PILOT ACTIVATED RUNWAY LIGHTING SYSTEM

AIDE LUMINEUSE A L'ATTERRISSAGE ACTIONNEE PAR LE PILOTE

English Abstract

2127714 9313984 PCTABS00024
A pilot activated, self-contained runway lighting system to
assist in the landing of aircraft, including a lamp (10), battery
means for operating the lamp (10) charged by a solar energy battery
circuit, and switch means for activating the lamp in response to
coded signals generated by a radio transmitter.

Claims

WO 93/13984 PCT/AU93/00006
-7-
CLAIMS
1. A self-contained lighting system including a lamp, a battery
means for operating said lamp, a solar energy battery
charging circuit and switch means for activating said lamp,
said switch means being responsive to a code or codes
transmitted by a radio transmitter.
2. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein said switch means
is responsive to a first code for activating said lamp and a
second code for de-activating said lamp.
3. The lighting system, of claim 2, wherein activation of said
lamp is for a predetermined time after which said lamp is
de-activated.
4. The lighting system of claim 3, wherein said lamp flashes
to indicate when said predetermined time is near
completion.
5. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein said switch means
includes a VHF receiver detector, each code or codes from
said radio transmitter received by said VHF receiver
detector being converted to a pulse.
6. The lighting system of claim 5, wherein each pulse is
coupled to a counter, said counter being coupled to a latch
which activates said lamp after a predetermined number of
pulses have been detected.

WO 93/13984 PCT/AU93/00006
-8-
7. The lighting system of claim 6, wherein said latch is
coupled to a timer, said timer resetting said latch after a
predetermined time has elapsed.
8. The lighting system of any one of claims 5 to 7, further
including a further timer coupled to said counter, said
further time resetting said counter after a predetermined
time has elapsed.
9. The lighting system of any one of claims 6 to 8, further
including an additional timer coupled to said counter, said
additional timer activating a flasher means to cause said
lamp to turn on and off sequentially.
10. The lighting system of any one of the preceding claims,
further including a manual override switch to bypass said
switch means to allow direct connection of said lamp to
said battery means.

Description

O 93/13984 2 12 7 71~ PCI/AU93/00006
-- 1 -
PILOT ACIIVATED R~JNWAY LIGHT~G SYSTEM
The present inYention relate~ to a pilot activated lighting
system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIQN
Full runway lighting for smaller airports and private landing
strips are expensive to install and main~ain. Wi~ a withdrawal of
Government funding for airport lighting there is a need to provide
an affordable system that is easily installed and virtually maintenance
free. Such a system must also be able to operate wi~out requiri:ng
airport personnel.
OBJECTS OF THE ~NTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide solu'dons
to the abovementioned problems.
SUM~ARY OF l~IE IN~ON ~`
With this object in view the present inYention ~ a pre~erred
aspect may provide a self-contained lighting system in~uding a la~p,
a battery means ~or operating said lamp, a solar e~ergy battery
charging circuit and switch means for activating said lamp, said ~-
switch means being re ponshe to a code or ~odes transmitted by a
radio transmitter.
In a preferred embodiment said swntch mean~ is responsive
to a first code for aciiva~ng said lamp and a second code ~or d~
ac~va~ang ~aid l~mp. Preferably activation of said lamp is for a ;~
predete~ed 'ame after which said lamp is de-activated. If required
said lamp can flash to indicate that said predetermined ~e is near
comple~on.
DESC~ION OF PREFERRED EMBODI~NT ;
In order that the invention may be clearly understood and
readily put into practical effect, a preferred non-limitatiYe
embodiment of a pilot activated lighting system ~ now be

wo 93/13984 21 2 7 7 l 4 - 2 - Pcr/Au93/oo~n~
described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Fig. 1 is a perspec~ve view of a pilot activated lighting
system made in accordance with the invention;
Fig. 2 is a block circuit diagram shown the pilot activated
ligh~dng system made in accordance with the invention;
Fig. 3 is a circuit d;.agram of the RF receiving ~ection of the
system shown in Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram of the counter section of the
system shown in Fig. 2;
Fig. 5 i9 a circuit diagram of the fla~her section of the
system shown in Fig. 2; and
Fig. 6 is the crystal osci~ator sec~on for the RF recei~ng
section shown in Fig. 3.
In Figs. 1 and 2 there is shown a pilot activated ligh~dng
system made in accordance with the inven'don. The system is self-
contained ant is not dependent on fur~e~ modules for its opera'don.
Each system conhins a lamp lO, a battery or batteries 12, solar panels
14 and a charg control circuit 16. The system is in~o~orated in a
housing ll which is placed beside the runway in an appropriate
posi'don. Housing ll enclose~ battery 12 and charge con~ol circuit
16. Housing ll is preferably made from a W ~tabiL~sed, va~um
formed pla~tics m~terial which is very dura~le. If desired housing ll
can be designed to collapse if ~truck by an aircraft. Lamp lO is
typically a 10 watt quartz hal~en ~obe whi~h has a light output
equivalent to a 30 watt tungsten globe. A plurality of such systems
will provide suffic:ient ligh~ng to enable a pilot to land a plane. If
reguired one system can be used t~ light a windsock or any other
device.
To con~ol lamp 10 circui~y is provided to activate lamp 10.
3û The circuitrsr includes an antenna 18 which is coupled to a VHF
receiver detector 20. Detector 20 receives VHF signals from the

