Anti-collision lighting systems and methods for a micro aerial vehicle

• US 7,999,698 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2008
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Annati, Richard E., Ekhaguere, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): OTT, FREDERICK R
• Application Number:
  US12/133,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20090303081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/981, 340/982, 701/3, 701/9, 362/470, 244/24, 244/31, 446/46, 446/47, D21/441, D21/443, D21/447
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/06 for indicating aircraft presence
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS

Abstract

Systems and methods for anti-collision lights on a UAV. A method for passive anti-collision lights on a Micro-Aerial Vehicle (“MAV”) including determining a location of the MAV using a flight management computer configured to fly the MAV on a programmed path using data from a global positioning system and an inertial navigation system. The flight management system transmits light activation data and selectively activates at least one navigation light located on a visible surface of the MAV using the light activation data from the flight management computer.

Claims

1. A system for passive anti-collision lights on a micro-aerial vehicle comprising:

a plurality of navigation lights located on visible surfaces of the micro-aerial vehicle; and

a flight management computer located on the micro-aerial vehicle and configured to determine direction of travel of the micro-aerial vehicle using data from a global positioning system and an inertial navigation system and configured to adaptively orient an operational configuration of the plurality of navigational lights based on the determined direction of travel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein two navigation lights are located on opposite sides of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein four navigation lights are located on at least one of the four corners of the vehicle and equally spaced around a cylindrical or circular vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a navigation light is located on the top of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a navigation light is located on the bottom of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one navigation light is an infrared light.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one navigation light contains a plurality of colored lights, the colored lights activated separately by the flight management computer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the flight management computer selects which of the at least one lights is activated based on the current flight direction of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the flight management computer selects which of the at least one lights is activated based on pre-programmed flight plan.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the flight management computer selectively alternates between lights, no lights, and infrared lights based on pre-programmed flight plan.

11. A method for passive anti-collision lights on a micro-aerial vehicle comprising:

determining direction of travel of the micro-aerial vehicle using a flight management computer configured to fly the aerial vehicle using data from a global positioning system and an inertial navigation system; and

adaptively orienting an operational configuration of a plurality of navigation lights;

based on the determined direction of travel;

wherein selectively activating the plurality of navigation lights located on visible surfaces of the micro-aerial vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein two navigation lights are located on opposite sides of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein four navigation lights are located on at least one of the four corners of the vehicle and equally spaced around a cylindrical or circular vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein a navigation light is located on the top of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein a navigation light is located on the bottom of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one navigation light is an infrared light.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one navigation light contains a plurality of colored lights, the colored lights activated separately by the flight management computer.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising activating at least one light with the flight management computer based on the current location of the vehicle in flight.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising activating at the at least one light based on a pre-programmed light instructions.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising selectively alternating between lights, no lights, and infrared lights based on pre-programmed instructions.