Techniques and architecture are disclosed for array of light emitting diodes. For example, the array may comprise a plurality of stages, each stage comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) connected to a floating switch, respectively. The LEDs may be arranged substantially linearly on a circuit board in a plurality of clusters, where a distance between adjacent LEDs within a cluster is smaller than a distance between LEDs in adjacent clusters. Adjacent clusters contain LEDs from different stages and each stage contains LEDs in different clusters. The array may be incorporated in a lighting system. The light system may have a closed loop feedback mechanism which directly detects light emitted from a subset of the LEDs and a controller which controls the array based on the detection.

An aviation integrated optics and lighting unit for securing to a light receptacle of an aircraft. The aviation integrated optics and lighting unit comprises a housing, a light-emitting device, and an optical sensor. The light-emitting device is secured to the housing. The optical sensor is positioned in the housing and is configured to capture optical data.

An aircraft headlight includes at least one visible light source for emitting a headlight light output; a light transmissive cover, at least partially covering the at least one visible light source; and at least one infrared emitter for emitting infrared radiation. At least 90% of radiation energy, comprised in the infrared radiation emitted by the at least infrared emitter, is emitted within a predefined wavelength range; and the light transmissive cover allows at least 25%, in particular at least 30%, more particularly at least 45%, of the radiation energy, which is emitted within the predefined wavelength range, to pass through the light transmissive cover.

The disclosure addresses an external lighting unit for an aircraft. This external lighting unit includes a lighting unit housing have a mounting flange that is configured to provide a reduced contact with a supporting structure (e.g., a tail cone of an aircraft), which in turn reduces conductive heat transfer between the supporting structure and the lighting unit housing (more specifically reduces conductive heat transfer between the supporting structure and a printed circuit board that is disposed within the lighting unit housing and that may be seated on a portion of the lighting unit housing). Open spaces on the surface of the mounting flange that face toward the supporting structure may be occupied by a thermal insulator.

A system for illuminating at least a portion of an object within an enclosed space includes an object configured to be moved within the enclosed space, and a beacon coupled to the object. The beacon is configured to emit a light tracking signal. A light sensor is configured to detect the light tracking signal emitted from the beacon. A lighting control unit in communication with the light sensor is configured to determine a position of the object within the enclosed space based on the light tracking signal as detected by the light sensor. A lighting assembly is in communication with the lighting control unit. The lighting control unit is configured to operate the lighting assembly to emit the illuminating light onto the at least a portion of the object based on the light tracking signal as detected by the light sensor. The system may also be configured to guide a passenger to a seat, and provide way-finding illumination.

Dead reckoning correction utilizing patterned light projection is provided herein. An example method can include navigating a drone along a pattern using dead reckoning, the pattern having a plurality of lines, detecting one of the plurality of lines using an optical sensor of the drone, determining when a line of travel of the drone is not aligned with the one of the plurality of lines, and realigning the line of travel of the drone so as to be aligned with the one of the plurality of lines to compensate for drift that occurs during navigation using dead reckoning.

An aircraft beacon light unit has an operating light emission distribution. The operating light emission distribution has a first light emission opening angle of at least 150° in a first cross-sectional plane, and a second light emission opening angle of at most 180° in a second cross-sectional plane orthogonal to the first cross-sectional plane. The aircraft beacon light unit is configured in such a way that it is mountable to an aircraft with the first cross-sectional plane being oriented in a vertical direction and the second cross-sectional plane being oriented in a horizontal direction, and the first light emission opening angle extends at least 75° both above and below the second cross-sectional plane.

An exterior aircraft image projector includes at least one light source, providing a light output in operation; an optical system configured for transforming the light output of the at least one light source into a light beam and projecting said light beam onto the ground below the aircraft and the of the aircraft; a photo detector arranged to detect a brightness level (Iambient) of the ground or the exterior and configured to provide a corresponding brightness signal; and a controller, coupled to the photo detector and the at least one light source configured to control an intensity of the light output of the at least one light source as a function of the brightness level (Iambient), as provided by the photo detector via the brightness signal.

A counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), for aerial neutralization of a detected target aerial vehicle, comprises a flight body and a flight control system to intercept the detected target aerial vehicle, and comprises an aerial vehicle capture countermeasure (e.g., a net) operable to capture the detected target aerial vehicle. The aerial vehicle capture countermeasure can comprise a net deployable from the counter-attack UAV, and a captured target aerial vehicle can be delivered to a particular location. A system for aerial neutralization of a detected target aerial vehicle comprises an aerial vehicle detection system comprising at least one detection sensor operable to detect the target aerial vehicle, and operable to provide command data (including location data) to at least one counter-attack UAV for neutralization of the target aerial vehicle. The counter-attack UAV and systems may be autonomously operated. Associated systems and methods are provided.

[Object] To provide a control device which enables a flight vehicle device to obtain a highly precise image.

[Solution] Provided is the control device including an illuminating control unit configured to adjust a light amount of an illuminating device according to an inclination of a fuselage of a flight vehicle device that has an imaging device configured to photograph a photographing target and the illuminating device configured to illuminate the photographing target.