Optical system for detecting an object

• US 7,701,362 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Precise Flight, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Precise Flight, Inc.
• Inventors: Philiben, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US11/707,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20080198039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 340/961, 340/981, 362/84, 362/470, 362/510, 362/511, 362/540
• US Class Current: 340/961
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

A system for optically detecting an object comprises a light source associated with the object and operated to produce a temporal pattern of emissions and a detector, synchronized to the operation of the light source by signals from a global positioning system, to identify light emissions according to the temporal pattern.

Claims

1. A system for detecting an object comprising:

(a) a source of light geographically associated with the object and operable to emit light in a temporally distinct pattern of illumination, said temporally distinct pattern of illumination is distinctive of a location of said object; and

(b) a detector operable to capture light emission and to determine said location of said object encoded in said temporal pattern of illumination.

2. The system for detecting an object of claim 1 wherein:

(a) said temporally distinct pattern of illumination is further distinctive of an identity of said object associated with said source of light; and

(b) said detector is operable to determine from said temporally distinct pattern of illumination said identity of said object.

3. The system for detecting an object of claim 1 wherein said detector operable to capture light emission and distinguish a source emitting light in said temporally distinct pattern of illumination comprises:

(a) an optical sensor arranged to capture impinging light at an image capture time;

(b) an image processor to distinguish a point source of light in said captured light; and

(c) a detector controller to determine if said image capture time coincides with a time of illumination of a light source operated to emit light in said temporally distinct pattern of illumination.

4. The system for detecting an object of claim 3 wherein said detector controller determines said image capture time from a signal from a global positioning system.

5. The system for detecting an object of claim 1 wherein said source of light operable to emit light in a temporally distinct pattern of illumination comprises:

(a) a power source;

(b) a lamp arranged to emit light when interconnected to said power source;

(c) a driver operable to selectively vary an interconnection of said lamp and said power source; and

(d) a controller to cause said driver to vary said interconnection of said power source and said lamp at a first time and a second time, at least one of said first time and said second time being determined by a signal emitted by a global positioning system.

6. The system for detecting an object of claim 5 wherein said signal emitted by said global positioning system is a time signal.

7. The system for detecting an object of claim 5 wherein said detector operable to capture light emission and distinguish a source emitting light in said temporally distinct pattern of illumination comprises:

(a) an optical sensor arranged to capture impinging light at an image capture time;

(b) an image processor to distinguish a point source of light in said captured light; and

(c) a detector controller to determine if said image capture time coincides with a time of illumination of a light source operated to emit light in said temporally distinct pattern of illumination.

8. The system for detecting an object of claim 7 wherein said detector controller said image capture time from a signal from a global positioning system.

9. The system for detecting an object of claim 1 wherein said source of light operable to emit light in a temporally distinct pattern of illumination comprises:

(a) a power source;

(b) a lamp arranged to emit light when interconnected to said power source;

(c) a driver operable to selectively vary an interconnection of said lamp and said power source; and

(d) a controller to cause said driver to vary said interconnection of said power source and said lamp at a first time and a second time, at least one of said first time and said second time being determined by a geographic position of said lamp.

10. The system for detecting an object of claim 9 wherein said controller determines said geographic position of said lamp from a signal emitted by a global positioning system.

11. The system for detecting an object of claim 9 wherein said detector operable to capture light emission and distinguish a source emitting light in said temporally distinct pattern of illumination comprises:

(a) an optical sensor arranged to capture impinging light at an image capture time;

(b) an image processor to distinguish a point source of light in said captured light; and

(c) a detector controller to determine if said image capture time coincides with a time of illumination of a lamp connected to a power source at a connection time and disconnected from said power source at a disconnection time, at least one of said connection time and said disconnection time being determined by a geographic position of said optical sensor.

12. The system for detecting an object of claim 11 wherein said detector controller said image capture time from a signal from a global positioning system.

13. A light source operable to produce a temporally distinct pattern of light emissions of, said light comprising:

(a) a power source;

(b) a lamp arranged to emit light when interconnected to said power source;

(c) a driver operable to selectively vary an interconnection of said lamp and said power source; and

(d) a controller to cause said driver to vary said interconnection of said power source and said lamp at a first time and a second time, at least one of said first time and said second time being determined by a signal emitted by a global positioning system.

14. The light source of claim 13 wherein said signal emitted by said global positioning system comprises a time signal.

15. The light source of claim 13 wherein said signal emitted by said global positioning system comprises a geographic position signal.

16. The light source of claim 13 wherein said driver operable to vary an interconnection of said lamp and said power source is operable to cause said lamp to emit light of a first intensity at said first time and to emit light of second intensity at said second time.

17. The light source of claim 13 wherein said driver operable to vary an interconnection of said lamp and said power source is operable to cause said lamp to emit light of a first wavelength at said first time and to emit light of second wavelength at said second time.

18. The light source of claim 13 wherein light emitted by said lamp when interconnected to said power source comprises a wavelength not visible to a human.

19. A method for detecting an object comprising the steps of:

(a) geographically associating with said object a light source arranged to emit light in a temporally distinct pattern of emission, said temporally distinct pattern of emission is pattern distinctive of a geographical location of said light source;

(b) capturing light impinging on a detector at an image capture time; and

(c) determining if a detected light emission included in said captured light was emitted in said temporally distinct pattern indicative of said location of said light source.

20. The method for detecting an object of claim 19 wherein said temporally distinct pattern of emission comprises:

(a) a first emission of light at a first intensity at a first time; and

(b) a second emission of light at a second intensity at a second time.

21. The method for detecting an object of claim 19 wherein said temporally distinct pattern of emission comprises:

(a) a first emission of light at a first wavelength at a first time; and

(b) a second emission of light at a second wavelength at a second time.

22. The method for detecting an object of claim 21 wherein light of at least one of said first wavelength and said second wavelength is not detectable by human vision.

23. The method for detecting an object of claim 19 wherein the step of determining if said captured light was emitted in said temporally distinct pattern of emission comprises the steps of:

(a) distinguishing said detected light emission in said captured light; and

(b) determining if said image capture time coincides with a time of emission by said light source arranged to emit light in said temporally distinct pattern of emission.

24. The method for detecting an object of claim 23 wherein the step of determining if said image capture time coincides with a time of emission by said light source arranged to emit light in said temporally distinct pattern of emission comprises the steps of:

(a) determining a time of emission by said light source from a signal emitted by a global positioning system;

(b) determining said image capture time from said signal emitted said global position system; and

(c) comparing said time of emission and said image capture time.

25. The method for detecting an object of claim 23 wherein the step of determining if said image capture time coincides with a time of emission by said light source arranged to emit light in said temporally distinct pattern of emission comprises the steps of:

(a) determining a time of emission by said light source from a signal emitted by a global positioning system; and

(b) determining an image capture time from said signal emitted by said global positioning system to coincide with said time of emission.

26. The method for detecting an object of claim 19 wherein said temporally distinct pattern of emission is further distinctive of an identity of said object associated with said light source.