Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to the field of the emergency and contingency management technique required in flight infrastructures and in particular to a system and method which make these functions more efficient at a low production cost.

Prior art

The rapid increase in helicopter flight operations is redefining the safety rules and international standards necessary to ensure that operations take place in a context of safety (in the international meaning understood as safeguarding human life and infrastructure) and security. The increase in rotary wing traffic has multiplied the availability of suitable spaces for helicopter landing and take-off, generically called heliports, where the spaces allow for landing and take-off paths to be drawn. Today it is possible to use helipads on top of buildings, on hospital terraces, on special pitches available to civil protection and, again, in private spaces.

It should also be added that the use of remotely piloted rotary wing aircraft systems (commonly called drones) is now imminent also for aerial work operations and therefore it will be necessary to redefine the operational paradigm within which these machines can operate.

Various market studies demonstrate the exponential growth of traffic for various needs, whether professional or recreational: medical emergencies, disaster relief, public transport, civil and military security activities, tourism, aerial work are some of the many uses of helicopters around the world involving various professionals aimed at organizing safe takeoff and landing.

The aeronautical environment is characterized by highly advanced technologies and highly reliable systems. Precisely for this reason it is very challenging and guarantees great success to those innovations capable of fulfilling a main task: to increase traffic (understood as an increase in landing/take-off cycles) without reducing operational safety.

In the normal use of a helicopter, be it for civil protection purposes or for passenger transport or any other operation, certain minimum conditions are required which allow the pilot to approach the heliport in the shortest possible time. For all those unplanned operations, which are the majority for rotary wing transport, it is expensive to ensure the continuous presence (24/7) of operators to support flight operations. The market today offers some “handmade” devices capable of turning on the lights upon receiving a telephone call, and there is only one system at an international level, created by the Swedish multinational ADB Safegate, capable of turning on the lights of a heliport using the PTT installed on board an aircraft.

It should be specified that, for an innovation to be successful in the aeronautical sector, it must:

- be available to all operators;

- be easy to use;

- use standard procedures or equipment.

All this derives from the fact that during flight operations a pilot cannot and must not use unconventional tools (such as a mobile phone) especially during critical operations (for example with extreme weather conditions). Furthermore, it is not possible to install nonstandard instruments on board helicopters, therefore it is not permitted to install technological aids which, however useful they may be, must be recognized as international standards before being adopted on all rotary wing machines.

The object of the present patent is precisely to create an electronic system for the management of emergencies and contingencies required in flight infrastructures (airports, airfields, heliports) capable of solving the technical problem of significant savings in time and resources linked to the need to operator intervention and energy consumption, and the procurement of greater safety at lower costs.

We therefore acted with the aim of designing and creating a system capable of supporting landing and take-off operations (the most delicate steps of rotary wing flight) by exploiting a device common to all aircraft, i.e. the push-to-talk radio microphone, with certain commands and communications coupled to certain combinations of duration and number of presses.

Speaking of patents, in fact, there are few systems comparable to the one covered by that object of the patent proposal. The invention covered by patent WO2011150839 relates to a method, a server and a system for processing the emergency call in the push-to-talk-over- cellular (PoC) service, but has the drawback that it does not define and involve functions related to the actuation of commands and requests for actuation of emergency commands.

In the invention object of the patent proposal, the commitment was therefore that of designing, maintaining and configuring a system and application method for managing emergencies and actuating actuation commands.

Description of the invention

According to the present invention, an electronic system is provided for the management of emergencies and contingencies required in flight infrastructures which effectively solves the above drawbacks.

