraft-based pilot safety system (PSS) includes cameras or other gaze sensors (118) fixed at an aircraft pilot and configured to capture an image stream focused on the pilot's eyes. The gaze sensors continually assess the gaze direction of the pilot (e.g., toward a display, instrument panel, and/or indicator within the cockpit that the pilot is currently looking at or focusing on) and thereby can establish when the pilot is executing a scan pattern and if that scan pattern is nominal for the current flight context by comparing the scan pattern to context-specific reference scan patterns. If, for example, the pilot's gaze deviates from where it should be (e.g., as determined by the current flight segment) or the current scan pattern is interrupted, the system may prompt the pilot to redirect their gaze or resume the scan pattern.
IPC codes: G02B  27/    01            A I
G06F   3/    01            A I
G06V  20/    59            A I
G06V  40/    19            A I
G08G   5/    00            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: An aircraft-based pilot safety system, PSS, comprising:
number: 2
text: The aircraft-based PSS of Claim 1, wherein:
the at least one gaze target is selected from a group including an aircraft display, an aircraft instrument panel, an aircraft indicator, an aircraft subsystem, or an aircraft window.
number: 3
text: The aircraft-based PSS of Claim 1 or 2, wherein each reference scan pattern is based on a sequence of two or more reference gaze targets.
number: 4
text: The aircraft-based PSS of any preceding Claim, wherein:
number: 5
text: The aircraft-based PSS of any preceding Claim, wherein:
number: 6
text: The aircraft-based PSS of any preceding Claim, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
number: 7
text: The aircraft-based PSS of any preceding Claim, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the current scan pattern is off-nominal based on a focus of the at least one eye toward a single gaze target for at least a threshold time window, or
wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the current scan pattern is off-nominal based on at least one of:
number: 8
text: The aircraft-based PSS of any preceding Claim, wherein the PSS is configured to prompt the pilot via at least one of a visual warning or an auditory warning.
number: 9
text: A method for context-sensitive scan pattern monitoring, the method comprising:
number: 10
text: The method of Claim 9, further comprising:
number: 11
text: The method of Claim 9, wherein the pilot is seated in one of a pilot seat and a co-pilot seat, and wherein:
determining, via the PSS, whether the current scan pattern is nominal or off-nominal by comparing the current scan pattern to the one or more reference scan patterns includes:
determining, via the PSS, whether the current scan pattern is nominal or off-nominal by comparing the current scan pattern to the one or more reference scan patterns corresponding to the pilot seat or the co-pilot seat.
number: 12
text: The method of Claim 9, wherein the pilot is currently serving as one of a pilot-in-command, PIC, and a co-pilot, and wherein:
determining, via the PSS, whether the current scan pattern is nominal or off-nominal by comparing the current scan pattern to the one or more reference scan patterns includes:
determining, via the PSS, whether the current scan pattern is nominal or off-nominal by comparing the current scan pattern to the one or more reference scan patterns corresponding to the PIC or the co-pilot.
number: 13
text: The method of any of Claims 9 to 12, wherein:
number: 14
text: The method of any of Claims 9 to 13, wherein:
determining, via the PSS, whether the current scan pattern is nominal or off-nominal by comparing the current scan pattern to the one or more reference scan patterns includes:
determining the current scan pattern is off-nominal based on a focus of the at least one eye toward a single gaze target for at least a threshold time window.
number: 15
text: The method of any of Claims 9 to 13, wherein:
determining, via the PSS, whether the current scan pattern is nominal or off-nominal by comparing the current scan pattern to the one or more reference scan patterns includes determining the current scan pattern is off-nominal based on determining at least one of:
Office action: search_report, dated 2022-12-07
Rejection reasons: novelty_epc_54
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ref_id: - BABU MOHAN DILLI ET AL: "Estimating pilots' cognitive load from ocular parameters through simulation and in-flight studies", JOURNAL OF EYE MOVEMENT RESEARCH, vol. 12, no. 3, 2 September 2019 (2019-09-02), pages 1 - 16, XP093009711, Retrieved from the Internet <URL:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7880144/pdf/jemr-12-03-c.pdf> DOI: 10.16910/jemr.12.3.3
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Final disposition: pending (2022-12-07)