# US 11,122,670 B1 · Flying vehicle automatic lighting control system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,122,670 B1 - Document ID: US11122670B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/821,371 - Filed: 2020-03-17 - Published: 2021-09-23 - Granted: 2021-09-14 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-17 - Assignees: Honeywell International Inc. - Applicants: Honeywell International Inc. - Inventors: Yang Liu; Rui Tong; Guo Qing Wang; Shuai Chen; Jianhua Zhou - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11122670B1 ## CPC - H05B 47/155: Coordinated control of two or more light sources - B64C 19/00: Aircraft control not otherwise provided for - B64D 47/02: Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices - H05B 47/11: by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light - Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A computing system for controlling a plurality of exterior lights on a flying vehicle is disclosed. The computing system is configured to: determine a flying vehicle status for the flying vehicle; determine an environment status for the flying vehicle; determine a current flight phase for the flying vehicle; determine, for each of a plurality of the exterior lights that is in an automatic lighting control mode, a desired lighting state for the exterior light by applying a predefined lighting pattern that identifies, based on the flying vehicle status, environmental status, and the current flight phase, a first subset of the exterior lights to cause to enter a first lighting state and a second subset of the exterior lights to cause to enter a second lighting state; and cause the first subset of exterior lights to be in the first lighting state and the second subset of exterior lights to be in the second lighting state. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computing system for controlling a plurality of exterior lights on a flying vehicle, the computing system configured to: determine whether a flying vehicle status for the flying vehicle is a normal status, an emergency status, or another abnormal status; determine an environment status for the flying vehicle comprising a plurality of the proximity of surrounding traffic, time of day, visibility, and weather; identify a plurality of exterior lights on the flying vehicle that are in an automatic lighting control mode; and for a current flight phase: automatically cause the plurality of exterior lights to illuminate in accordance with a first predefined lighting pattern when the flying vehicle status is a normal status and the environment status is in a first state; automatically cause the plurality of exterior lights to illuminate in accordance with a second predefined lighting pattern when the flying vehicle status is a normal status and the environment status is in a second state; and automatically cause the plurality of exterior lights to illuminate in accordance with a third predefined lighting pattern when the flying vehicle status is an abnormal or emergency status, wherein the first, second, and third predefined lighting patterns are different. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computing system of claim 1, wherein each exterior light of the plurality of exterior lights for each of the predefined lighting patterns is in one of an on state, off state, strong intensity state, weak intensity state, or blinking state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computing system of claim 1, further configured to generate a lighting command to automatically cause the plurality of exterior lights to illuminate in accordance with the first, second, or third predefined lighting pattern, and wherein the lighting command is determined based on: the flight phase and a particular environment status out of a plurality of pre-defined environment statuses when in a normal control mode, and a particular pre-defined emergency status out of a plurality of pre-defined emergency statuses when in an emergency control mode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computing system of claim 1, further configured to: identify a plurality of exterior lights on the flying vehicle that are in a manual lighting control mode; and cause the plurality of exterior lights in the manual lighting control mode to illuminate in accordance with received manual lighting commands. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computing system of claim 1, further configured to: receive a manual lighting command; and override an active predefined lighting pattern when complying with the manual lighting command. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computing system of claim 1, further configured to: receive a manual override command to change control of the plurality of exterior lights on the flying vehicle that are in an automatic lighting control mode from the automatic lighting control mode to a manual lighting control mode; and receive a manual revert to Auto command to change control from the manual lighting control mode to the automatic lighting control mode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computing system of claim 1, further configured to control the plurality of exterior lights on the flying vehicle in each of the following flight phases: preflight, taxi-out, take off, en-route, approach, landing, taxi-in, and complete. ### Claim 8 A processor-implemented method in a computing system in a flying vehicle for controlling a plurality of exterior lights on the flying vehicle, the method comprising: determining, by a processor, whether a flying vehicle status for the flying vehicle is a normal status, an emergency status, or another abnormal status; determining, by the processor, an environment status for the flying vehicle comprising a plurality of the proximity of surrounding traffic, time of day, visibility, and weather; identifying, by the processor, a plurality of exterior lights on the flying vehicle that are in an automatic lighting control mode; and for a current flight phase: automatically illuminating the plurality of exterior lights in accordance with a first predefined lighting pattern when the flying vehicle status is a normal status and the environment status is in a first state; automatically illuminating the plurality of exterior lights in accordance with a second predefined lighting pattern when the flying vehicle status is a normal status and the environment status is in a second state; and automatically illuminating the plurality of exterior lights in accordance with a third predefined lighting pattern when the flying vehicle status is an abnormal or emergency status, wherein the first, second, and third predefined lighting patterns are different. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein each exterior light of the plurality of exterior lights for each of the predefined lighting patterns is in one of an on state, off state, strong intensity state, weak intensity state, or blinking state. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising generating a lighting command to automatically cause the plurality of exterior lights to illuminate in accordance with the first, second, or third predefined lighting pattern, and wherein the lighting command is determined based on: the flight phase and a particular environment status out of a plurality of pre-defined environment statuses when in a normal control mode, and a particular pre-defined emergency status out of a plurality of pre-defined emergency statuses when in an emergency control mode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: identifying a plurality of exterior lights on the flying vehicle that are in a manual lighting control mode; and causing the plurality of exterior lights in the manual lighting control mode to illuminate in accordance with received manual lighting commands. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: receiving a manual lighting command; and overriding an active predefined lighting pattern when complying with the manual lighting command. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: receiving a manual override command to change control of the plurality of exterior lights on the flying vehicle that are in an automatic lighting control mode from the automatic lighting control mode to a manual lighting control mode; and receiving a manual revert to Auto command to change control from the manual lighting control mode to the automatic lighting control mode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the method is operable in each of the following flight phases: preflight, taxi-out, take off, en-route, approach, landing, taxi-in, and complete. ### Claim 15 Non-transitory computer readable media encoded with programming instructions that are configurable to cause a processor on avionics computing equipment on a flying vehicle to perform a method, the method comprising: determining whether a flying vehicle status for the flying vehicle is a normal status, an emergency status, or another abnormal status; determining an environment status for the flying vehicle comprising a plurality of the proximity of surrounding traffic, time of day, visibility, and weather; identifying a plurality of exterior lights on the flying vehicle that are in an automatic lighting control mode; and for a current flight phase: automatically illuminating the plurality of exterior lights in accordance with a first predefined lighting pattern when the flying vehicle status is a normal status and the environment status is in a first state; automatically illuminating the plurality of exterior lights in accordance with a second predefined lighting pattern when the flying vehicle status is a normal status and the environment status is in a second state; and automatically illuminating the plurality of exterior lights in accordance with a third predefined lighting pattern when the flying vehicle status is an abnormal or emergency status, wherein the first, second, and third predefined lighting patterns are different. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15, wherein each exterior light of the plurality of exterior lights for each of the predefined lighting patterns is in one of an on state, off state, strong intensity state, weak intensity state, or blinking state. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises comprising generating a lighting command to automatically cause the plurality of exterior lights to illuminate in accordance with the first, second, or third predefined lighting pattern, and wherein the lighting command is determined based on: the flight phase and a particular environment status out of a plurality of pre-defined environment statuses when in a normal control mode, and a particular pre-defined emergency status out of a plurality of pre-defined emergency statuses when in an emergency control mode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises: identifying a plurality of exterior lights on the flying vehicle that are in a manual lighting control mode; and causing the plurality of exterior lights in the manual lighting control mode to illuminate in accordance with received manual lighting commands. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises: receiving a manual lighting command; and overriding an active predefined lighting pattern when complying with the manual lighting command. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises: receiving a manual override command to change control of the plurality of exterior lights on the flying vehicle that are in an automatic lighting control mode from the automatic lighting control mode to a manual lighting control mode; and receiving a manual revert to Auto command to change control from the manual lighting control mode to the automatic lighting control mode.