The elements included and used in the proposed electronic system are as follows:

- a VHF radio with aeronautical range of coverage of at least 10km, adapted to send commands;

- a VHF antenna, adapted to transmit and receive signals;

- two computers comprising databases adapted to collect and process - through a software

- the data detected by the components of said electronic system;

- a microprocessor adapted to manage and process the sent commands;

- a programmable logic computer (PLC), for managing at least three external systems belonging to the airport context, including at least the switching on and the modulation of lights;

- a router 4G adapted to transmit data to a remote control room;

- a battery with a maximum charge capable of keeping the system operating for at least 24h;

- a weather station, adapted to detect weather data, of the environment near an airport, in which the system is implemented, at least relating to wind, temperature, rain and humidity;

- three video cameras with a slow-motion detection for the reconstruction of possible accidents;

- a solar panel of at least 20W with inverter;

- a metal armored containment box, provided with at least three fans and a locking system, adapted to contain the components mentioned above;

- a common push-to-talk radio microphone, included in the aircraft, and coupled with the reception, transmission, data processing and command execution elements included in the electronic system.

By means of the elements mentioned above, it is possible to use the system to perform a plurality of functions or actions linked both to commands to switch devices on and off, and to the request for processing and communication of data and information. Among these we would like to mention and claim the following embodiments of the electronic system:

- the remote control of the lighting, that is switching and changing the intensity of lights of an airport or heliport, activated by the push-to-talk radio microphone of a helicopter or activated by a common telephone, sending a call or text message; with said common radio microphone and telephone coupled to said system;

- controlling the take-off and landing operations from a remote position through said video cameras;

- transmitting the weather conditions on the ground through a click on the push-to-talk microphone of the helicopter, in this way through said VHF radio the pilot receives information relating to the weather conditions on the heliport, in turn obtained through said weather station;

- activating a common emergency system comprised in the helicopter, that is a remote operator can start and control the emergency system (such as water, foam cannons) through a common configuration from a common control station connected to the electronic system for controlling determined emergency functions comprised in the helicopter; extensive ground training, by sharing data with a common device provided with augmented reality and/or virtual reality capable of processing them and using them to train the training participants in a real accident simulation.

For the correct execution of the aforementioned actions, the software included in the computers exploits algorithms associated with specific command execution requests so that the command entered by said pilot can be adequately interpreted.

The algorithms therefore interpret the request received via VHF radio and perform functions at least among the activities associated with programmable commands. The algorithms are also set up to automatically activate a common fire emergency system when analyzing images that include the presence of fire or flames.

The microprocessor allows the sequence of clicks entered by the pilot to be interpreted. In fact, it can be configured by an expert user so that he can:

- establish the sequence of clicks in dots or lines (Morse code);

- establish the duration of each “dot” click or “line” click;

- establish the maximum time interval allowed between two or more clicks;

- establish the overall duration of the sequence of clicks.

To guarantee the execution of the command to switch on the lights or start up the camera, the electronic system verifies that the function has actually been performed through a proprietary system, based on a fiber optic network, totally indifferent to the strong magnetic fields present, with a monitoring module that manages from at least 1 to 5 runway lights, and capable of turning on or off a given light or a group of lights and detecting the single burnt out light. The proprietary system also comprising a plurality of monitoring modules capable of, through redundant technology and fiber optic fault tolerance, allowing the status of each individual runway light to be received in milliseconds, and possibly to be switched off or on via firmware integrated in it.

The electronic system comprises an electronic card which includes a communication protocol and a web interface which allows an authorized supervisor to carry out diagnostic and advanced programming operations. In addition, a plurality of tools allow performing measurements and interfaces and communication protocols for the continuous exchange of information between the components of the electronic system and the computers, i.e.:

- electronic instruments, capable of carrying out diagnostic functions;

- a communication protocol which, installed in the firmware of the measurement instruments, allows the continuous exchange of data between all components.

Included in the patent proposal is a method for the management of emergencies and contingencies occurring in flight infrastructures, which has been designed to optimally exploit the electronic system object of the present patent. The method is characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

- a command request step, in which a pilot of an aircraft requests a command via a push- to-talk radio microphone or other communication device coupled with the system;

- a command receipt step follows, in which said VHF radio receives the sequence of clicks made in the previous step by the pilot;

- then in a command processing step, the microprocessor verifies whether the entered command belongs to an analog or digital action.

