DE102022002226A1 - Lighting system intended to illuminate a stadium - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention is a lighting system that can be used in place of floodlights in a stadium. The luminous system can illuminate the stadium field much better because the light no longer comes from four sources at an angle but from a single light source that is positioned very high and shines similar to the sun at midday. It consists of a missile (flying drone or airship) equipped with a reflector. A powerful laser emitter is installed in a vehicle or a pillar on the ground, with which one can aim high at the missile's reflector. As soon as the missile flies over the stadium field and positions itself there at a certain altitude, a strong laser beam from the laser emitter on the ground will hit the missile's reflector. The reflector throws the light back to the ground, creating a wider cone of light that can illuminate a large area. The lighting system can easily illuminate several hectares from a great height.

Description

The invention is a lighting system used for stadium lighting.

In the stadiums, the lighting of the playing field is essential for night games. Strong floodlights are used for such purposes. Such lighting means have long been known. These are usually built into very tall pillars, releasing a harsh light that brightly illuminates the area for a radius of several hundred meters.

However, such lighting has a disadvantage. Multiple (usually four) shadows are always generated, which can sometimes confuse the players to a greater or lesser extent.

DE102017211017A1 describes a searchlight and a drone that can be coupled together. An interactive lighting scenario is made possible by a headlight with a light source and with a coupling device that is prepared for detachable coupling to a coupling interface of a drone, the drone having a light source. The interactive lighting scenario is also made possible by a drone with a light source and with a coupling interface that is prepared for detachable coupling to a coupling device of a headlight, the headlight having a light source.

DE112016007456T5 describes drone-based vehicle lighting. A computer is programmed to deploy an aerial drone to fly within a specified distance of a first vehicle. The computer is programmed to detect a second vehicle and then activate an aerial drone light.

The registration EP2507546B1 describes a lamp that has a housing with a light exit opening for emitting light and a transparent light exit element for covering the light exit opening, the housing comprising a holding element for holding the light exit element on the housing.

US20200148386A1 describes a light emission controller, drone and method for controlling light emission. This drone includes a light emitter that emits light, and a circuit that operates to obtain flight status information regarding a flight status of the drone, determines a direction in which the light emitter should emit light based on the flight status information, and controls the light emitter so that the Light emitter emits light in the specific direction.

DE112018003162T5 describes a floodlight with a light source, a mounting component that supports the light source, and a fan that cools the light source by creating an air flow on a surface of the mounting component, in which the light source is mounted on a front surface of the mounting component and light forward emits with respect to the storage member, and the impeller is arranged at the rear of the storage member at a position opposed to the storage member.

DE102011115756B4 describes a spotlight for at least partially illuminating a stage, the spotlight comprising a housing for accommodating a light source and a Fresnel Fresnel lens through which light emitted by the light source can exit the housing when the light source is received in the housing, characterized in that that the Fresnel step lens has at least one spiral step on at least one side.

EP1762774A1 describes an invention that relates to a headlight for a motor vehicle, with a housing that has a lens in the front area, with a projection module arranged inside the housing, which has a reflector, an illuminant assigned to the reflector, and a light beam that is arranged in the light beam reflected by the reflector Has a lens, a vertical axis about which the projection module can be pivoted, in particular for cornering light, and with a module diaphragm which can be pivoted along with the projection module and surrounds the lens.

There are also light drones that are equipped with very powerful LEDs, which can well illuminate several hundred square ^meters . However, for the power supply of the powerful LEDs, equally powerful batteries are installed, which bring additional weight and are flown, whereby the service life is significantly reduced.

The invention specified in claims 1 to 23 is based on the object of creating a lighting system for stadiums which is able to illuminate the largest possible field from a considerable height, reliably and above all with very intensive light.

This problem is solved with the features listed in claims 1 to 23.

