METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINATION OF PERFORMANCE AND RESPONSE TO ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION

• US 20140328073A1
• Filed: 05/01/2013
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kimsey-Lin, Melanie L., Chaintreuil, Taylor A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,205,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/470
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/46 Emergency lighting, e.g. for escape routes
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0038 Illumination systems for cabins as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 2/00 Non-electric light sources using luminescence using excitation by radioactivity G21H3/02, H01J65/06, H01J65/08; using excitation by an external electromagnetic field or by external corpuscular radiation H01J65/04; Light sources using electrochemiluminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/28 Investigating the spectrum using colour filters G01J3/51
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source

Abstract

A method of selecting a lighting pattern of an aircraft is disclosed herein. The method comprises exposing a photoluminescent element to electromagnetic radiation emitted from a light source of the aircraft. The light source has (a) a spectral power distribution and (b) an illumination level. The method also comprises calculating a total energy absorbed by the photoluminescent element based on (a) the spectral power distribution, (b) the illumination level, and (c) an exposure duration. The method comprises correlating the total energy absorbed to a discharge duration based on a normalized photoluminescent response function of the photoluminescent element. And the method also comprises verifying that the (a) spectral power distribution, (b) illumination level, and (c) exposure duration of the light source are in compliance with operational guidelines for the light source and the photoluminescent element based on the discharge duration.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a lighting pattern of an aircraft, the aircraft comprising a light source and a photoluminescent element, the method comprising:

exposing the photoluminescent element to electromagnetic radiation emitted from the light source of the aircraft, wherein the light source has (a) a spectral power distribution and (b) an illumination level;

calculating a total energy absorbed by the photoluminescent element based on (a) the spectral power distribution, (b) the illumination level, and (c) an exposure duration;

correlating the total energy absorbed to a discharge duration based on a normalized photoluminescent response function of the photoluminescent element;

verifying that the (a) spectral power distribution, (b) illumination level, and (c) exposure duration of the light source are in compliance with operational guidelines for the light source and the photoluminescent element based on the discharge duration; and

selecting the lighting pattern based on the (a) spectral power distribution, (b) illumination level, (c) exposure duration of the light source, or discharge duration of the photoluminescent element.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exposing a control photoluminescent element to electromagnetic radiation emitted from a control light source having (a) a spectral power distribution and (b) an illumination level;

correlating each of (a) the spectral power distribution of a control light source, (b) the illumination level of the control light source, and (c) an exposure duration of the control light source, to a control discharge duration, wherein the discharge time is a measure of time elapsed from a termination of the exposure duration to a predetermined illumination level; and

determining whether the correlated discharge duration is consistent with the control discharge duration.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the predetermined illumination level is 0.4 mcd/m².

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising measuring (a) the spectral power distribution and (b) the illumination level at a plurality of locations within the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating operational guidelines and minimum operational thresholds for the light source and the photoluminescent element based on the discharge duration.

6. The method of claim 1 further wherein calculating the total energy comprises calculating the total energy absorbed by the photoluminescent element based on a degradation factor related to a filter.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

exposing the photoluminescent element to electromagnetic radiation emitted from the light source of the aircraft at (d) a second spectral power distribution and (e) a second illumination level; and

calculating a total energy absorbed by the photoluminescent element based on (d) the second spectral power distribution, (e) the second illumination level, and (f) a second exposure duration; and

verifying that the (d) second spectral power distribution, (e) second illumination level, and (f) second exposure duration of the light source are in compliance with operational guidelines for the light source and the photoluminescent element.

8. An aircraft comprising:

a lighting system configured to emit EMR, the lighting system having a spectral power distribution and an illumination level;

a photoluminescent element configured to absorb photons from the EMR emitted by the lighting system, the photoluminescent element comprising a photoluminescent material with a normalized photoluminescent response function and configured to emit photons;

one or more sensors configured to measure the spectral power distribution and illumination level of the lighting system;

wherein the photoluminescent material is exposed to EMR, the photoluminescent material has a total energy absorbed related to exposure to EMR;

one or more calculation modules configured to calculate a discharge duration of the photoluminescent material based on the spectral power distribution and the illumination level of the lighting system and the normalized photoluminescent response function of the photoluminescent material.

9. The aircraft of claim 8 wherein the lighting system comprises at least one LED light source.

10. The aircraft of claim 9 wherein the at least one LED light source is configured to emit blue light.

11. The aircraft of claim 8 wherein the lighting system is configured to emit EMR in a first range of wavelengths at a first time, and the lighting system is further configured to emit EMR in a second range of wavelengths at a second time.

12. The aircraft of claim 8 wherein the photoluminescent material further comprises a filter, the filter having a degradation factor, and the discharge duration being related to the degradation factor.

13. The aircraft of claim 8 further wherein the spectral power distribution and the illumination level of the lighting system is measured at a plurality of locations in the aircraft, and a discharge duration is calculated for each of the plurality of locations.

14. A system for determining performance characteristics of a material based on exposure to EMR from an EMR source, the system comprising:

a sensor configured to measure (a) a spectral power distribution, (b) an illumination level, and (c) exposure duration of an EMR source;

a correlation module configured to correlate (a) the spectral power distribution, (b) the illumination level, and (c) the exposure duration to a total energy absorbed by the material; and

a calculation module configured to calculate one of (i) a discharge duration related to a normalized response function of the material, or (ii) an energy generation value related to a response function of the material, or (iii) a total effective energy value related to a response function of the material.

15. The system of claim 14 further wherein:

a control sensor configured to measure (d) a control spectral power distribution, (e) a control illumination level, and (f) a control exposure duration of the EMR source;

a control correlation module configured to correlate (d) the control spectral power distribution, (e) the control illumination level, and (f) the control exposure duration of the EMR source to a total energy absorbed by the material; and

a control measurement module configured to measure one of (iv) a control discharge duration, or (v) a control energy generation of the material, or (vi) a total effective energy value.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

the sensor configured to measure (a) a spectral power distribution at a second location, (b) an illumination level at the second location, and (c) an exposure duration at the second location;

the correlation module configured to correlate (a) the spectral power distribution at the second location, (b) the illumination level at the second location, and (c) the exposure duration at the second location to a total energy absorbed by the material; and

the calculation module configured to calculate one of (i) a discharge duration at the second location, (ii) an energy generation value at the second location, or (iii) a total effective energy value at the second location.

17. The system of claim 14 further wherein the discharge duration or the energy generation value is used to create operational guidelines and minimum operational thresholds

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the material comprises a filter having a degradation factor, and the calculation of the discharge duration or the energy duration is related to the degradation factor.

19. The system of claim 14 further wherein:

the correlation module is configured to correlate a second total energy absorbed by the material based on (a) a second spectral power distribution, (b) a second illumination level, and (c) a second exposure duration of a second EMR source;

the correlation module is configured to correlate a third total energy absorbed by the material based on (a) a third spectral power distribution, (b) a third illumination level, and (c) a third exposure duration of a third EMR source; and

the calculation module is configured to calculate one of (i) a discharge duration for each of the second and third total energy absorbed, or (ii) an energy generation value for each of the second and third total energy absorbed, or (iii) a total effective energy value for each of the second and third total energy absorbed.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the EMR source comprises an LED source, the material is a photoluminescent material, and the EMR source and the material are located in an aircraft interior.