For reasons of clarity it was decided to divide the command management modes into two:

- analog command, i.e. everything that refers to the switching on, regulation or switching off of a device;

- digital control, i.e. everything that refers to the exploitation of the components included in the system for obtaining and processing information.

Different steps correspond to each type of command. Therefore, in the case of an analog action request, the command processing step is followed by the following steps:

- a logic programming step, in which the command is distributed to the PLC which, coupled to common motherboards relating to devices on which the command is to be carried out, carries out the command;

- a command verification step, in which, after 2 seconds, the electronic system verifies whether the command has been executed correctly and processes a radio communication confirming that the command, of the text-to-speech type, has been executed and sends it as “blind transmission” information to the pilot.

In the case instead of a request for a digital command, said command processing step is followed by the following steps:

- digital programming step, in which the command is passed on to the processor which acquires the fundamental data from the monitoring devices comprised in the electronic system;

- data transcription and reading step, in which the data are transcribed on a file and the electronic system verifies whether the command has been executed correctly and processes a radio communication for communicating the requested data, of the text-to- speech type, and sends it as “blind transmission” information to the pilot.

The advantages offered by the present invention are clear in the light of the above description and will be even clearer from the accompanying figures and the related detailed description.

Description of the figures

The invention will hereinafter be described in at least a preferred embodiment thereof by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the accompanying figures, in which:

- FIGURE 1 shows the elements included in the electronic system for the management of emergencies and contingencies occurring in flight infrastructures, object of a patent proposal;

- FIGURE 2 illustrates the flow diagram relating to the steps included in the electronic method for the management of emergencies and contingencies, which is also the subject of the patent proposal.

Detailed description of the invention

The present invention will now be described purely by way of non-limiting or binding example with the aid of the figures, which illustrate some embodiments relative to the present inventive concept.

It is our intention to describe in this section a particular embodiment of the system and method which are the subject of the patent proposal. With reference to FIG. 1, the elements included in the electronic system are shown. Let's go into the details of the instruments used below: a VHF radio 10 with aeronautical range of coverage of at least 10 km and 25W voltage; a VHF antenna 20, adapted to transmit and receive signals;

- two computers 30 comprising databases adapted to collect and process - through a software - the data detected by the components of said electronic system;

- a microprocessor 40, for example configured to process 3, 5 or 7 pressures;

- a programmable logic computer (PLC) 50, for the management of three external systems belonging to the airport context, i.e. the switching on and off of the lights, the modulation of the light between day and night configurations, and the like;

- a router 4G 60 adapted to transmit data to a remote control room;

- a battery 70 with a maximum charge capable of keeping the system operating for at least 24h;

- a weather station 80, adapted to detect weather data, of the environment near an airport, in which the system is implemented, at least relating to wind, temperature, rain and humidity;

- three video cameras 90 with a slow-motion detection for the reconstruction of possible accidents;

- a solar panel 100 of at least 20W with inverter;

- a metal armored containment box 110, provided with at least three fans and a locking system, 1.2 m high;

- a common push-to-talk radio microphone 120, included in the aircraft, and coupled with the reception, transmission, data processing and command execution elements included in the electronic system.

By means of the elements mentioned above, it is possible to use the system to perform a plurality of functions or actions linked both to commands to switch devices on and off, and to the request for processing and communication of data and information, as specified above.

For the correct execution of the aforementioned actions, the software included in the computers exploits algorithms associated with specific command execution requests so that the command entered by said pilot can be adequately interpreted. The algorithms therefore interpret the request received via VHF radio 10 and perform functions at least among the activities associated with programmable commands. The algorithms are also set up to automatically activate a common fire emergency system when analyzing images that include the presence of fire or flames.

