US 12,112,649 B2
Automatic autoland activation methods and systems
Michael Blaine Johnson, Phoenix, AZ (US); Michael Mast, Phoenix, AZ (US); Jan Urbanec, Brno (CZ); Emmanuel Letsu-Dake, Plymouth, MN (US); and Nichola Lubold, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Assigned to HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC., Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed by HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC., Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed on Aug. 25, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/411,957.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/213,445, filed on Jun. 22, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0406201 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. G08G 5/02 (2006.01); G08G 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC G08G 5/025 (2013.01) [G08G 5/0021 (2013.01); G08G 5/0039 (2013.01); G08G 5/0056 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of assisting operation of an aircraft, the method comprising:
identifying a change in a flight phase of the aircraft;
identifying a threshold monitoring period associated with the flight phase, wherein a duration of the threshold monitoring period varies depending on the flight phase;
initiating a timer;
identifying, during the flight phase, a second event different from the change in the flight phase;
in response to occurrence of the second event, dynamically adjusting the threshold monitoring period by a scaling factor associated with an event type associated with the second event to obtain a reduced monitoring period, wherein the scaling factor varies depending on the event type;
monitoring one or more components for user input within the duration of the reduced monitoring period;
detecting a potential incapacity condition in an absence of user input within the reduced monitoring period when an elapsed time associated with the timer is greater than the duration of the reduced monitoring period; and
automatically initiating activation of an autoland functionality associated with the aircraft in response to detecting the potential incapacity condition.