Lighting and collision alerting system

• US 9,694,914 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hughey & Phillips LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hughey & Phillips LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wise, Eric W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US14/691,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20150239579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 340435, 340945, 340953, 340961, 340963, 340972, 340981, 340982, 340983, 324 29- 30, 324 36- 37, 324387, 701 9, 701 14, 701300-301
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2203/00 Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/20 Arrangement of optical beacons
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/032 the surface being a floor or like ground surface, e.g. pavement
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/041 with conical or pyramidal surface
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/048 with facets structure
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/06 for aircraft runways or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/80 Energy efficient operational measures, e.g. ground operations or mission management

Abstract

A collision avoidance system includes a sensor adapted to detect at least one vehicle in the vicinity of a predetermined area and generate target data relating to the at least one vehicle. An awareness engine receives the target data and evaluates the target data for a threat of a collision. An alerting system is adapted to alert the at least one vehicle in the event of a threat of a collision, the alerting system being activated by the awareness engine.

Claims

1. An airport traffic collision avoidance system, comprising:

an air and ground vehicle sensor configured to;

detect at least one vehicle in a vicinity of a predetermined area of an airport, and

generate a target data relating to the at least one vehicle;

an awareness engine adapted to;

receive the target data from the sensor, and

evaluate the target data for a threat of a collision with another ground or airborne vehicle, or an obstruction; and

an alerting system adapted to alert the at least one vehicle in an event of a threat of a collision in the predetermined area, the alerting system being activated by the awareness engine.

2. The airport traffic collision avoidance system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is configured to detect Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signals transmitted by the at least one vehicle.

3. The airport traffic collision avoidance system of claim 1 wherein the awareness engine comprises an evaluation subsystem, the evaluation subsystem being adapted to:

receive the target data,

determine a risk of a collision with the at least one vehicle, and

provide evaluation results to the alerting system.

4. The airport traffic collision avoidance system of claim 3, wherein the at least one vehicle comprises a plurality of vehicles, the evaluation subsystem being further adapted to determine, from corresponding target data, the risk of a collision between the vehicles.

5. The airport traffic collision avoidance system of claim 3 wherein the alerting system is activated to issue a warning when the risk of a collision exceeds a predetermined threshold.

6. The airport traffic collision avoidance system of claim 1 wherein the alerting system further comprises a visually perceivable indicator.

7. The airport traffic collision avoidance system of claim 6 wherein at least one operating characteristic of the indicator is altered in the event of a threat of a collision.

8. A collision avoidance system for a movable obstacle, comprising:

a sensor configured to;

detect at least one vehicle in a vicinity of a predetermined area of a movable obstacle, and

generate a target data relating to the at least one vehicle;

an awareness engine adapted to;

receive the target data from the sensor, and

evaluate the target data for a threat of a collision with the movable obstacle; and

an alerting system adapted to alert the at least one vehicle in an event of a threat of a collision with the movable obstacle, the alerting system being activated by the awareness engine.

9. The collision avoidance system of claim 8 wherein the sensor is configured to detect Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signals transmitted by the at least one vehicle.

10. The collision avoidance system of claim 8 wherein the awareness engine comprises an evaluation subsystem, the evaluation subsystem being adapted to:

receive the target data,

determine a risk of a collision with the at least one vehicle, and

provide evaluation results to the alerting system.

11. The collision avoidance system of claim 10, wherein the at least one vehicle comprises a plurality of vehicles, the evaluation subsystem being further adapted to determine, from corresponding target data, the risk of a collision between the vehicles.

12. The airport traffic collision avoidance system of claim 10 wherein the alerting system is activated to issue a warning when the risk of a collision exceeds a predetermined threshold.

13. The airport traffic collision avoidance system of claim 8 wherein the alerting system further comprises a visually perceivable indicator.

14. A collision avoidance system for a movable obstacle, comprising:

an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) sensor configured to;

detect at least one vehicle in a vicinity of a predetermined area of a movable obstacle, and

generate a target data relating to the at least one vehicle;

an awareness engine adapted to;

receive the target data from the sensor, and

evaluate the target data for a threat of a collision with the movable obstacle; and

an alerting system comprising a visually perceivable anti-collision light adapted to alert the at least one vehicle in an event of a threat of a collision with the movable obstacle, the alerting system being activated by the awareness engine, characteristics of the anti-collision light being altered in a predetermined, visually perceivable manner.

15. The collision avoidance system of claim 14 wherein an intensity of the anti-collision light is altered by the alerting system in the event of a threat of a collision with the movable obstacle.

16. The collision avoidance system of claim 14 wherein a color of the anti-collision light is altered by the alerting system in the event of a threat of a collision with the movable obstacle.

17. The collision avoidance system of claim 14 wherein a flash rate of the anti-collision light is altered by the alerting system in the event of a threat of a collision with the movable obstacle.

18. The collision avoidance system of claim 14 wherein an on-off duty cycle of the anti-collision light is altered by the alerting system in the event of a threat of a collision with the movable obstacle.

19. The collision avoidance system of claim 14 wherein the anti-collision light aimed or directed in a predetermined manner in the event of a threat of a collision with the movable obstacle.

20. The collision avoidance system of claim 19 wherein an intensity of the anti-collision light is increased in the event of a threat of a collision with the movable obstacle.