Patents by Inventor Timothy J. Wittkop
Timothy J. Wittkop has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11887486Abstract: A context driven alerting system and method is described in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The alerting system and method may consider a pilot's physiological, psychological, and behavioral state during a given mission context. The system may include biometric information which is fused with a context of the flight. The context may be based on one or more of a mission profile data or an aircraft state data. The fused data may be time synchronized and provided to an alerting algorithm. The alerting algorithm may then provide an alert to the pilot which includes a priority, intensity, frequency, or modality determined based on the fused information.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2022Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventors: Arjun Harsha Rao, Peggy Wu, Christopher L George, Timothy J. Wittkop, Michael P. Matessa, Wade T. Johnson
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Publication number: 20240016394Abstract: An aircraft system includes an aircraft control having embedded biometric sensors. The biometric sensors record pilot physiological data at various phases of flight for analysis and pilot monitoring. The biometric data may be recorded and correlated to flight phases to establish a base-line profile for an individual pilot or an individual flight phase for later comparison and monitoring. Certain biometric data may be used as a secondary characteristic to confirm the identity of a pilot, or to verify that a pilot is currently engaging the aircraft control.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2022Publication date: January 18, 2024Inventors: Christopher L George, Timothy J. Wittkop, Michael P. Matessa, Arjun Harsha Rao, Peggy Wu, Wade T. Johnson
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Patent number: 11847839Abstract: A pilot may be more stressed during take-off or landing, which is not abnormal. Physiological data of the pilot may be received. Placing the physiological data in context of the current situation may be advantageous in detecting anomalous behaviors of the pilot. A system and method are described. The system and method receive a stream of images from a camera and detect whether the pilot is exhibiting anomalous behavior. The anomalous behavior is further put into context based on the flight state and various avionics information.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2022Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventors: Peggy Wu, Arjun Harsha Rao, Christopher L George, Timothy J. Wittkop, Michael P. Matessa, Wade T. Johnson
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Publication number: 20220386915Abstract: A system and method for automatically assessing pilot readiness via a plurality of biometric sensors includes continuously receiving biometric data including vision-based data; the biometric vision-based data is compared to a task specific set of movements and facial expressions as defined by known anchor points. A deviation is calculated based on the vision-based data and task specific set of movements and expressions, and the deviation is compared to an acceptable threshold for pilot readiness. Other biometric data may be included to refine the readiness assessment.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Inventors: Arjun Harsha Rao, Peggy Wu, Michael P. Matessa, Timothy J. Wittkop, Christopher L George, Wade T. Johnson
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Publication number: 20220392237Abstract: A pilot may be more stressed during take-off or landing, which is not abnormal. Physiological data of the pilot may be received. Placing the physiological data in context of the current situation may be advantageous in detecting anomalous behaviors of the pilot. A system and method are described. The system and method receive a stream of images from a camera and detect whether the pilot is exhibiting anomalous behavior. The anomalous behavior is further put into context based on the flight state and various avionics information.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Inventors: Peggy Wu, Arjun Harsha Rao, Christopher L George, Timothy J. Wittkop, Michael P. Matessa, Wade T. Johnson
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Publication number: 20220392354Abstract: A context driven alerting system and method is described in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The alerting system and method may consider a pilot's physiological, psychological, and behavioral state during a given mission context. The system may include biometric information which is fused with a context of the flight. The context may be based on one or more of a mission profile data or an aircraft state data. The fused data may be time synchronized and provided to an alerting algorithm. The alerting algorithm may then provide an alert to the pilot which includes a priority, intensity, frequency, or modality determined based on the fused information.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Inventors: Arjun Harsha Rao, Peggy Wu, Christopher L George, Timothy J. Wittkop, Michael P. Matessa, Wade T. Johnson
