Patent ID: 7378989

Claim:
In an aircraft having an on-board power supply network and a plurality of emergency light units arranged distributed in said aircraft, an improvement wherein: each one of said emergency light units respectively comprises, incorporated therein as a unit, at least one normal operation light emitting element, at least one emergency light emitting element, at least one capacitor, and a controller that is connected to said power supply network, said at least one capacitor, and said at least one emergency light emitting element; said controller is adapted to selectively switch between a normal mode when operating power is available from said power supply network and an emergency mode when said operating power is not available from said power supply network; said normal operation light emitting element is connected directly or through said controller to said power supply network so as to be powered from said power supply network when said operating power is available; said controller includes a charging circuit adapted to charge said at least one capacitor using said operating power in said normal mode; and said controller further includes a switching circuit adapted to disconnect said at least one emergency light emitting element from said at least one capacitor in said normal mode, and to connect said at least one emergency light emitting element to said at least one capacitor in said emergency mode so as to illuminate said at least one emergency light emitting element using power supplied from said at least one capacitor in said emergency mode.