Emergency lighting system for an aircraft and aircraft comprising such emergency lighting system

• US 9,655,186 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2014
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Lighting Systems GmbH (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Lighting Systems GmbH (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Hessling Von Heimendahl, Andre, Klein, Frank, Heissig, Benno
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DON P
• Application Number:
  US14/504,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20150091438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 315 86, 315 87
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/46 Emergency lighting, e.g. for escape routes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/47 Circuits; Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0038 Illumination systems for cabins as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2203/00 Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/02 Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/40 The network being an on-board power network, i.e. within a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/065 for lighting purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/50 On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency

Abstract

An emergency lighting system for an aircraft includes an emergency light control unit, having an external power input and at least one external control input for receiving external control commands from at least one of a cockpit crew, a cabin crew, a board computer and an autopilot, and a plurality of autonomous emergency light units, each of the plurality of autonomous emergency light units comprising at least one LED and a rechargeable capacitor. The emergency light control unit is configured to process the external control commands and to communicate emergency light control commands to the plurality of autonomous emergency light units as a response to the external control commands.

Claims

1. Emergency lighting system for an aircraft, comprising:

an emergency light control unit, having an external power input and at least one external control input for receiving external control commands from at least one of a cockpit crew, a cabin crew, a board computer and an autopilot, and

a plurality of autonomous emergency light units, each of the plurality of autonomous emergency light units comprising at least one LED and a rechargeable capacitor,

wherein the emergency light control unit is configured to process the external control commands and to communicate emergency light control commands to the plurality of autonomous emergency light units as a response to the external control commands;

wherein the emergency lighting system further comprises a power line between the emergency light control unit and the plurality of autonomous emergency light units, with the emergency light control unit being configured to provide the plurality of autonomous emergency light units with power via the power line for charging their respective rechargeable capacitor and illuminating their respective at least one LED; and

wherein the emergency light control unit forms the sole coupling point to a power supply outside of the emergency lighting system.

2. Emergency lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the emergency light control unit is configured to communicate the emergency light control commands to the plurality of autonomous emergency light units as a modulation of the power provided on the power line.

3. Emergency lighting system according to claim 1, further comprising a control signal channel between the emergency light control unit and the plurality of autonomous emergency light units, with the emergency light control unit being configured to communicate the emergency light control commands to the plurality of autonomous emergency light units via the control signal channel, with the control signal channel comprising one of a wired control signal connection and a wireless control signal channel.

4. Emergency lighting system according to claim 1, wherein each of the autonomous emergency light units is configured, upon detection of no power being provided on the power line, to discharge their respective rechargeable capacitor over their respective at least one LED for illuminating their respective at least one LED.

5. Emergency lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one external control input comprises a first external control input for receiving a first external control command from one of a cockpit crew, a board computer and an autopilot and a second external control input for receiving a second external control command from a cabin crew, wherein the emergency light control unit is configured to generate a particular emergency light control command as a response to the first and second external control commands.

6. Emergency lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the emergency light control commands comprise a charge and illumination command, as a response to which the plurality of autonomous emergency light units are configured to charge their respective rechargeable capacitor and to illuminate their respective at least one LED.

7. Emergency lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the emergency light control commands comprise an armed and charge command, as a response to which the plurality of autonomous emergency light units are configured to charge their respective rechargeable capacitor and to set themselves in an alert condition.