~o 93/13984 - 3 - 2 1 ~ 7 7 1 ~ PCI~/AU93/00006 .
pilot's VHF transmitter (not shown). Each transmission sensed by
detector 20 is kansformed to a pulse which is coupled to a four pulse
counter 22 and a first timer 24. Timer 24 reseb counter 22 15
seconds after first being activated. A latch 26 u coupled to counter
22 and will be turned on after receiving three pulses from counter 22.
Latch 26 will turn on lamp 10 through switch/relay 28 and a second
timer 30. Second timer 30 will turn off the lamp after a thirty m~nute
countdown. A third timer 32 is provided which controls a flasher
unit 34 to cause blinking of lamp 10. The third timer will turn on
0 after 20 minutes to indicate that only 10 minutes remains for the
lighting to remain activated. The times for each timer and the
numbers of pulses received by counter 22 can be varied depending
on particular reguirements. A light-sensitive switch 36 can also be
provided to ensure the lighting system is not turned ~n during
daylight hs which could dr~lin battery 12.
Figs. 3 to 6 sh~w circuit ~iagrams which enable the blo~k
diaglam of Fig. 2 to be realised. The circuit components shown in
Figs. 3 to 6 have been referenced to Fig. 2 where applicable. In this
preferred embodiment ~e discrete components can be su~tuted by
other circuitry and, if required, could be substantially replaced by
microprocessor circuitry. Antenna 18 feeds into IC7 which is a I~
narrowband receiver circuit. The audio frequency output from IC7
is ~ltered by an operational amplifier IC8 to provide a trigger pulse
TRIG, using relay RELl for each pilot transrnission at the selected
f~e~uency on his VHF transmitter. The pilot depresses his call
button three times within 15-seconds to supply ~e code for
activating lamp 10. The trigger pulse TRIG is fed to IC1, a quad ty~e
D flip-flip.
The four flip-flops in ICl are used to form the four pulse
counter 22. When the first trigger-pulse TRIG is received by ICl a
fifteen (15) oecond tirner IQ is initialised. After fifteen seconds tirner

wo 93/13984 212 7 71~1 Pcr/Aug3/o~
IC2 reset~ counter ICl to allow the sequence to start again. If three
trigger pul~es TRIG are received in the fifteen second duration of
timer IC2 then an output is fed from pin 10 of ICl to latch IC3. Any
reset~ng of counter ICl will not affect latch IC3. Latch IC3 turn~ on
S transistor Q3 to activate a relay REL2 which controls lamp 10. The
output from pin 10 of ICl is also fed to timer IC4 and to timer IC5.
Tima IC4 provides a thirty minute countdown whilst IC5 provides
a twenty rninute countdown.
At the completion of the twenty minute countdown ICS
sends an output to transistor Q4 to turn on timer IC6. Timer IC6
provides a pulsed output to turn on and off the relay REL2
controlling lamp 10. Lamp 10 w~ flash continuously as a warning
that the thirty minute time limit is shortly to expire and to reduce the
load on battay 12. -
lS At the of the thirt~r minute countdown the
output (pin 8) of IC4 will reset htch IC3. Transistor Q3 will turn off
w}dch r~leases the relay REL2 and extinguishes lamp 10.
If the pilot depresæs his call button a fur~er three ~times
wliilst the thirty minute is o~urrir~ then latch IC3 and
timers IC4, IC5 will be reset providing a fresh thir~r minute
countdown. If four pulses are received by counter ICl then the
output from pin 15 will reset latch IC3 and ex'dngu~sh lamp 10.
Thus, three depressions of the call button in fifteen seconds will turn
on the lamp for thirty minutes whilst four depressions will turn off
the lamp mmediately rather than wait for ~e thirty minute timeout.
The ability to turn off lamp 10 results in a more flexible system and
does not drain battery 12 to the same extent as the ~irty minute
timeout. If required a switch (not shown) can be placed between
contacts SW1, SW2 (Fig. 4) to provide a manual override of the ~;~
system.
The integrated circuit packages are as follows:- ;
:

~VO 93/13984 5 2 1 2 7 7 1 4 Pcr/AU93/00006
IC1 14175
IC2 14541
IC3 14013
IC4 14541
IC5 14541
IC6 NE555
IC7 MC336~ (Motorola) -
TDA7000 (Ph;lips) can also be
used. ~:
IC8 LM386 :
In practice battery or batteries 12 are typically two 6V 10
amp~our batteries in parallel which draws 1.6 amps per hour. The
VHF receiver deteetor 20 draws less than 15mA allowing for 12 hours
of illurmination. In the preferred embodiment, the detector 20 draws ~ -
as lit~le as 8mA. :
~e advantage~ of the inven~on are readily iden~dfied. As
each system is self~ontained they are readily moved if a chang2 of
runway is required. Ea~h system is activated independen'dy and by
the same V~ signals. If any systen~ fails, or fails to operate, the
rer g systems will not be affected. The system requires very
little maintenance. Discharge of batteries 12 is replaced via a 450
m.a. solar voltaic array averaging 3 a/h replenishment on any given
day. This enables the system to be active as a runway light for up
to 2 hours, (4 x 30 m~nute cycles) on any given night. Recharging to
2~ full capacity will then be achieved during the following daylight.
Due to the insignificant amount of power drawn by the receiver 20

212771 1
wo 93/13984 - 6 - pcr/Aus3/
and the inclusion of a light dependent switch 36 rendering it inac~ve
turing daylight hours, battery storage is not significantly affected.
It is believed that the invention and may of it~ attendant
advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it
will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form,
construction and arrangement of the part~ and that changes may be
made in the form, constructions and arrangement of the pilot
activated lighting system desaibed without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention o~ sacrificing all of its mate~ial
advantages, the forms hereinbefore described being merely preferred
embodiments thereof.

Representative Drawing