Hazard avoidance system

• US 20030090391A1
• Filed: 11/01/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Government of the United States of America, Precise Flight, Inc., The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Inventors: Philiben, Scott, Blackwell, Bradley F.
• Granted Patent: US 6,940,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 29/10 using light sources, e.g. lasers or flashing lights
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2033/022 comprising bird or foreign object protections
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2203/00 Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/06 for indicating aircraft presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/04 Anti-collision systems

Abstract

A hazard avoidance system for a vehicle utilizes data related to a location of a collision threat, conditions at the location, and vehicle operating parameters to select a light illumination routine that is optimal to attract the attention of and repel a collision hazard.

Claims

1. A hazard avoidance system for a vehicle comprising:

(a) a light arranged on an exterior of said vehicle; and

(b) a data processing system to identify a hazard and selectively illuminate said light in response said identification of said hazard.

2. The hazard avoidance system of claim 1 further comprising an instruction executable by said data processing system relating said hazard to a location.

3. The hazard avoidance system of claim 1 further comprising

(a) a positioning system inputting a vehicle location datum to said data processing system;

and

(b) an instruction, executable by said data processing system, relating said hazard and said vehicle location datum.

4. The hazard avoidance system of claim 1 further comprising an instruction executable by said data processing system relating said hazard to a condition at a location.

5. The hazard avoidance system of claim 4 wherein said condition at said location comprises a time.

6. The hazard avoidance system of claim 4 further comprising:

(a) an object detection device inputting a datum to said data processing system in response to detection of an object; and

(b) an instruction executable by said data processing system relating said datum to said hazard.

7. The hazard avoidance system of claim 4 further comprising:

(a) a communication link facilitating input of a hazard identifying datum to said data processing system from a remote source; and

(b) an instruction executable by said data processing system relating said hazard identifying datum to said hazard.

8. The hazard avoidance system of claim 1 further comprising an instruction executable by said data processing system relating said selective illumination of said light to a condition of said vehicle.

9. The hazard avoidance system of claim 8 wherein said instruction relating said selective illumination of said light to said condition of said vehicle relates illumination of said light to a speed of said vehicle.

10. The hazard avoidance system of claim 1 further comprising an instruction relating an operating mode of said vehicle to said hazard.

11. The hazard avoidance system of claim 1 wherein said instruction relating an operating mode of said vehicle to said hazard comprises an instruction relating an altitude of said vehicle to said hazard.

12. The hazard avoidance system of claim 1 wherein said data processing system selectively alters the intensity of illumination of said light.

13. The hazard avoidance system of claim 1 wherein said hazard is correlated to a species of animal.

14. A method of avoiding a collision between an animal and a vehicle comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying a location of an animal collision threat;

(b) relating said location of said animal collision threat to an identity of an animal threatening collision;

(c) relating said identity of said animal threatening collision to a routine for illuminating a light; and

(d) illuminating said light according to said routine.

15. The method of avoiding a collision of claim 14 wherein the step of identifying a location of an animal collision threat comprises the step of determining a location of said vehicle.

16. The method of avoiding a collision of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a condition of said location of said animal collision threat; and

(b) relating said condition of said location to said identity of said animal threatening collision.

17. The method of avoiding a collision of claim 16 wherein the step of determining a condition of said location of said animal collision threat comprises the step of determining a time for said threatened collision.

18. The method of avoiding a collision of claim 16 wherein the step of determining a condition of said location of said animal collision threat comprises the steps of:

(a) detecting an object;

(b) determining a behavior of said object; and

(c) relating said behavior to said identity of said animal threatening collision.

19. The method of avoiding a collision of claim 16 wherein the step of determining a condition of said location of said animal collision threat comprises the steps of receiving a report of an animal collision threat from a remote observer.

20. The method of avoiding a collision of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

(a) determining an operating parameter of said vehicle; and

(b) relating said operating parameter to said identity of said animal threatening collision.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of determining an operating parameter of said vehicle comprises the step of determining one of an altitude of said vehicle, a ground loading of said vehicle, and a position of a control surface of said vehicle.

22. The method of avoiding a collision of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

(a) determining an operating parameter of said vehicle; and

(b) relating said operating parameter to said routine for illuminating said light.

23. The method of avoiding a collision of claim 14 wherein the step of illuminating said light according to said routine comprises the steps of:

(a) initiating illumination of said light;

(b) altering an intensity of said illumination; and

(c) terminating illumination of said light.