IP Library › Granted Patent US 12705992
Granted Patent B2
US 12705992 · App. 18/632,575 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Aircraft collision avoidance system

Inventors: Sunit Kumar Saxena (Urbana, OH); William Tyson, III (Urbana, OH); Richard Policy (Urbana, OH); Anita Sure (Bangalore, IN); Ritu Rai (Bangalore, IN); Deepak Bhimrao Mahajan (Bangalore, IN); Gowtham Kumar Vankayala (Bangalore, IN)
Assignee: HONEYWELL AEROSPACE US LLC
G08G5/80B64D47/02G08G5/54
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12705992
App. No.
18/632,575
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A collision avoidance system is provided for an aircraft that includes a fuselage and a plurality of aircraft surfaces coupled to and extending from the fuselage. The collision avoidance system includes a light engine that is mounted on at least one of the aircraft surfaces and is configured, upon being energized, to emit a light beam in one or more directions. The light engine is further configured such that, when the light beam is emitted, it creates a light plane that is disposed at a predetermined angle relative to a ground surface on which the aircraft is located and extends, from the aircraft surface, along the ground surface thereby producing an elongated light pattern on the ground surface and on any obstacle that the light plane encounters.

Claims (42)

1 . A collision avoidance system for an aircraft that includes a fuselage and a plurality of aircraft surfaces coupled to and extending from the fuselage, the collision avoidance system comprising:

a light engine mounted on at least one of the aircraft surfaces and configured, upon being energized, to emit a light beam in one or more directions, the light engine further configured such that, when the light beam is emitted, it creates a light plane that (i) is disposed at a predetermined angle relative to a ground surface on which the aircraft is located and (ii) extends, from the aircraft surface, along the ground surface thereby producing an elongated light pattern on the ground surface and on any obstacle that the light plane encounters; and

a processing system in operable communication with the light engine, the processing system configured to:

determine when a collision threat is within a predetermined distance of the aircraft,

energize the light engine such that the light beam has a first color when a collision threat is not within the predetermined distance of the aircraft, and

energize the light engine such the light beam has a second color when a collision threat is within the predetermined distance of the aircraft.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to generate one or more alert signals when a collision threat is determined to be within a predetermined distance of the aircraft.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the light plane has either a constant height or a variable height.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an object detector coupled to the aircraft and in operable communication with the processor, the object detector configured to detect one or more collision threats within a predetermined distance of the aircraft.

5 . A collision avoidance system for an aircraft that includes a fuselage and a plurality of aircraft surfaces coupled to and extending from the fuselage, the collision avoidance system comprising:

a laser light source mounted on at least one of the aircraft surfaces and configured, upon being energized, to emit a laser light beam in one or more directions, the laser light source further configured such that, when the laser light beam is emitted, it creates a laser light plane that (i) is disposed at a predetermined angle relative to a ground surface on which the aircraft is located and (ii) extends, from the aircraft surface, along the ground surface thereby producing an elongated light pattern on the ground surface and on any obstacle that the laser light plane encounters; and

a processing system in operable communication with the laser light source, the processing system configured to:

determine when a collision threat is within a predetermined distance of the aircraft,

energize the laser light source such that the laser light beam has a first color when a collision threat is not within the predetermined distance of the aircraft, and

energize the laser light source such the laser light beam has a second color when a collision threat is within the predetermined distance of the aircraft.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the processing system is further configured to generate one or more alert signals when a collision threat is determined to be within a predetermined distance of the aircraft.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the laser light plane has either a constant height or a variable height.

8 . The system of claim 5 , further comprising:

an object detector coupled to the aircraft and in operable communication with the processor, the object detector configured to detect one or more collision threats within a predetermined distance of the aircraft.

9 . A collision avoidance system for an aircraft that includes a fuselage and a plurality of aircraft surfaces coupled to and extending from the fuselage, the collision avoidance system comprising:

a light engine mounted on at least one of the aircraft surfaces and configured, upon being energized, to emit a light beam in one or more directions, the light engine further configured such that, when the light beam is emitted, it creates a light plane that (i) is disposed at a predetermined angle relative to a ground surface on which the aircraft is located and (ii) extends, from the aircraft surface, along the ground surface thereby producing an elongated light pattern on the ground surface and on any obstacle that the light plane encounters; and

a processing system in operable communication with the light engine, the processing system configured to:

determine when a collision threat is within a predetermined distance of the aircraft,

energize the light engine such that the light beam is emitted as steady, non-variable light beam when a collision threat is not within the predetermined distance of the aircraft, and

energize the light engine such that the light beam is emitted with one or more variable characteristics when a collision threat is within the predetermined distance of the aircraft.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more variable characteristics include at least one or more of pulse pattern, intensity, and color.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the processing system is further configured to generate one or more alert signals when a collision threat is determined to be within a predetermined distance of the aircraft.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the light plane has either a constant height or a variable height.

13 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising:

an object detector coupled to the aircraft and in operable communication with the processor, the object detector configured to detect one or more collision threats within a predetermined distance of the aircraft.

14 . A collision avoidance system for an aircraft that includes a fuselage and a plurality of aircraft surfaces coupled to and extending from the fuselage, the collision avoidance system comprising:

a laser light source mounted on at least one of the aircraft surfaces and configured, upon being energized, to emit a laser light beam in one or more directions, the laser light source further configured such that, when the light beam is emitted, it creates a laser light plane that (i) is disposed at a predetermined angle relative to a ground surface on which the aircraft is located and (ii) extends, from the aircraft surface, along the ground surface thereby producing an elongated light pattern on the ground surface and on any obstacle that the light plane encounters; and

a processing system in operable communication with the laser light source, the processing system configured to:

determine when a collision threat is within a predetermined distance of the aircraft,

energize the laser light source such that the laser light beam is emitted as steady, non-variable laser light beam when a collision threat is not within the predetermined distance of the aircraft, and

energize the laser light source such that the laser light beam is emitted with one or more variable characteristics when a collision threat is within the predetermined distance of the aircraft.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more variable characteristics include at least one or more of pulse pattern, intensity, and color.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the processing system is further configured to generate one or more alert signals when a collision threat is determined to be within a predetermined distance of the aircraft.

17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the light plane has either a constant height or a variable height.

18 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising:

an object detector coupled to the aircraft and in operable communication with the processor, the object detector configured to detect one or more collision threats within a predetermined distance of the aircraft.