• - die Flug-Vorrichtung kann ziemlich lange in die Luft bleiben,
• - die Beleuchtung ist sehr intensiv und die Flug-Vorrichtung total leicht,
• - keine Batterien für die Beleuchtung und keine Lichtquellen an die Flug-Vorrichtung notwendig,
• - günstige Lösung,
• - die Leucht-Funktion ist jederzeit, schnell ein- und abschaltbar, auch die Lichtfarbe und eine Umschaltung jederzeit machbar, sogar auch während die Flug-Vorrichtung noch im Flug sich befindet,
• - die Flug-Vorrichtung kann sehr kostengünstig hergestellt werden.

Advantages of the invention are:

• - the flight device can remain in the air for quite a long time,
• - the lighting is very intense and the flight device is totally light,
• - no batteries for the lighting and no light sources needed for the flight device,
• - cheap solution,
• - the light function can be switched on and off quickly at any time, the light color and switching can be done at any time, even while the flight device is still in flight,
• - the flight device can be manufactured very inexpensively.

Another advantage of the invention is that the energy supply on the ground is much better and longer-lasting than would be the case with an energy source integrated into the flight device. In addition, the flight device is much lighter if no additional energy source and lamps are installed there. The costs for such a flight device are also very low, so that if one is damaged or destroyed during flight maneuvers, there is no great financial loss and it can therefore be replaced quickly and cheaply.

• 1 eine Flug-Vorrichtung in Form einer fernsteuerbaren Drohne,
• 2 die Verankerung der Drohne durch dünne Seile, die auch als Stromleiter konzipiert sind,
• 3 den Einsatz von z.B. Mikrospiegel-Technik oder Spiegelchips in die Drohne,
• 4 den biegsamen Spiegel mit Bimetall-Elementen,
• 5 dein Einbau des Laserstrahlers in eine Kardanaufhängung oder Kugelgelenk,
• 6 den Aufbau des Reflektors in einem Kugelgelenk,
• 7 eine Variante, bei der Lichtleiter zum Einsatz kommen,
• 8 die automatische Erfassung der Drohne durch ein Leitsystem aus Sensoren,
• 9 eine Ausführung mit Lichtkonverter,
• 10 die Drohne, die mit einem Gasballon, der mit Helium oder Wasserstoff gefüllt ist, gekoppelt ist,
• 11 eine weitere Ausführung, die aus einem Ballon, der mit einer Lichtleiterkugel gekoppelt ist,
• 12 einen Gasballon, der eine gerade reflektierende Fläche unten aufweist, oder eine Reflektor-Platte oder eine Lichtleiterkugel mit sich trägt, die als Spiegel dient,
• 13 eine kleine, fernsteuerbare Luftschiff-Drohne, die mit Helium oder Wasserstoff gefüllt ist,
• 14 eine Ausführung, bei der anstatt von Laser auch andere Lichtquellen verwendet sind,
• 15 eine Ausführung, bei der ein Spiegel eingebaut ist, der wie ein Luftballon aufblasbar ist und somit seine Krümmung / Wölbungsgrad ändert,
• 16 eine Variante mit eine speziellen Solarzelle, durch die die Drohne zusätzlich mit Strom versorgt wird.

Examples are based on the 1 until 16 explained.

• 1 a flight device in the form of a remote-controlled drone,
• 2 the anchoring of the drone with thin ropes, which are also designed as conductors,
• 3 the use of e.g. micromirror technology or mirror chips in the drone,
• 4 the flexible mirror with bimetallic elements,
• 5 your installation of the laser emitter in a gimbal or ball joint,
• 6 the structure of the reflector in a ball joint,
• 7 a variant in which light guides are used,
• 8th the automatic detection of the drone by a control system of sensors,
• 9 a version with light converter,
• 10 the drone coupled to a gas balloon filled with helium or hydrogen,
• 11 another embodiment consisting of a balloon coupled to a fiber optic sphere,
• 12 a gas balloon having a straight reflecting surface at the bottom, or carrying with it a reflector plate or light guide sphere serving as a mirror,
• 13 a small, remote-controlled airship drone filled with helium or hydrogen,
• 14 a version in which other light sources are used instead of laser,
• 15 a version in which a mirror is built in, which can be inflated like a balloon and thus changes its curvature / degree of curvature,
• 16 a variant with a special solar cell, through which the drone is additionally supplied with electricity.

