IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,749,408
Granted Patent B2
US 12,749,408 · App. 18/604,271 · Granted Sep 29, 2026

Light signal digital enhancement for widening pool of potential pilots

Inventor: Jason Bold (Gainesville, VA)
Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
G08G5/21G06F3/14G06T7/90G08G5/26G06T2207/10024G06T2207/10032
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,749,408
App. No.
18/604,271
Granted
Sep 29, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A detection system for detecting one or more air traffic control (ATC) light gun signals produced by an ATC light gun is provided. The detection system includes an interface subsystem operable to receive one or more ATC light gun signals from at least one camera; a controller operable to command a display unit to communicate information on a display; and a comparison module operable to generate the information in response to detecting data within the signal corresponding to visible light emitted in at least one predetermined frequency range.

Claims (35)

1 . A detection system for detecting one or more air traffic control (ATC) light gun signals produced by an ATC light gun, the detection system comprising:

an interface subsystem operable to receive one or more ATC light gun signals from at least one detector;

a controller operable to command a display unit to communicate information on a display; and

a comparison module operable to generate the information in response to detecting data within the one or more ATC light gun signals corresponding to visible light emitted in at least one predetermined frequency range,

wherein the information comprises an operational state, a condition, or a presence of the one or more ATC light gun signals, and

wherein the comparison module is operable to determine a predetermined pattern in a series of time-related ATC light gun signals corresponding to one or more known ATC light gun signal patterns.

2 . The detection system of claim 1 , further comprising a projection subsystem configured to interface with the controller and with a display surface to provide a visual representation of the data that is detected to computer display that is viewable to a user in a cockpit of an aerial vehicle.

3 . The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one predetermined frequency range comprises frequencies of red light, green light, and white light.

4 . The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more known ATC light gun patterns comprise a steady red light pattern, a flashing red light pattern, a steady green light pattern, an alternating red light and green light pattern, and a white light pattern.

5 . The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ATC light gun signals received by interface subsystem is filtered using one or more filters.

6 . The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the interface subsystem or the comparison module comprises one or more filtering algorithms to filter the one or more ATC light gun signals.

7 . The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the comparison module is configured to spectrally analyze one or more characteristics of the one or more ATC light gun signals based on one or more known light characteristics produced by the ATC light gun.

8 . The detection system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the one or more ATC light gun signals is based on spectrum differences dues to distance, lighting conditions, atmospheric conditions, or combinations thereof.

9 . The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined pattern comprises a series of fixed and flashing colors lights received by the ATC light gun.

10 . A method for detecting one or more air traffic control (ATC) light gun signals produced by an ATC light gun, the method comprising:

receiving, by an interface subsystem of a detector system, one or more ATC light gun signals from at least one detector;

commanding, by a controller of the detector system, a display unit to communicate information on a display;

determining, by a comparison module, a predetermined pattern in a series of time-related ATC light gun signals corresponding to one or more known ATC light gun signal patterns; and

generating, by the comparison module of the detector system, the information in response to detecting data and determining the pattern within the one or more ATC light gun signals corresponding to visible light emitted in at least one predetermined frequency range,

wherein the information comprises an operational state, a condition, or a presence of the one or more ATC light gun signals.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing, by a projection subsystem that is configured to interface with the controller and with a display surface, a visual representation of the data that is detected to computer display that is viewable to a user in a cockpit of an aerial vehicle.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one predetermined frequency range comprises frequencies of red light, green light, and white light.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more known ATC light gun patterns comprise a steady red light pattern, a flashing red light pattern, a steady green light pattern, an alternating red light and green light pattern, and a white light pattern.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more ATC light gun signals received by interface subsystem is filtered using one or more filters.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the interface subsystem or the comparison module comprises one or more filtering algorithms to filter the one or more ATC light gun signals.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined pattern comprises a series of fixed and flashing colors lights received by the ATC light gun.

17 . A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions that when executed by a hardware processor performs a method for detecting one or more air traffic control (ATC) light gun signals produced by an ATC light gun, the method comprising:

receiving one or more ATC light gun signals from at least one detector;

commanding a display unit to communicate information on a display;

determining a predetermined pattern in a series of time-related ATC light gun signals corresponding to one or more known ATC light gun signal patterns; and

generating the information in response to detecting data and determining the pattern within the one or more ATC light gun signals corresponding to visible light emitted in at least one predetermined frequency range,

wherein the information comprises an operational state, a condition, or a presence of the one or more ATC light gun signals.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprising providing a visual representation of the data that is detected to computer display that is viewable to a user in a cockpit of an aerial vehicle.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the at least one predetermined frequency range comprises frequencies of red light, green light, and white light.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the predetermined pattern comprises a series of fixed and flashing colors lights received by the ATC light gun.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2024
From: BOLD, JASON
To: THE BOEING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 066765/0263 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250292689A1 · Sep 18, 2025
References Cited (30)
US 1052849A · Schloemilch et al. · 1913 [cited by applicant]
US 5917573A · Davis · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 6636786B2 · Partel · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 8444264B1 · Kross et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8941678B2 · Kurtz et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9373046B2 · Nelson · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 10377304B2 · Chan et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10423844B2 · Dai et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10565872B2 · Chan et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10657677B2 · Chan et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 11398864B2 · Donley et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11587314B2 · Kale · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20110196598A1 · Feyereisen · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20110229023A1 · Jone et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20120147163A1 · Kaminsky · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20150284995A1 · Voges · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150287345A1 · Tanuwidjaja · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20180286233A1 · Suzuki et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20210118194A1 · Lee et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210132634A1 · Groden · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220215759A1 · Edwards · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20230084419A1 · Tellechea · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20230134226A1 · Souche et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20240383614A1 · Tellechea · 2024 [cited by examiner]
CN 110335486A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 112124614A · 2020 [cited by examiner]
WO 2010115020A2 · 2010 [cited by applicant]
WO 2023096713A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2023197302A1 · 2023 [cited by examiner]
OPTICA Technical Group (Committee consists of IMAI, Francisco, et al.), Color Technical Group Webinar, “Quality Assessment for Passive Aids in Color Vision Deficiency Subsets,” Jun. 16, 2023, 34 pages. [cited by applicant]