Method and system for displaying the external environment of an aircraft, and aircraft door equipped with such a system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10207818-B2
Application number	US-201414782651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2014
Priority date	Apr 12, 2013
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A system and method for displaying the external environment of the airplane. The system includes a camera mounted on the door of the airplane. The camera having lens for capturing the external environment illuminated by a illumination source in order to provide a video signal, and at least one display screen connected with the camera for receiving the video signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for displaying an external environment of an airplane ( 100 ), the method comprising the steps of:
introducing into an opening on at least one passenger or service door of the airplane a camera, the camera including a lens ( 11 ) and an electronic housing having a photosensitive sensor for determining an exterior visibility condition, the photosensitive sensor is linked to a controller by a cable, the camera transmits a video signal, from said external environment of the airplane ( 100 ),
illuminating the external environment by using an illuminator having an array of light emitting diodes capable of emitting a visible wavelength light source and/or an infrared wavelength light source, and
transmitting the video signal supplied by the camera to at least one display screen ( 8 ) located at the at least one passenger or service door and at a cockpit of the airplane, the video signal provides an information relating to the external environment of the airplane including at least one passenger evacuation zone, the display screen also receives information about status of operational equipments of the airplane including: status of doors, status of escape slides ( 9 ), status of a door locking system, status of the camera, status of the illuminator, and status of maintenance equipment of the airplane.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the light source of the illuminator is the visible wavelength source during the day, and the illuminator is directed toward the at least one passenger evacuation zone ( 91 ).

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the light source is the infrared wavelength source at night time.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further including a second opening in the at least one door ( 4 A to 4 D) of the airplane, and including the step of placing a second camera—into the second opening, the first camera and the second camera are located on the same door and are also connected to—a video processing device for producing a three dimensional (3D) video.

5. An airplane including:
a passenger cabin,
a cockpit,
wings,
at least one of passenger doors and a service door,
an escape slide located next to each door,
at least one of the doors including at least one opening, and
a display system comprising:
a camera located in each opening of the at least one door, each camera including:
a lens, and
an electronic housing including:
a photosensitive sensor for determining an exterior visibility condition, the photosensitive sensor being linked to a controller by a cable, the camera transmitting a video signal from said external environment of the airplane,

at least one illuminator to illuminate the external environment of the airplane, each illuminator including:
an array of light emitting diodes capable of emitting a visible wavelength light source and/or an infrared wavelength light source, wherein the light source is chosen depending on lighting conditions of the external environment, and

a display screen located at least in one of the doors of the passenger cabin or in the cockpit,
wherein each camera transmits a video signal to at least one display screen ( 8 ), the video signal provides an information relating to the external environment of the airplane including at least one impact zone of an escape slide, the display screen also receives information about the status of operational equipment of the airplane including the status of the doors, status of escape slides ( 9 ), status of a door locking system, status of at least one camera, status of the at least one illuminator, and status of maintenance equipment of the airplane,
wherein at least one illumination zone ( 91 ) of the at least one illuminator surrounds the impact zone ( 101 ) of each escape slide ( 9 ) of the airplane, wherein the illumination is controlled by the photosensitive sensor that is linked to the controller.

6. The display system according to claim 5 , wherein the light-emitting diodes are arranged in a housing ( 71 ).

7. The display system according to claim 5 , further including a second opening in the at least one door of the airplane and a second camera is placed on the second opening, the first camera and the second camera are located on the same door and are also connected to a video processing device for producing a three dimensional (3D) video.

8. The airplane according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a locking system including:
a safety latch ( 41 ), and
an articulation arm ( 42 ),
wherein the controller ( 5 ) is programmed to control the articulation arm ( 42 ) by using a motor ( 6 ).

9. The airplane according to claim 8 , wherein the light-emitting diodes are arranged near each door.

Assignees

• Latecoere

Inventors

• Besettes Cyrille
• Groux Laurent
• Perrier Christophe

Classifications

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• B64D47/08 Primary

  Arrangements of cameras · CPC title

• H04N5/332

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B64C1/1407

  Doors; surrounding frames · CPC title

• H04N7/183 Primary

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title