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Publication number: 20220388677Abstract: An operator safety system (OSS) monitors the physiological well-being of an aircraft pilot or vehicle operator, and has engaged and disengaged operational states (the engaged state associated with active monitoring). The OSS includes a smart engage/disengage system incorporating presence sensors (e.g., visual, seat-based) installed in the cockpit or control area of the vehicle. When the presence sensors determine that the pilot/operator is no longer present in their seat but the OSS is still engaged, the OSS prompts the operator to disengage the OSS (e.g., via single-touch display interface or remotely to a mobile device). When the presence sensors determine that the operator is present or seated, but the OSS is disengaged, the OSS prompts the operator to re-engage the OSS.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Inventors: Christopher L. George, Arjun Harsha Rao, Timothy J. Wittkop, Wade T. Johnson, Peggy Wu, Michael P. Matessa
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Publication number: 20220386916Abstract: A computerized system for recognizing the need for cognitive tests due to a physiological event and administering such tests includes a plurality of biometric monitoring devices and a pilot input device. When a physiological event is identified, the system selects an appropriate battery of tests and automatically administers those tests. The system offers the opportunity to automate pilot evaluation for single pilot operations, and to reduce the burden on a co-pilot.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Inventors: Michael P. Matessa, Arjun Harsha Rao, Peggy Wu, Timothy J. Wittkop, Christopher L. George, Wade T. Johnson
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Publication number: 20220388678Abstract: A system is described. The system may detect whether a user within a flight deck is authorized to control the aircraft. The user may receive differing levels of authority to control the aircraft depending on whether the user is authorized or unauthorized. The system may also control the aircraft depending on the various phases of the aircraft, including in flight and on the ground. The system may also be used to unlock the controls for the aircraft. The system may unlock the control using biometric information or nonbiometric information. The system may include a camera which is added to a flight deck. The camera may capture images of users within the flight deck. Faces within the images may be detected and compared against authorized users for locking or unlocking the aircraft controls.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Inventors: Wade T. Johnson, Arjun Harsha Rao, Timothy J. Wittkop, Christopher L George, Michael P. Matessa, Peggy Wu
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VEHICULAR DIRECTIONAL ALERTING SYSTEM AND METHOD USING HAPTIC ALERTS AND OPTIONAL MULTI-MODAL ALERTS
Publication number: 20220392319Abstract: A system may include a vehicle. The vehicle may include an array of haptic devices. The system may further include at least one processor configured to: determine a location of an object or occurrence relative to the user; based at least on the location of the object or occurrence relative to the user, select at least one haptic device of the array of haptic devices to be driven and function as a directional haptic alert to the user, wherein the directional haptic alert is indicative of a direction from the user toward the object or occurrence; and output at least one command to cause a driving of the selected at least one haptic device, wherein the driving of the selected at least one haptic device is perceivable by the user as the directional haptic alert.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Inventors: Arjun Harsha Rao, Timothy J. Wittkop, Christopher L George, Michael P. Matessa, Peggy Wu, Wade T. Johnson, Sarah Barber, Felix B. Turcios, Bryan C. Schultz -
Publication number: 20220392261Abstract: An aircraft-based pilot safety system (PSS) includes cameras or other gaze sensors 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Inventors: Christopher L George, Arjun Harsha Rao, Timothy J. Wittkop, Wade T. Johnson, Peggy Wu, Michael P. Matessa
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Patent number: 10382746Abstract: Head-worn displays are disclosed. A head-worn display may include at least one processor configured to determine a location of the head-worn display with respect to a real-world environment and to generate a conformal indicator conforming to an element in the real-world environment. The at least one processor may also be configured to generate a non-conformal indicator unconstrained by elements in the real-world environment. The head-worn display may include at least one display in communication with the at least one processor. The at least one display may be configured to display the conformal indicator and/or the non-conformal indicator generated by the at least one processor to a user.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2015Date of Patent: August 13, 2019Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventors: Geoffrey A. Shapiro, Christopher L. George, Timothy J. Wittkop, Steven E. Koenck
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Patent number: 9829995Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method for managing a location of a cursor on a display. The method may include the step of receiving an input from a user. The method may also include the step of detecting a gaze of the user within the display. The method may also include the step of displaying the cursor on the display within the gaze of the user.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2014Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventors: Colin D. Reed, Bryan C. Schultz, Timothy J. Wittkop, David L. Leedom