System and method for authenticating and visualizing phases of a jumpmaster …

Description (excerpt)

GOVERNMENT INTEREST The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for all governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to jumpmaster personnel inspections (JMPIs), and more particularly to an electronic device worn by a parachutist that authenticates and visualizes the potentially multi-step JMPI process. BACKGROUND This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present invention that are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. Army jumpmasters are experienced parachutists whose additional training qualifies them to serve in a variety of roles supporting parachuting operations. Those roles include pre-jump inspections, parachuting instruction, in-flight navigation, tasks essential to overall operation safety, and control of the aircraft exit. Army jumpmasters support both static-line and free fall operations, though the proposed invention will be discussed using primarily free fall operations for context. Of particular interest here is in the pre-jump inspection; officially known as the jumpmaster personnel inspection or JMPI. Though requirements may vary based on unit, as demonstrated at the US Army Free Fall School, a free fall parachutist must be inspected twice, and the parachutist must document the names of those two jumpmasters in case a preventable equipment malfunction later occurs. Typically, a paper roster is printed for each jump that is filled in by the parachutist. The parachutist must remember the names of the jumpmasters who completed the inspection prior to each jump, and each of those rosters must be maintained for reference. A parachutist who has not been successfully inspected twice is not allowed to jump; a jumpmaster will typically question the parachutist regarding the status of his two JMPIs prior to permitting aircraft boarding. This process is cumbersome. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Various deficiencies in the prior art are addressed below by the disclosed systems, methods and apparatus configured for optimizing a JMPI process introducing an easily visible worn device with an interactive authentication mechanism, illustratively, a keypad for entering a jumpmaster code or a fingerprint authentication device for obtaining a jumpmaster fingerprint. Following the completion of a JMPI, the jumpmaster signs their inspection with the code or fingerprint on a student's device for record keeping. Once recorded, in some embodiments a green LED, one of two, is illuminated. The process repeats for a second JMPI and a second green LED is illuminated. The two illuminated LEDs on a parachutist's wearable indicate to the jumpmaster that the parachutist has been inspected twice and may continue to jump. Each wearable is connected via wired or wireless means to a computing device in the manifest office, where records of each JMPI are kept, and where the JMPI status of each lift may be visualized. According to an embodiment, an inspection authentication apparatus is configured to be worn by a parachutist for authenticating and visualizing phases of a jumpmaster personnel inspection process, the apparatus comprising: a display indicator; an interactive authentication mechanism; and a processor configured to execute instructions stored in a non-transitory memory to perform thereby a method comprising: receiving first jumpmaster authentication data via the interactive authentication mechanism and, if the first jumpmaster authentication data is determined to be valid, illuminating a first display indicator; and receiving second jumpmaster authentication data via the interactive authentication mechanism and, if the second jumpmaster authentication data is determined to be valid, illuminating a second display indicator. According to an embodiment, a method for authenticating and visualizing various phases of a jumpmaster personnel inspection process using a parachutist-wearable authentication device (AD) comprises, at the AD, receiving first jumpmaster authentication data via the interactive authentication mechanism and, if the first jumpmaster authentication data is determined to be valid, illuminating a first display indicator; and receiving second jumpmaster authentication data via the interactive authentication mechanism and, if the second jumpmaster authentication data is determined to be valid, illuminating a second display indicator. According to an embodiment, a