Pilot workload monitoring system

Abstract

Various implementations include approaches for monitoring the workload of a pilot, such as an aircraft pilot. Certain approaches include: receiving flight condition data and aircraft configuration data about an aircraft; comparing the flight condition data and aircraft configuration data with corresponding thresholds to determine flight condition and aircraft configuration workload components; applying respective weights to the flight condition and aircraft configuration workload components; and providing a report indicating a workload for the pilot based upon the weighted flight condition and aircraft configuration workload components.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A pilot monitoring system comprising:
 one or more physiological sensors for detecting physiological conditions of an aircraft pilot; and   a smart device in communication with a flight management system, wherein
 the smart device includes program code configured to receive flight condition data and aircraft configuration data about the aircraft from the flight management system, 
 receive physiological condition data about the aircraft pilot from the one or more physiological sensors, and 
 output a report indicating a workload for the aircraft pilot based upon the flight condition data, the aircraft configuration data, and the physiological condition data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the program code is further configured to
 compare the flight condition data with a flight condition threshold to determine a flight condition workload component,   compare the aircraft configuration data with an aircraft configuration threshold to determine an aircraft configuration workload component, and   apply a first weight to the flight condition workload component and a second weight to the aircraft configuration workload component,   wherein the report is further based upon the weighted flight condition workload component and the weighted aircraft configuration workload component.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the program code is further configured to
 compare the physiological condition data with a physiological condition threshold to determine a physiological condition workload component, and   apply a third weight to the physiological condition workload component,   wherein the report is further based upon the weighted physiological condition workload component.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the flight condition threshold or the aircraft configuration threshold is based upon predefined settings specific to the aircraft pilot or a data model defining a physiological fatigue threshold specific to the aircraft pilot. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the smart device comprises an electronic flight bag, and wherein the report comprises at least one of an in-flight indicator of the workload for the aircraft pilot during a flight, a predictive indicator of the workload for the aircraft pilot at a future time, or a post-flight report of the workload for the aircraft pilot throughout the flight. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the report comprises suggested adjustments to at least one aircraft configuration metric to reduce the workload for the aircraft pilot. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein a ratio of the first weight to the second weight is variable based upon at least one of a level of control the aircraft pilot can exert over the aircraft condition, a value of the flight condition workload component, or a value of the aircraft configuration workload component. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the flight condition data comprises data about at least one of a weather condition proximate an aircraft flown by the pilot during flight, an altitude of the aircraft during flight, a wind condition proximate the aircraft during flight, a deviation of the aircraft from a planned route, an amount of turbulence experienced by the aircraft during flight, a total flight time for the aircraft, a distance traveled by the aircraft during flight, or an ambient lighting condition proximate the aircraft during flight 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the aircraft configuration data comprises data about at least one of power settings of the aircraft, a position of landing gear on the aircraft, a position of wing flaps on the aircraft, a weight of the aircraft, a balance of the aircraft, a number of crew members on the aircraft, a spectral content of noise in the aircraft, a current fuel consumption rate for the aircraft, or a current fuel load for the aircraft. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the physiological sensors are configured to detect physiological condition data comprising at least one of a heart rate of the aircraft pilot, a heart rate variability of the aircraft pilot, a blood oxygen saturation level of the aircraft pilot, an electrical activity from the brain of the aircraft pilot, an electrical activity from the heart of the aircraft pilot, a respiration rate of the aircraft pilot, electrodermal activity of the aircraft pilot, or eye movement of the aircraft pilot. 
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method of reporting a workload for an aircraft pilot during flight of an aircraft, the method comprising:
 receiving flight condition data and aircraft configuration data about the aircraft from a flight management system on the aircraft;   receiving physiological condition data about the aircraft pilot from one or more physiological sensors; and   outputting a report indicating a workload for the aircraft pilot based upon the flight condition data, the aircraft configuration data, and the physiological condition data.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 comparing the flight condition data with a flight condition threshold to determine a flight condition workload component;   comparing the aircraft configuration data with an aircraft configuration threshold to determine an aircraft configuration workload component; and   applying a first weight to the flight condition workload component and a second weight to the aircraft configuration workload component,   wherein the report is further based upon the weighted flight condition workload component and the weighted aircraft configuration workload component.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 comparing the physiological condition data with a physiological condition threshold to determine a physiological condition workload component; and   applying a third weight to the physiological condition workload component;   wherein the report is further based upon the weighted physiological condition workload component.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the flight condition threshold or the aircraft configuration threshold is based upon predefined settings specific to the aircraft pilot or a data model defining a physiological fatigue threshold specific to the aircraft pilot. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the smart device comprises an electronic flight bag, and wherein the report comprises at least one of an in-flight indicator of the workload for the aircraft pilot during a flight, a predictive indicator of the workload for the aircraft pilot at a future time, or a post-flight report of the workload for the aircraft pilot throughout the flight. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the report comprises suggested adjustments to at least one aircraft configuration metric to reduce the workload for the aircraft pilot. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a ratio of the first weight to the second weight is variable based upon at least one of a level of control the aircraft pilot can exert over the aircraft condition, a value of the flight condition workload component, or a value of the aircraft configuration workload component. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the flight condition data comprises data about at least one of a weather condition proximate an aircraft flown by the pilot during flight, an altitude of the aircraft during flight, a wind condition proximate the aircraft during flight, a deviation of the aircraft from a planned route, an amount of turbulence experienced by the aircraft during flight, a total flight time for the aircraft, a distance traveled by the aircraft during flight, or an ambient lighting condition proximate the aircraft during flight 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the aircraft configuration data comprises data about at least one of power settings of the aircraft, a position of landing gear on the aircraft, a position of wing flaps on the aircraft, a weight of the aircraft, a balance of the aircraft, a number of crew members on the aircraft, a spectral content of noise in the aircraft, a current fuel consumption rate for the aircraft, or a current fuel load for the aircraft. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the physiological sensors are configured to detect physiological condition data comprising at least one of a heart rate of the aircraft pilot, a heart rate variability of the aircraft pilot, a blood oxygen saturation level of the aircraft pilot, an electrical activity from the brain of the aircraft pilot, an electrical activity from the heart of the aircraft pilot, a respiration rate of the aircraft pilot, electrodermal activity of the aircraft pilot, or eye movement of the aircraft pilot.