The invention is a flight device or missile which is designed in the form of a drone 1, an airship 2 or a balloon 3. Although this missile has an intense luminous function that can illuminate large areas, the flight device itself does not have an intensely luminous active light source that would be able to brightly illuminate an area within a radius of several hundred meters. Rather, the flight device serves as a flying reflector or mirror. The actual luminosity comes from a light source on the ground, which is built into a vehicle or stationary in the stadium, for example. A strong light source, such as a laser emitter (eg laser diodes) 4 or powerful light-emitting diodes (LEDs) 5, can be used as the light source. Laser diodes 4 are preferred because they emit strongly focused laser beams, which are then reflected back towards the ground by the flying reflector. Of course, the reflector/mirror 6 should not emit the light again in a bundled manner in the direction of the ground, but in the form of a broad light cone 7. Finally, the largest possible area or stadium playing field 8 should be brightly illuminated. The flight device can be a remote-controlled drone 1 that can fly about 50 to 150m high ( 1 ). This altitude is sufficient for optimal stadium lighting. The use of a drone would be advantageous because it can be remotely controlled very precisely and positioning is also fairly easy. With built-in GPS systems, the drones are able to fly independently to specified coordinates and maintain their position at a predetermined height. Because there is no additional energy source for the lighting and no lamps are installed, the drone is quite small and therefore very light. Of course, this invention can also be used in other fields. As lighting for large areas, e.g. for the rescue service or recovery forces, etc. The drone is e.g Anchoring weights 10 or snap hooks 11 anchored so that it can hold the position well during the flight, even if it should be reasonably windy.

The drone could be supplied with power from the ground via the thin cables, which can also be designed as power conductors 12 ( 2 ). The power requirement for the drive would thus be covered. You can also send enough current through such conductors for a light source built directly into the drone, but then it would have to be equipped with powerful light sources, which would significantly increase its weight. In addition, the voltage on the thin conductors would have to be increased to a few hundred volts so that the very thin conductors can also supply enough electrical power to the drone. One has to consider that the approx. 40 to 150 m long conductors would have to be made of very thin steel wire, which would greatly increase their electrical resistance. Although steel is more tear-resistant and stable, it conducts electricity much less well than copper. Thus, with low voltage only a very low power in the drone would be achievable. 220V (alternating current) would be better, but optimal performance can only be achieved from 600V. This also requires an electronic transformer that would have to be built into the drone to drop the voltage levels down to the point where they could be used by the drone's components. The whole thing makes the drone more complicated, more vulnerable and heavier. That is why it is completely dispensed with, so that the light source is stationed on the ground and only its light beam is directed downwards by the drone.

The drone has a mirror 6 on which an intense, highly focused light is emitted from the ground, strikes it and is reflected back towards the ground from there. The reflection takes place by mirrors, mirrored surfaces, luminescence/phosphorescence materials or by light converter surfaces (or light converter bodies) 13, which then themselves become a type of light source when irradiated. The light intensity and the duration of the light can be controlled quite accurately because the light from a light source, eg a laser emitter 4, arrives on the ground. The use of drones in this case is the optimal solution. When using drones, movable mirrors are ideally suited as reflectors. Such mirrors are installed directly under the drone and are coupled to an actuator 14 that can pan or tilt them in any direction. The pan/tilt movement of the mirror is required to accurately reflect the light from the light source on the ground back onto the desired area. The tilt of the mirror must be done very quickly, compensating for any movement of the drone as much as possible, so that the cone of light emitted towards the ground always hits the same area, no matter how the drone is airborne, moved by the wind . In order to achieve fast compensation of the drone movements, actuators that can be addressed quickly should be used. The use of, for example, micro-mirror technology or micro-mirror chips 15 is also optimal, because it allows light to be concentrated and the light cone to be corrected ( 3 ). Here, small mirror elements can be pivoted individually or in groups, allowing the light beam to be pivoted in the desired direction within certain limits. The use of other optical deflection elements, such as optical prisms or lens systems, can also optimize light reflection.

