Automatic intensity control for light setting system for covert operation
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorMark Alan Hartwell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and methods for automatically setting light intensity for covert operations are presented. Infra-red light is transmitted from at least one infra-red light source, and external ambient light is sensed substantially continually from at least one ambient light sensor coupled to a vehicle exterior to provide sensed ambient light. A sensed intensity of the sensed ambient light is compared to a sensitivity of a night vision goggles to provide a power adjustment value. An intensity level of the at least one infra-red light is controlled based on the power adjustment value such that the external ambient light is provided at a substantially optimal light level for the night vision goggles.
Claims17
An automatic intensity light setting system for covert operation, the system comprising:
- at least one infra-red light source coupled to a vehicle exterior of a vehicle and operable to transmit infra-red light in response to an activation;
- at least one ambient light sensor coupled to the vehicle exterior and operable to substantially continually sense external ambient light in response to the activation to provide sensed ambient light;
- and
- a covert light controller operable to:
- compare an intensity of the sensed ambient light to a sensitivity of night vision goggles to provide a power adjustment value;
- control an intensity level of the at least one infra-red light source based on the power adjustment value such that the external ambient light is provided at a substantially optimal light level for the night vision googles;
- wherein the cover light controller comprises a light sensitivity module operable to compare the intensity of the sensed ambient light to the sensitivity of the night vision goggles to provide the power adjustment value and a filter operable to account for a filtering effect of a windshield of the vehicle by providing a filter adjustment value, wherein the power adjustment value is further based on the filter adjustment value.
A method for automatically setting light intensity for a covert operation, the method comprising:
- transmitting infra-red light from at least one infra-red light source;
- substantially continually sensing external ambient light from at least one ambient light sensor coupled to a vehicle exterior to provide sensed ambient light in response to an activation of the at least one infra-red light source;
- comparing an intensity of the sensed ambient light to a sensitivity of a night vision goggles to provide a power adjustment value;
- controlling an intensity level of the at least one infra-red light source based on the power adjustment value such that the external ambient light is provided at a substantially optimal light level for the night vision goggles, wherein the intensity level of the at least one infra-red light source is selected to accommodate at least one operation condition selected from the group consisting of:
- taxi, takeoff, and landing of an aircraft;
- and
- automatically controlling the intensity level to adjust for a filtering effect of a windshield of the aircraft by providing a filter adjustment value, wherein the power adjustment value is further based on the filter adjustment value.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions for operating an automatic intensity light setting system for covert operation, the computer-executable instructions comprising:
- transmitting infra-red light from at least one infra-red light source;
- substantially continually sensing external ambient light from at least one ambient light sensor coupled to a vehicle exterior in response to an activation of the at least one infra-red light source to provide sensed ambient light;
- comparing a sensed intensity of the sensed ambient light to a sensitivity of night vision goggles to provide a power adjustment value;
- controlling an intensity level of the at least one infra-red light source based on the power adjustment value such that the external ambient light is provided at a substantially optimal light level for the night vision goggles;
- and
- automatically controlling the intensity level to adjust for a filtering effect of a windshield of the vehicle by providing a filter adjustment value, wherein the power adjustment value is further based on the filter adjustment value.
An automatic intensity light setting system for covert operation, the system comprising:
- a plurality of infra-red light sources coupled to a vehicle exterior of an aircraft and operable to transmit infra-red light in response to an activation;
- a plurality of ambient light sensors coupled to the vehicle exterior and operable to substantially continually sense external ambient light in response to the activation to provide sensed ambient light, wherein the ambient light sensors comprise:
- an ambient port light sensor operable to be activated in response to activating a port runway turnoff light source from among the infra-red light sources;
- an ambient forward light sensor operable to be activated in response to activating one of:
- a taxi light source and a landing light source, from among the infra-red light sources;
- and
- an ambient starboard light sensor operable to be activated in response to activating a starboard runway turnoff light source from among the infra-red light sources;
- and
- a covert light controller operable to:
- compare an intensity of the sensed ambient light to a sensitivity of a night vision goggles to provide a power adjustment value;
- control an intensity level of at least one of the plurality of infra-red light sources based on the power adjustment value such that the external ambient light is provided at a substantially optimal light level for the night vision goggles;
- integrate the sensed ambient light from all the ambient light sensors;
- and
- automatically and substantially continuously adjust a power output to the infra-red light sources that are activated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.