Systems and methods for dynamic light control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9856035-B1
Application number	US-201615178208-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 9, 2016
Priority date	Jun 9, 2016
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A light system for an aircraft is provided. A light system may include a sensor and a first aircraft light. A controller may be coupled to the sensor and the first aircraft light and may perform operations including receiving data from the sensor, determining a status of the aircraft based on the data, and controlling the first aircraft light based on the status of the aircraft. The first aircraft light may include an external aircraft light and the operations may further include at least one of activating or deactivating the external aircraft light based on the status of the aircraft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light system for an aircraft, comprising:
a sensor;
a first aircraft light;
a controller coupled to the sensor and the first aircraft light; and
a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the controller, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the controller, data from the sensor;
determining, by the controller, a status of the aircraft based on the data; and
controlling, by the controller, the first aircraft light based on the status of the aircraft,
wherein the sensor comprises a wheel speed sensor, and the first aircraft light comprises a taxi light, and
wherein the operations further comprise activating, by the controller, the taxi light in response to a wheel speed being below a speed threshold.

2. The light system of claim 1 , wherein the first aircraft light includes an external aircraft light and the operations further comprise at least one of activating or deactivating, by the controller, the external aircraft light based on the status of the aircraft.

3. The light system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a weight-on-wheels sensor and the first aircraft light comprises a landing light, and wherein the operations further comprise:
determining, by the controller, based on the data whether a landing gear of the aircraft is in contact with a ground; and
deactivating, by the controller, the landing light in response to the landing gear being in contact with the ground.

4. The light system of claim 3 , further comprising a second aircraft light including a takeoff light, wherein the operations further comprise activating, by the controller, the takeoff light in response to the landing gear being in contact with the ground.

5. The light system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises an aircraft data source and the first aircraft light comprises a landing light, and wherein the operations further comprise activating, by the controller, the landing light upon determining an altitude of the aircraft is below a first threshold.

6. The light system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a brake sensor and the first aircraft light comprises a runway turnoff light, and wherein the operations further comprise activating, by the controller, the runway turnoff light in response to a brake signal from the brake sensor.

7. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the controller, data from a sensor;
determining, by the controller, a status of the aircraft based on the data; and
controlling, by the controller, a first aircraft light based on the status of the aircraft,
wherein the sensor comprises a wheel speed sensor, and the first aircraft light comprises a taxi light, and
wherein the operations further comprise activating, by the controller, the taxi light in response to a wheel speed being below a speed threshold.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7 , wherein the first aircraft light includes an external aircraft light and the operations further comprise at least one of activating or deactivating, by the controller, the external aircraft light based on the status of the aircraft.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 7 , wherein the sensor comprises a weight-on-wheels sensor and the first aircraft light comprises a landing light, and wherein the operations further comprise:
determining, by the controller, based on the data whether a landing gear of the aircraft is in contact with a ground; and
deactivating, by the controller, the landing light in response to the landing gear being in contact with the ground.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 9 , further comprising a second aircraft light including a takeoff light, wherein the operations further comprise activating, by the controller, the takeoff light in response to the landing gear being in contact with the ground.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 7 , wherein the sensor comprises an aircraft data source and the first aircraft light comprises a landing light, and wherein the operations further comprise activating, by the controller, the landing light upon determining an altitude of the aircraft is below a first threshold.

12. A method of controlling a light system of an aircraft, comprising:
receiving, by a controller, data from a sensor;
determining, by the controller, a status of the aircraft based on the data; and
controlling, by the controller, a first aircraft light based on the status of the aircraft,
wherein the first aircraft light includes a taxi light, and
wherein the controlling the first aircraft light further comprises activating, by the controller, the taxi light in response to a wheel speed being below a speed threshold.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first aircraft light includes an external aircraft light, wherein the controlling the first aircraft light further comprises at least one of activating or deactivating, by the controller, the external aircraft light based on the status of the aircraft.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sensor comprises a weight-on-wheels sensor and the first aircraft light comprises a landing light.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining, by the controller, based on the data whether a landing gear of the aircraft is in contact with a ground; and
deactivating, by the controller, the landing light in response to the landing gear being in contact with the ground.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining, by the controller, an altitude of the aircraft; and
activating, by the controller, the landing light upon determining the altitude of the aircraft is below a first threshold.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising activating, by the controller, a second aircraft light in response to the landing gear being in contact with the ground, wherein the second aircraft light comprises a takeoff light.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Keller Steven T
• Hessling Von Heimendahl Andre

Classifications

• B64D47/04 Primary

  the lighting devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead · CPC title

• F21S48/1742

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• B64C19/00

  Aircraft control not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F21S41/657

  by moving light sources · CPC title