On the 1 a drone equipped with a mirror surface 6 below has been presented. This mirror surface is slightly curved outwards or downwards and can thus reflect a bundled laser beam 16 hitting there downwards in a broader light cone shape 7 . The curvature of the mirror can also be shaped inwards, the light reflection result remains similar. As soon as the drone has risen and is positioned about 60-70 m above the stadium, a laser beam 16 from a laser source 4 is emitted obliquely from below onto the drone 1. The laser emitter can be installed in a vehicle, stationary in a pillar or placed directly on the ground in the stadium outside the playground. The laser power does not have to be very high. A total laser power of 800W from several smaller laser sources is perfectly sufficient for very good illumination of an area of 5,000m ² . Approx. 160mW / m ² are emitted. If you consider that the sun produces approx. 1500W per m ² , this laser power seems to be very little, but it is practical enough because in the dark, the eyes can absorb significantly more light through pupil dilation. In addition, the laser power will arrive almost entirely in the form of light energy. IR and UV components are missing there. Experience has shown that a laser diode with a laser power of 1W can illuminate an area of 10m ² very intensively. A 1W light-emitting diode can illuminate an area of 25m ² a little less intensively, but still sufficiently. CW laser diodes, among others, can easily achieve this level of performance. It goes without saying that the soccer field 8 should not be illuminated with monochromatic light, but several laser emitters are combined with one another in such a way that a white light emerges overall. To make the device even cheaper, you can install 40 pieces of CW laser diodes, each with 20W, which all hit the air on top of the drone's reflector. If you combine laser diodes that emit different colors of laser light, you can change the color of the light easily regulate all lighting. Only laser diodes must be present, each of which emits one of the basic light colors, for example red, blue and green laser diodes, which are all housed in a housing 17, for example. Depending on which laser diodes are switched on, with which intensity and in which combination, the light color of the overall lighting is determined. For example, turning on both the red and green lasers will cause a jointly lit area to appear yellow. If all three laser colors shine on the same area at the same time with similar intensity, the light there appears similar to white light.

The mirror 6 in the drone 1 can be made of an elastic material 18. That would be an advantage because it allows the shape of the mirror to be changed, or the degree of curvature can be adjusted as desired. Only an air cushion 19 or a small balloon would have to be built into the drone above the mirror and depending on how much the balloon is inflated, the curvature of the mirror ( 15 ). In this case, the mirror itself could be a flat air balloon 20, which becomes rounder and rounder as it is inflated by a small pump 21, which then transforms the mirror surface into a curved shape. It is even easier with bimetallic elements 22 that are built into the mirror on the back. Such bimetallic elements can deform or bend the mirror surface as desired. They are simply built and also easy to control ( 4 ). This is an advantage if you want to illuminate an area from different heights or if the drone flies over it and the light beam should become wider or narrower without having to change the drone's flight altitude. On the other hand, even with mirrors made of solid material, a slight curvature is sufficient to illuminate an area differently. In this case you would only have to change the flight altitude of the drone and the light cone would then be different in size. When the drone flies higher, the circle of light on the ground is larger and the light is a little dimmer than when the drone flies closer to the ground. However, it is important that the mirror is tilted slightly towards the light source so that the reflected light is actually emitted downwards and illuminates the ground.

