System and method of notification of an aircraft cargo fire within a container

A system for notifying a flight crew of a fire condition in a cargo container on an aircraft, the system comprising:

• at least one notification device in communication with at least one of a fire-detection system or a fire-suppression system for the cargo container in which the at least one notification device is configured to emit energy having a particular characteristic when at least one of the fire-detection system detects the fire condition in the cargo container or the fire-suppression system activates as a result of the fire condition in the cargo container;
• and
• at least one detector positioned to detect the energy emitted by the at least one notification device at the particular characteristic and configured to send a signal to notify the flight crew of the fire condition in the cargo container after detecting the energy emitted by the at least one notification device, and
• wherein (a) the emitted energy is at least one of infrared light, laser light, visible light, vibration, or ultrasonic signal and (b) the particular characteristic is an emission level when the emitted energy is infrared light, laser light, or visible light and the particular characteristic is a vibration level when the emitted energy is a vibration or ultrasonic signal.

A method for notifying a flight crew of a fire condition in a cargo container on an aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:

• emitting energy having a particular characteristic from at least one notification device in communication with at least one of a fire-detection system or a fire-suppression system for the cargo container after at least one of the first-detection system detecting the fire condition in the cargo container or the fire-suppression system activating as a result of the fire condition in the cargo container;
• detecting the emitted energy by at least one detector positioned to detect the energy emitted by the at least one notification device at the particular characteristic;
• and
• sending a signal by the at least one detector to notify the flight crew of the fire condition in the cargo container,
• wherein (a) the emitted energy is at least one of infrared light, laser light, visible light, vibration, or ultrasonic signal and (b) the particular characteristic is an emission level when the emitted energy is infrared light, laser light, or visible light and the particular characteristic is a vibration level when the emitted energy is a vibration or ultrasonic signal.