Aircraft Directional Lighting System for Mobile Site Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft lighting systems cannot automatically track and illuminate mobile landing or take-off sites, such as those on offshore platforms or moving vehicles, as they rely on manual initialization and are not adaptable to changing ground reference frames.
Innovation Solution
A directional lighting system equipped with a camera, image processing means, and a servo-controlled motorized support that calculates and adjusts the light source's orientation based on real-time environmental images to automatically track and illuminate selected objectives, including mobile sites, using a combination of angular orientation determination and servo-control mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If manual initialization is used to orient the light source, then the system is simpler to implement, but it cannot automatically track mobile landing or take-off sites
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical initialization with an automated optical-mechanical system. A camera captures images of the environment, image processing means automatically identify the landing/take-off site, and a computing unit calculates orientation angles. This substitutes the manual mechanical pointing process with an automated vision-based system that continuously tracks mobile sites without requiring pilot intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system performs self-service by automatically acquiring environmental images, processing them to identify the target site, calculating the necessary orientation angles, and adjusting the light source position without external manual input. The system serves itself by integrating the camera, image processing, computation, and servo-control into a self-regulating automated tracking mechanism.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the light source is fixed relative to the aircraft fuselage, then the mounting is simpler, but it cannot adapt to changing ground reference frames or mobile sites
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static fixed mounting into a dynamic adjustable mounting. The light source is mounted on a motorized support with rotational mobility that can be actively controlled. The servo-control device continuously adjusts the light source orientation based on real-time image processing feedback, enabling the system to adapt to mobile landing/take-off sites while maintaining a relatively simple motorized mounting structure.
3Measurement precision
If image processing is used to determine velocity vector components, then directional accuracy is improved, but it does not enable tracking of mobile point sites
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the image processing system to serve multiple functions. Beyond determining velocity vector components for directional accuracy, the same camera and image processing means are used to identify mobile landing/take-off sites by analyzing environmental images. The computing unit universally applies image processing results to both velocity calculation and target site identification, enabling the system to track mobile point sites while maintaining high directional accuracy.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a directional lighting system (1) equipping an aircraft (2) and comprising, on the one hand, a light source (3) mounted on a motorized support (4) and, on the other hand, a control device (6) for controlling said motorized support. According to the invention, such a directional lighting system (1) comprises a selection member (7) for selecting a aiming lens to be pointed at, a camera (8) for acquiring a plurality of images of the environment external to the aircraft (2), image processing means (9) for identifying the selected aiming lens, a computing unit (10) configured to calculate current coordinates of the aiming lens, and a servo member (11) of the control device (6) for positioning the motorized support (4) according to an angular orientation (α, β) determined by the computing unit (10).