Icing detection systems

Abstract

A system for detecting icing includes an optical sensor configured to view at least a portion of an exterior surface or component of an aircraft and to output sensor data indicating at least one optical quality of the exterior surface or component, and an icing detection module. The icing detection module is configured to receive the sensor data from the optical sensor, compare the sensor data to predetermined quality data indicating at least one known optical quality of the exterior surface or component without icing, and determine the presence of icing on the exterior surface or component based on a difference between the sensor data and the predetermined quality data.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.