Patent ID: 9469415
Filing Date: 2016-10-18
CPC Classification: B64D

Claim Text:
1. A method for aircraft lighting, the method comprising: generating a single optical source signal from a single coherent light source; splitting the single optical source signal into multiple optical source signals; communicating each of said multiple optical source signals to a different one of a plurality of diffractive optical elements via respective optical waveguides, each of the diffractive optical elements being located at a different location about an aircraft remote from the single coherent light source; generating an output optical signal from each of the diffractive optical elements for transmission out of the respective diffractive optical elements; and dynamically controlling an intensity pattern of the output optical signal generated from each of the plurality of diffractive optical elements to switch between a first intensity pattern corresponding with a first aircraft light requirement and a second intensity pattern corresponding with a second aircraft light requirement different than the first aircraft light requirement, wherein said plurality of diffractive optical elements each comprises a dynamically-controllable liquid crystal comprising a plurality of liquid crystal pixels each individually-controllable to change an index of refraction of the optical source signal and to change an intensity pattern of the output optical signal transmitted out of the diffractive optical element by changing an electric field applied to the liquid crystal pixel.