# US 11,999,507 B2 · Landing zone indicators > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,507 B2 - Document ID: US11999507B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/130,827 - Filed: 2023-04-04 - Published: 2023-11-30 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-29 - Assignees: Kitty Hawk Corporation - Applicants: Kitty Hawk Corporation - Inventors: Timothy Robert Huntzinger; Dennis Young Kwon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999507B2 ## CPC - B64F 1/20: Arrangement of optical beacons - B64D 45/08: optical - G08G 5/22: located on the ground - G08G 5/54: for approach or landing - B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract A landing zone indicator system which includes a battery that is configured to power a controller and a human vision output device, a controller that is configured to control human-visible light that is output by the human vision output device, and a human vision output device where the human-visible light output by the human vision output device generates an illuminated landing zone for a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A landing zone indicator system, comprising: a battery, wherein the battery is configured to power a controller and a human vision output device; the controller, wherein the controller is configured to: control human-visible light that is output by the human vision output device; receive state information associated with a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle after determining that the VTOL vehicle is hovering above a proper landing zone, wherein the state information relates to an altitude of the VTOL vehicle; determine a state associated with the landing zone indicator system based at least in part on the state information associated with the VTOL vehicle; and configure at least one of the human vision output device or a computer vision output device to be in the state, wherein: the configuring of the at least one of a human vision output device or a computer vision output device to be in the state includes to: determine whether the altitude is equal to or less than an altitude threshold: in response to a determination that the altitude is equal to or less than the altitude threshold, change the state of the at least one output device from outputting human-visible light having a first color to outputting human-visible light having a second color and/or from outputting computer vision signal having a first signal to outputting computer vision signal having a second signal; the computer vision output device that is configured to output a computer vision signal; and the human vision output device, wherein the human-visible light output by the human vision output device generates an illuminated landing zone for the VTOL vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The landing zone indicator system recited in claim 1, wherein: the landing zone indicator system further includes an on-the-ground landing zone indicator system; and the illuminated landing zone includes a circular landing zone and the on-the-ground landing zone indicator system is located at a center of the circular landing zone. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The landing zone indicator system recited in claim 1, wherein: the landing zone indicator system further includes an on-the-ground landing zone indicator system; and the illuminated landing zone includes a polygon-shaped landing zone and the on-the-ground landing zone indicator system is located at a vertex of the polygon-shaped landing zone. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The landing zone indicator system recited in claim 1, wherein the landing zone indicator system further includes an on-vehicle landing zone indicator system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The landing zone indicator system recited in claim 1, wherein: the illuminated landing zone is a first illuminated landing zone in a plurality of illuminated landing zones; the first illuminated landing zone is generated by human-visible light output having a first property; and a second illuminated landing zone in the plurality of illuminated landing zones is generated by human-visible light output having a second property that is different from the first property. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The landing zone indicator system recited in claim 1, wherein: the illuminated landing zone is a first illuminated landing zone in a plurality of illuminated landing zones; the first illuminated landing zone is generated by human-visible light output having a first property; a second illuminated landing zone in the plurality of illuminated landing zones is generated by human-visible light output having a second property that is different from the first property; and the first property and the second property include a first color and a second color, respectively. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The landing zone indicator system recited in claim 1, wherein: the illuminated landing zone is a first illuminated landing zone in a plurality of illuminated landing zones; the first illuminated landing zone is generated by human-visible light output having a first property; a second illuminated landing zone in the plurality of illuminated landing zones is generated by human-visible light output having a second property that is different from the first property; and the first property and the second property include a first symbol and a second symbol, respectively. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The landing zone indicator system recited in claim 1, wherein: the landing zone indicator system further includes the computer vision output device that is configured to output the computer vision signal; and the controller is further configured to: receive state information associated with the VTOL vehicle; determine a state associated with the landing zone indicator system based at least in part on the state information associated with the VTOL vehicle; and configure at least one of the human vision output device or the computer vision output device to be in the state. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The landing zone indicator system recited in claim 1, wherein: the landing zone indicator system further includes the computer vision output device that is configured to output the computer vision signal; and the controller is further configured to: receive state information associated with the VTOL vehicle; determine a state associated with the landing zone indicator system based at least in part on the state information associated with the VTOL vehicle; and configure at least one of the human vision output device or the computer vision output device to be in the state, wherein: the state information associated with the VTOL vehicle includes a flight controller in the VTOL vehicle being in an autonomous landing mode; and configuring includes turning on at least one of the human vision output device or the computer vision output device. ### Claim 10 A method, comprising: using a battery to power a controller and a human vision output device, wherein the battery, the controller, and the human vision output device are included in a landing zone indicator system; using the controller to: control human-visible light that is output by the human vision output device; receive state information associated with a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle after determining that the VTOL vehicle is hovering above a proper landing zone, wherein the state information relates to an altitude of the VTOL vehicle; determine a state associated with the landing zone indicator system based at least in part on the state information associated with the VTOL vehicle; and configure at least one of the human vision output device or a computer vision output device to be in the state, wherein: the configuring of the at least one of a human vision output device or a computer vision output device to be in the state includes to: determine whether the altitude is equal to or less than an altitude threshold; in response to a determination that the altitude is equal to or less than the altitude threshold, change the state of the at least one output device from outputting human-visible light having a first color to outputting human-visible light having a second color and/or from outputting computer vision signal having a first signal to outputting computer vision signal having a second signal; using the computer vision output device that is configured to output a computer vision signal; and using the human vision output device to generate an illuminated landing zone for a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle using the human-visible light output by the human vision output device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method recited in claim 10, wherein: the landing zone indicator system further includes an on-the-ground landing zone indicator system; and the illuminated landing zone includes a circular landing zone and the on-the-ground landing zone indicator system is located at a center of the circular landing zone. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method recited in claim 10, wherein: the landing zone indicator system further includes an on-the-ground landing zone indicator system; and the illuminated landing zone includes a polygon-shaped landing zone and the on-the-ground landing zone indicator system is located at a vertex of the polygon-shaped landing zone. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method recited in claim 10, wherein the landing zone indicator system further includes an on-vehicle landing zone indicator system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method recited in claim 10, wherein: the illuminated landing zone is a first illuminated landing zone in a plurality of illuminated landing zones; the first illuminated landing zone is generated by human-visible light output having a first property; and a second illuminated landing zone in the plurality of illuminated landing zones is generated by human-visible light output having a second property that is different from the first property. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method recited in claim 10, wherein: the illuminated landing zone is a first illuminated landing zone in a plurality of illuminated landing zones; the first illuminated landing zone is generated by human-visible light output having a first property; a second illuminated landing zone in the plurality of illuminated landing zones is generated by human-visible light output having a second property that is different from the first property; and the first property and the second property include a first color and a second color, respectively. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method recited in claim 10, wherein: the illuminated landing zone is a first illuminated landing zone in a plurality of illuminated landing zones; the first illuminated landing zone is generated by human-visible light output having a first property; a second illuminated landing zone in the plurality of illuminated landing zones is generated by human-visible light output having a second property that is different from the first property; and the first property and the second property include a first symbol and a second symbol, respectively.