Apparatus and Method Pertaining to Light-Based Power Distribution in a Vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle ( 400 ) such as an aircraft is provided ( 101 ) with a source of light ( 401 ). An optical conduit is then used to couple ( 104 ) this source of light to a light-to-electricity conversion apparatus ( 408 ). So configured, the optical conduit delivers light from this source of light to the light-to-electricity conversion apparatus such that the light source then serves as a source of electricity in the vehicle.

1 . A method comprising:
 in an aircraft:
 providing a source of light; 
 using an optical conduit to couple the source of light to a light-to-electricity conversion apparatus; 
   such that light from the source of light is delivered to the light-to-electricity conversion apparatus via the optical conduit and is used to provide a source of electricity in the aircraft.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein providing a source of light comprises providing a source of light that is powered, at least in part, by an aircraft engine. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein providing a source of light comprises providing at least two independent sources of light. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein using an optical conduit to couple the source of light to a light-to-electricity conversion apparatus comprises:
 using a first optical conduit to couple a first source of light to the light-to-electricity conversion apparatus;   using a second optical conduit that is independent of the first optical conduit to couple a second source of light that is different than the first source of light to the light-to-electricity conversion apparatus;   
       such that the light-to-electricity conversion apparatus receives a redundant supply of light to be converted to electricity. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein providing a source of light comprises, at least in part, providing a source of infrared light. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the light-to-electricity conversion apparatus comprises an infrared light-to-electricity conversion apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the optical conduit comprises, at least in part, an optical fiber. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the optical conduit comprises, at least in part, a plurality of the optical fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the plurality of the optical fibers comprises a plurality of optical fibers that are each comprised of polymer materials. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the plurality of optical fibers comprises a plurality of optical fibers that are each about 0.1 to 5 millimeter in diameter. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of optical fibers comprises from about 2 to about 100 optical fibers. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein using an optical conduit to couple the source of light to a light-to-electricity conversion apparatus comprises using a plurality of optical conduits to couple the source of light to a corresponding plurality of light-to-electricity conversion apparatuses. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein using a plurality of optical conduits to couple the source of light to a corresponding plurality of light-to-electricity conversion apparatuses comprises using a star-based architecture to couple the source of light to the plurality of light-to-electricity conversion apparatuses. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein separate whole sets of light sources and sinks are cross-coupled for fail-functional operation. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the light-to-electricity conversion apparatus is further operably coupled to at least one electrically powered aircraft component. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the light-to-electricity conversion apparatus comprises an integral part of the electrically powered aircraft component. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the aircraft is configured and arranged to optically distribute data to and from the electrically powered aircraft component. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the aircraft is configured and arranged to optically distribute data to and from the electrically powered aircraft component independent of the optical conduit. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein providing a source of light comprises:
 providing a source of a first component of the light;   providing a source of a second component of the light, wherein the first and second components are different from one another.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the first component of the light comprises a power component and the second component of the light comprises a visible marker. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the power component comprises an infrared light component. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the visible marker comprises a visible light component. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the visible light component comprises a white light component. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20  wherein providing a source of light further comprises providing at least a third component of the light that is different from the first and second components, wherein the third component comprises at least one of:
 a data-bearing component;   a heating component;   a surface illumination end use component   
     
     
         25 . An aircraft power distribution system comprising:
 a source of light;   an optical conduit that is operably coupled between the source of light and a light-to-electricity conversion apparatus;   
       such that light from the source of light is delivered to the light-to-electricity conversion apparatus via the optical conduit and is used to provide a source of electricity in the aircraft. 
     
     
         26 . The aircraft power distribution system of  claim 25  wherein the source of light is operably coupled to an aircraft engine to thereby facilitate powering the source of light. 
     
     
         27 . The aircraft power distribution system of  claim 25  wherein the source of light is operably coupled to an aircraft main battery to thereby facilitate powering the source of light. 
     
     
         28 . The aircraft power distribution system of  claim 25  wherein the source of light comprises at least two independent sources of light. 
     
     
         29 . The aircraft power distribution system of  claim 28  wherein the optical conduit comprises:
 a first optical conduit that is operably coupled between a first source of light and the light-to-electricity conversion apparatus;   a second optical conduit that is independent of the first optical conduit and that is operably coupled between a second source of light and the light-to-electricity conversion apparatus, wherein the second source of light is different from the first source of light;   
       such that the light-to-electricity conversion apparatus receives a redundant supply of light to be converted to electricity. 
     
     
         30 . The aircraft power distribution system of  claim 25  wherein the source of light comprises, at least in part, a source of infrared light. 
     
     
         31 . The aircraft power distribution system of  claim 25  wherein the optical conduit comprises, at least in part, an optical fiber. 
     
     
         32 . The aircraft power distribution system of  claim 31  wherein the optical conduit comprises, at least in part, a plurality of the optical fibers. 
     
     
         33 . The aircraft power distribution system of  claim 32  wherein the plurality of the optical fibers comprises a plurality of optical fibers that are each comprised of a polymer material. 
     
     
         34 . The aircraft power distribution system of  claim 33  wherein the plurality of optical fibers comprises a plurality of optical fibers that are each about 0.1 to 5 millimeter in diameter. 
     
     
         35 . The aircraft power distribution system of  claim 34  wherein the plurality of optical fibers comprises from about 2 to about 100 optical fibers. 
     
     
         36 . The aircraft power distribution system of  claim 25  wherein the optical conduit that is operably coupled between the source of light and a light-to-electricity conversion apparatus comprises a plurality of optical conduits that are each operably coupled between the source of light and a corresponding plurality of light-to-electricity conversion apparatuses. 
     
     
         37 . The aircraft power distribution system of  claim 36  wherein the plurality of optical conduits that are each operably coupled between the source of light and a corresponding plurality of light-to-electricity conversion apparatuses are so coupled using a star-based architecture. 
     
     
         38 . An aircraft comprising:
 a plurality of electrically powered aircraft components;   a source of light;   a plurality of optical conduits, wherein at least one of the plurality of optical conduits is operably coupled between the source of light and a corresponding light-to-electricity conversion apparatus that is operably coupled to at least one of the plurality of electrically powered aircraft components;   
       such that light from the source of light is delivered to the light-to-electricity conversion apparatus via the optical conduit and is used to provide a source of electricity to the plurality of electrically powered aircraft components. 
     
     
         39 . A method comprising:
 in a vehicle that is configured and arranged to optically distribute data to and from an electrically powered vehicle component via an optical data distribution network:
 providing a source of light; 
 using an optical conduit that is independent of the optical data distribution network to couple the source of light to a light-to-electricity conversion apparatus that is itself operably coupled to the electrically powered vehicle component; 
   such that light from the source of light is delivered to the light-to-electricity conversion apparatus via the optical conduit, independent of the optical data distribution network, and is used to provide a source of electricity in the vehicle.