Airport navigation light unit and system
An airport navigation light unit wherein connection elements for supply lines, a lighting device, a sensor device, a switching device and a communication device are provided in a base body The switching device and the communication device are connected to the connection elements. The communication device switches the switching device, according to control signals which are transmitted via the supply lines, which switches the lighting device on to the connection elements. The sensor device detects a state prevailing outside the airport navigation light unit and transmits it to the communication device which determines a useful signal therefrom which it feeds to the supply lines. The control signals and the useful signal are transmitted as OFDM signals via the supply lines. An airport navigation light system comprises a plurality of said airport navigation units.
1 .- 12 . (canceled)
13 . An Airport navigation light unit, comprising:
a base body;
connection elements arranged in the base body for connecting supply lines;
a lighting device;
a sensor device;
a switching device; and
a communication device, the switching device and the communication device connected to the connection elements, wherein
the switching device is configured to be switched by the communication device based on control signals transmitted to the communication device via the supply lines for switching the lighting device to the connection elements using the switching device,
the sensor device is configured to detect a state prevailing outside the airport navigation light unit and to transmit the detected stated in form of a raw signal to the communication device,
the communication device is configured to evaluate the raw signal, to generate a wanted signal based on the evaluated raw signal, and to feed the wanted signal to the supply line, and
the control signals and the wanted signal are transmitted via the supply lines in the form of OFDM signals.
14 . The Airport navigation light unit according to claim 13 , wherein the OFDM signals are transmitted in a frequency range between 20 and 160 kHz.
15 . The Airport navigation light unit according to claim 13 , wherein the OFDM signals are transmitted in a plurality of non-overlapping frequency bands, and the communication device is configured to parametrize the bandwidth of the frequency bands.
16 . The Airport navigation light unit according to claim 13 , wherein the communication device is further configured to feed a signal transmission request to the supply lines.
17 . The Airport navigation light unit according to claim 13 , wherein the communication device is further configured to unsolicitedly feed the wanted signal to the supply lines.
18 . The Airport navigation light unit according to claim 13 , wherein the communication device includes an intelligent programmable unit.
19 . The Airport navigation light unit according to claim 18 , wherein the intelligent programmable unit is a microprocessor or a microcontroller.
20 . The Airport navigation light unit according to claim 13 , wherein the wanted signal-includes information on the presence or absence of an object.
21 . The Airport navigation light unit according to claim 20 , wherein the object is a metal object.
22 . The Airport navigation light unit according to claim 21 , wherein the metal object is an aircraft.
23 . The Airport navigation light unit according to claim 13 , wherein the sensor device includes a magnetic-field sensor or a radar sensor.
24 . The Airport navigation light unit according to claim 13 , wherein the wanted signal includes an environmental characteristic.
25 . The Airport navigation light unit according to claim 24 , wherein the environmental characteristic is a meteorological characteristic.
26 . The Airport navigation light unit according to claim 25 , wherein the meteorological characteristic is an ambient temperature, a wind speed or a current precipitation.
27 . The Airport navigation light unit according to claim 13 , further comprising a transformer connected upstream of the connection elements.
28 . An Airport navigation light system, comprising:
a power supply device;
a central communication unit assigned to the power supply device; and
a plurality of airport navigation light units, each navigation light unit comprising:
a base body;
connection elements arranged in the base body for connecting supply lines;
a lighting device;
a sensor device;
a switching device; and
a communication device, the switching device and the communication device connected to the connection elements, wherein
the switching device is configured to be switched by the communication device based on control signals transmitted to the communication device via the supply lines for switching the lighting device to the connection elements using the switching device,
the sensor device is configured to detect a state prevailing outside the airport navigation light unit and to transmit the detected stated in form of a raw signal to the communication device,
the communication device is configured to evaluate the raw signal, to generate a wanted signal based on the evaluated raw signal, and to feed the wanted signal to the supply line, and
the control signals and the wanted signal are transmitted via the supply lin es in the form of OFDM signals, wherein the airport navigation light units are connected both to the power supply device and to the central communication unit using the same supply lines.
29 . The Airport navigation light system according to claim 28 , wherein
the supply lines form a series power supply circuit,
the airport navigation light units are connected to the series power supply circuit via transformers and spur lines, and
at least one of the spur lines has a line length between 5 and 200 meters.