Heat sinks 23 with small fans 24 are completely sufficient for cooling the laser diodes. In order to enable sensor-controlled drone tracking by the laser beam, the laser emitter should be installed in a gimbal or ball joint 25 which can be electrically driven to quickly position or align the laser emitter so that the laser beam hits the mirror surface of the drone ( 5 ). The laser beam from the ground can also be deflected as desired by electrically movable mirror elements 26 . Such deflection devices for a laser emitter are known and are used in numerous devices (eg also in disco clubs as a laser show). The drone can be equipped with a couple of small, low-power LEDs or laser diodes 27 that mark the reflector there and act as landmarks for the laser emitter on the ground. As soon as the orientation laser beams from the drone are received as landmarks, an automatic aiming system will deflect the laser beam at exactly that point and hit the drone's mirror. The laser beams are then reflected from the drone towards the ground and illuminate a relatively large area that depends on the drone's flight altitude. The higher the drone climbs, the larger the illuminated area. As the drone's flight altitude increases, the intensity of the light on the ground also decreases, but the area that is illuminated increases. In this way one can control the illuminated area size and the light intensity quite precisely. The direction of reflection of the laser beams from the drone is determined by pivoting mirrors that can be moved by remote control.

On the 3 a drone has been shown in which a micromirror chip 15 is installed, which has numerous small mirror elements which can be moved in a controlled manner. You could also practically install the laser emitter directly in the drone, but that would drastically reduce the flight time of the drone. The energy source, the laser emitter and the accompanying elements would make the drone relatively heavy due to the additional weight and thus significantly shorten the flight duration. The flight characteristics are also negatively influenced by this. The drone would be sluggish and much larger. The mirror chip version of the reflector built into the drone can also be used for commercial purposes at a soccer game. He can, for example, project advertising messages 28 on the stadium lawn during a break, or after a goal has been scored, he can circle the relevant soccer player 29 with a circle of light 30 or ring-shaped light projection and follow him until the game starts again. The higher the resolution of the mirror chip in the drone, the better and finer the projections on the ground can be generated. In the variant with the drone, the mirror or a mirror surface is installed under the drone, which throws the light back on the ground. The mirror should be electrically remote controlled for better light reflection. In variants that have movable mirrors, the reflected laser beam can be controlled even more precisely. An optimal solution would be to mount a mirror on a ball joint or gimbal 25. A ball joint has the advantage because very one is built to be sturdy and sturdy. It consists of a ball (hollow ball) 31, which is installed in a ball socket 32 and can be rotated in any direction there. The mirror is attached tangentially to the sphere ( 6 ). A cut surface into the sphere could also be used for the mirror surface. The ball can be equipped with magnets 33 or have magnetized areas. A pair of electromagnetic coils 34 in the ball socket can cause the ball to rotate in any direction. The rotation is very fast and can be controlled precisely. By finely controlling the magnetic field of the electromagnetic coils, the ball can be rotated in any direction and position. Thus, a light beam deflection is perfectly controllable. The sphere should not be a solid sphere, but only a hollow sphere, because then the weight can be reduced to a minimum. Thus, the whole device is very light and hardly affects the flight duration or the flight characteristics of the drone.

Another variant uses light guides 58 built into the flight device and distributed in a nearly circular or spherical shape ( 7 ). The distribution is arranged in such a way that the light that hits the flight device from the side or at an angle from below is guided or deflected downwards by light guides in the direction of the ground. No matter from which side the light hits the light guide, the light rays are always emitted towards the ground.

Electrically movable laser emitters 4 that are automatically aimed at the target are suitable as light sources, which are directed at the drone, for example from a vehicle on the ground or from a column, and irradiate it with a laser beam. The alignment of the laser beam on the reflector element of the drone and the detection of the drone is done automatically by a control system of sensors 35, which are coupled via a controller 36 with the moving elements of the light source and, for example, small light signal transmitters that are built into the drone and the orientation of the light source or target detection. It would be sufficient if a light source (LED or laser diode) 27 was installed in the center of the mirror or if three or four light sources were installed that mark the mirror surface edges/borders 37 of the drone ( 8th ). These can be small LEDs or laser diodes that emit visible or invisible light (such as UV or IR laser diodes). The laser beam can then aim at the mirror from the ground. The mirror can be a completely normal mirror that is built flat or curved. A mirror surface or mirror coating of a surface would also suffice. More complicated variants of the drones can have mirror chips 15, which consist of a large number of small mirror elements ( 3 ). These mirror elements can be electrically pivoted independently of one another and can therefore deflect the light beams in a desired direction.

