# US 2019/0170863 A1 · Multiple operational modes for aircraft laser sensing systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0170863 A1 - Document ID: US20190170863A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/135,846 - Filed: 2018-09-19 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-22 - Assignees: Rosemount Aerospace Inc. - Applicants: Rosemount Aerospace Inc. - Inventors: Jaime Sly; Mark Sherwood Miller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170863A1 ## CPC - G01S 7/484: Transmitters - B64D 47/00: Equipment not otherwise provided for - G01S 7/481: Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements - G01S 7/4861: Circuits for detection, sampling, integration or read-out - G01S 7/497: Means for monitoring or calibrating - G01S 17/933: of aircraft or spacecraft - G01S 17/95: for meteorological use - G08G 5/21: located onboard the aircraft - G08G 5/51: for control when on the ground, e.g. taxiing or rolling - G01S 2007/4975: {of sensor obstruction by, e.g. dirt- or ice-coating, e.g. by reflection measurement on front-screen} - Y02A 90/10: Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - 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}) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract A system for an aircraft includes an optical sensor, at least one aircraft sensor, and a controller. The optical sensor is configured to emit a laser outside the aircraft, and the at least one aircraft sensor is configured to sense at least one aircraft condition. The controller is configured to determine a first operational state of the aircraft based upon the at least one aircraft condition and determine a second operational state of the aircraft based on the at least one aircraft condition, and operate the optical sensor to emit the laser at a first intensity during the first operational state and a second intensity during the second operational state, wherein the second intensity is greater than the first intensity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of controlling a laser sensing system implemented on an aircraft, the laser sensing system configured to emit a laser, the method comprising: determining, by a controller, that the aircraft is in a first operational state; emitting, by the laser sensing system, a laser at a first operational intensity; determining, by the controller, that the aircraft is in a second operational state; and emitting, by the laser sensing system, the laser at a second operational intensity, wherein the second operational intensity is greater than the first operational intensity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the controller, that the aircraft is in the first operational state comprises determining that the aircraft is on the ground. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein emitting, by the laser sensing system, the laser at the first operational intensity comprises emitting the laser at an eye safe level. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein determining, by the controller, that the aircraft is in the second operational state comprises determining that the aircraft is in flight. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the laser sensing system is a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensing system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the controller, that the aircraft is in the first operational state comprises obtaining characteristics of the aircraft to determine the first operational state. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein obtaining the characteristics of the aircraft comprises receiving, by the controller, data obtained by at least one sensor implemented onboard the aircraft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein determining, by the controller, that the aircraft is in the second operational state comprises determining that the aircraft is in the second operational state using the obtained characteristics of the aircraft. ### Claim 9 A system for an aircraft, the system comprising: an optical sensor configured to emit a laser through a window of the aircraft; at least one aircraft sensor configured to sense at least one aircraft condition; and a controller configured to determine a first operational state of the aircraft based upon the at least one aircraft condition and determine a second operational state of the aircraft based on the at least one aircraft condition; wherein the controller is further configured to operate the optical sensor to emit the laser at a first intensity during the first operational state and a second intensity during the second operational state, wherein the second intensity is greater than the first intensity. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the first operational state is an on-ground state for the aircraft. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the first intensity comprises an eye safe intensity. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the second operational state is an in-flight state of the aircraft. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the laser sensing system is a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensing system. ### Claim 14 A laser sensing system comprising: a laser emitter configured to emit a laser; and a controller configured to control the laser emitter, wherein the controller operates the laser sensing system in a first operating mode based upon detected conditions, and operates the laser sensing system in a second operating mode based upon the detected conditions; wherein the controller controls the laser emitter to emit the laser at a first intensity during the first operating mode and a second intensity during the second operating mode, wherein the second intensity is greater than the first intensity. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The laser sensing system of claim 14, wherein the first operating mode is an on-ground mode for an aircraft. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The laser sensing system of claim 15, wherein the first intensity comprises an eye safe intensity. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The laser sensing system of claim 16, wherein the second operating mode is an in-flight state for the aircraft ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The laser sensing system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to receive characteristics of the aircraft to determine the aircraft is on the ground. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The laser sensing system of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to determine the aircraft is in-flight using the characteristics of the aircraft. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The laser sensing system of claim 14, wherein the laser sensing system is a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensing system.