The microprocessor 40 allows the sequence of clicks entered by the pilot to be interpreted. In fact, it can be configured by an expert user so that he can:

- establish the sequence of clicks in dots or lines (Morse code);

- establish the duration of each “dot” click or “line” click. For example, for the point the pressure time will be in an interval t = 0 <click<500msec. For each line the pressure time will be included in an interval t = 501 <click<800msec;

- establish the maximum time interval allowed between two or more clicks;

- establish the overall duration of the sequence of clicks.

To guarantee the execution of the command to switch on the lights or start up a camera, coupled to the system, the electronic system verifies that the function has actually been performed through a proprietary system, based on a fiber optic network, totally indifferent to the strong magnetic fields present, with a monitoring module that manages from at least one to five runway lights, and capable of turning on or off a given light or a group of lights and detecting the single burnt out light. The proprietary system also comprising a plurality of monitoring modules capable of, through redundant technology and fiber optic fault tolerance, allowing the status of each individual runway light to be received in milliseconds, and possibly to be switched off or on via firmware integrated in it.

The electronic system comprises an electronic card which includes a communication protocol and a web interface which allows an authorized supervisor to carry out diagnostic and advanced programming operations. In addition, a plurality of tools allow performing measurements and interfaces and communication protocols for the continuous exchange of information between the components of the electronic system and the computers, i.e.: electronic instruments, capable of carrying out diagnostic functions; a communication protocol which, installed in the firmware of the measurement instruments, allows the continuous exchange of data between all components.

Included in the patent proposal is a method for the management of emergencies and contingencies occurring in flight infrastructures, which has been designed to optimally exploit the electronic system object of the present patent. Let’s see below two application examples, one per type of command, which are shown in FIG. 2.

In the first example, we are dealing with the turning on of the lights, analog command, by a pilot.

The pilot approaching the airport requests the lights to be switched on by making 3 clicks on the radio microphone 120 with which the helicopter is equipped (command request step A). The radio 10 of the system receives the sequence of 3 clicks (command receipt step B) and passes it to the microprocessor 40 (command processing step C) which, having verified that it is an “analog” type command (turning on the lights) sends to the PLC 50 the activation of the card to which the switching on of the lights corresponds (logic programming step D.l). After 2 seconds, the system checks that the lights are actually on and processes a text-to-speech type “lights on confirmation radio communication” and sends it as “blind transmission” information (command verification step E.l). So the pilot is sure that the lights are on and he will be able to land safely, vice versa he will receive an audio message signaling an anomaly and therefore he will have to land on another heliport.

Instead, in the case of a request for a digital command, we propose the following example: the weather conditions in the area are not good, the pilot of a helicopter rescue flight wants to check if the minimum conditions for landing are met, vice versa he will divert to another helipad. The pilot makes 7 clicks on his radio microphone 120 (command execution step A), the VHF radio 10 receives the sequence (command receipt step B) and passes it to the microprocessor 40 (command processing step C) which, in turn, having identified the request as a “digital” function, acquires the basic data from the weather station 80 (wind on the ground, temperature, rain/snow, etc.) with which the system is equipped (digital programming step D.2). The data is transcribed to a file and the text-to-speech function immediately reads them and sends them over the heliport radio frequency as “blind transmission” (data transcription and reading step E.2).

Having thus received the information on the weather conditions, the pilot can decide whether to continue the landing or to divert to another helipad where the weather conditions are more favorable, with considerable time savings, in favor of speed of operations and fuel savings.

It is clear that, in its various embodiments, through our system we guarantee the following minimum functionalities:

- allow the pilot to autonomously manage the switching on or modulation of the landing/take-off lights;

- inform the pilots about the current conditions of the heliport (weather conditions in real time, presence of obstacles on the stand, etc.);

- activate, upon request, the remote control center (intended as a remote control tower) capable of managing operations;

- check the status of the signs (windsock, platform cleaning, etc.);

- activate power generator sets;

- manage the activation and counting of the refueling system;

- ensure immediate intervention in the event of an emergency.

Modifications, additions or variants may be made to the invention described thus far which are apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection that is provided by the appended claims.