Instead of conventional mirrors, a light converter 38 can be installed, which converts monochromatic laser beams into normal broad spectrum light. The light converters are advantageous because they convert, for example, UV or infrared laser beams, which are invisible to the eye, into visible light. Thus, the primary light source would no longer be visible. The light converter can be built spherically. When irradiated with UV or IR laser beam, it turns into a light source that emits very bright white light ( 9 ). The light intensity depends on the intensity of the laser beams and the condition of the converter. If the light converter is built partially spherical, the light is emitted in all directions and thus illuminates the surroundings well. The light intensity can be adjusted accordingly to the lighting conditions using sensor systems.

A conventional drone can be coupled to a gas balloon 39 filled with helium or hydrogen, for example. In that case, part of the lift would have to be generated by the gas balloon and the flight duration of the drone 1 can thus be significantly extended ( 10 ). Airship drones 2, whose buoyancy comes partly from light gas, are also advantageous. This allows the drone to stay in the air longer, but it is a little stiffer and more susceptible to crosswinds. An embodiment with a light converter 38 is shown here, which is built in under the drone. It is a laser light-active surface, mostly made of phosphor components, which serves as a light converter, converting, for example, infrared laser beams into visible light. Such converters are used in numerous scientific devices, measurement technology and also in laser headlights in vehicles. A monochromatic laser beam (eg blue, infrared or UV laser beam) 16 that hits there is converted into broad-spectrum light, that is to say normal light, and is emitted in this way. The light, for example as white light, shines very intensively and can be used for large-area lighting. In that case the converter could be installed under the drone in the form of a flat plate 40 with a mirror surface on top. The laser beam would hit the converter 38 and partially fall on the mirror 6. From the mirror, the beams would be reflected back in the direction of the converter and emitted in the direction of the ground. The converter and the mirror surface would only make the drone slightly heavier and thus hardly affect the flight duration.

Another execution ( 11 ) consists of a balloon 41 with a ball 42 Light guides 43 is coupled. The light guide sphere 42 consists of numerous light guides that are arranged in such a way that all light rays that come from the side or diagonally from below are directed downwards towards the ground. A converter layer 44 can also be installed in the reflector 6 here. The reflector or the light guide sphere is irradiated from the ground with a laser beam 16 and the light is then emitted in the direction of the ground. An advantage is the very cheap construction (a few EUR material value). However, crosswinds can deviate from the course at any time and continue flying uncontrolled. In addition, the flight altitude cannot be precisely controlled. Actually almost nothing is controllable with this variant. It works wonderfully only when there is absolutely no wind. That's why it's important to anchor the balloon to the ground with thin ropes. The balloon will still sway back and forth even in light winds. However, the extremely low price makes it worth a try.

The variant from the 12 is also a gas balloon 39, which has a flat (straight) reflecting mirror surface 6 below, or carries with it a reflector plate or light guide sphere serving as a mirror. The balloon can also be constructed so that it is transparent in the lower area 45 and has a reflective coating 47 in the upper area 46 on the inside. When inflated, it always orientates itself in such a way that the reflective coating always stays on top. Small weights 48 or specific weight distributions in the lower area will always keep the balloon oriented with the weights pointing downwards. The lifting gas enables him to fly at a good altitude. The laser beam 16 penetrates the transparent part of the balloon and is then reflected back from the mirror coating towards the ground. The same can also be applied in small model airships. Because the shell is more or less concave in the area of the "ceiling" of the balloon or airship, the laser beams are reflected from there in a scattered manner towards the ground and thus a fairly large area is illuminated with it. The degree of curvature of the balloon or airship mirror surface can be determined by the internal pressure in the vehicle and can be changed relatively well. Thus, the reflected light beams on the ground can be controlled relatively well.

