Systems and methods for search and rescue light control for a rotorcraft

A method for controlling a Search and rescue (SAR) light on a rotorcraft, the SAR light configured to project a beam of light along a beam axis, the method comprising:

• at a controller having a processor programmed with a SAR program, performing the operations of:
• receiving real-time rotorcraft state data;
• receiving a cartesian input point;
• determining an initial light head orientation as a function of the real-time rotorcraft state;
• calculating a delta-orientation for the SAR light;
• generating a pan command and a tilt command as a function of delta-orientation for the SAR light;
• and
• transmitting the pan command and the tilt command;
• and
• wherein the cartesian input point is a one of a plurality of cartesian input points in a sequence defining the cartesian pattern, for each cartesian input point in the sequence defining the cartesian pattern,
• identifying a delta-range;
• generating a respective pan command and a respective tilt command;
• zooming in on the field of view of the PTZ camera when the delta-range is positive;
• and
• zooming out on the field of view of the PTZ camera when the delta-range is negative;
• and
• at a pan control motor, causing the SAR light to pan responsive to the pan command;
• at a tilt control motor, causing the SAR light to tilt responsive to the tilt command;
• and
• at a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera configured to slave with the beam axis and to continuously have a field of view centered on the beam axis, capture a video stream and transmit it.

A system to control a search and rescue (SAR) light on a rotorcraft, the SAR light configured to project a beam of light along a beam axis, the system comprising:

• a pan control motor configured to cause the beam axis to pan responsive to a pan command;
• a tilt control motor configured to cause the beam axis to tilt responsive to a tilt command;
• a navigation system providing a real-time rotorcraft state, including a latitude, a longitude, and an orientation;
• a source of a cartesian pattern comprising a plurality of cartesian input points in a sequence, the source of the cartesian pattern being selectable from among an input device, a flight management system, a memory device, and an external source;
• a controller operationally coupled to the navigation system and the source of cartesian pattern, the controller having a processor to:
• receive the cartesian pattern;
• and
• for each cartesian input point in the sequence defining the cartesian pattern,
• determine an initial light head orientation as a function of the real-time rotorcraft state;
• generate a pan command and a tilt command as a function of the initial light head orientation and the cartesian input point;
• transmit the pan command to the pan control motor and the tilt command to the tilt control motor;
• and
• identify a delta-range;
• and
• a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera configured to slave with the beam axis and to continuously have a field of view centered on the beam axis, the PTZ camera configured to:
• capture a video stream and transmit it;
• zoom in on the field of view of the PTZ camera when the delta-range is positive;
• and
• zoom out on the field of view of the PTZ camera when the delta-range is negative.