The 13 shows a small, remote-controlled airship drone 2 that is filled with helium or hydrogen. This variant can also stay in the air much longer because part of the lift comes from light gas. The reflector or a light guide sphere/light converter body 38 is also attached below and reflects (deflects) the laser beams, which are incident on it at an angle from the side, further in the direction of the ground. Disadvantage is the susceptibility to cross winds and the somewhat stiff flight controls. Here, too, the thin ropes or anchoring threads 9 are helpful.

All of these methods require a light source that is on the ground. The advantage of all of these variants is the very strong and intensive lighting, because more powerful energy sources are available on the ground compared to elements that can be integrated into the flight device. From the ground you can also operate a several KW strong laser 4, the light beam of which is then emitted by the flying reflector in the direction of the ground, which can illuminate the entire stadium area. This is the only way to ensure that the drone remains small and simply built. Strong light sources, power supply for them and accompanying devices cannot be easily integrated into a light and small drone.

Of course, that instead of laser, other light sources can be used, which are able to hit the drone or airship with a strongly focused beam of light. High-performance light-emitting diodes 49, which emit white light, are also suitable for this ( 14 ).

The laser beam with which the reflector is hit can also be in the UV or IR light range in any version, i.e. invisible to the human eye, but this can be made visible by light converters in the reflector or a spherical body in the focal point of a concave mirror 6 light is converted. The great thing about the invention is also the quick switching of the type of lighting or the color of the light, e.g. from IR lighting to visible light, or from green light to red or blue or white, etc. The mirror can be equipped with a converter coating or off be made of a material that converts infrared or UV light into visible light and reflects it as well. A reflector that is irradiated with an infrared or UV laser will glow or illuminate the surroundings, but the laser source is not directly visible to the eye.

The laser emitter of the lighting system, which is intended to illuminate a soccer field, can be coupled to an ambient light sensor 50 . It could regulate the light intensity of the laser automatically and adapted to the ambient light conditions. If the environment is totally dark, the maximum laser power does not have to be emitted, unless the area to be illuminated should be very large.

The mirror in the drone does not necessarily have to be able to swivel in all directions. It is entirely sufficient if the mirror can only be pivoted in one direction, or if only one edge of the mirror can be lowered or tilted. This would set the reflection angle. The exact positioning of the mirror can be achieved by rotating the complete drone. The drone can be protected against strong laser beams by a light light-reflecting foil 51 or by a highly reflective coating or paint, such as silver paint, in case they should hit the drone and not just the mirror.

The luminous intensity of the ground depends on how high the drone flies and, above all, on the laser power of the laser on the ground. The higher the drone climbs, the larger the illuminated area becomes, and the light coming from the ground becomes weaker at the same time. With the powerful laser, the entire football field and even beyond can be easily illuminated. Of course, some of the laser beams can be lost if they don't hit the reflector perfectly, but still, a lot of them are bounced back on the ground. Because the laser beam that hits the reflector is highly focused and the broader cone of light is only generated by the reflector on the ground, the laser energy lost is relatively small. Powerful laser devices are available on the ground, which also work in the KW range, for example. The reflector that a drone carries should be made of very light material so that there is hardly any additional weight for the drone. After all, it is a plate made of aluminum alloy that is not too big or a wafer-thin titanium plate (e.g. no larger than the drone), which is slightly curved and has a reflector coating. The mirror plate 6 can be round or square. If square, the corners should be positioned in the space between propellers 52 of the drone 1 so as not to disturb the propellers' lift.

Advantages of drones with gas lift support or small, remote-controlled airship models with the light reflector 6 are easy handling and control, longer flight times and considerable flight altitudes.

In order to keep the flight attitude and the position in the air stable, in all variants, very thin, light ropes (or thin threads) 9 can be connected to the drone (or airship), which are anchored to the ground. Three or four such ropes are perfectly sufficient to position the drone at a point, e.g. 60m above the stadium, with the perpendicular of incidence 53 in the middle of the field. The drone should be able to fly for at least 50 - 60 minutes at a time. It would be ideal if it could fly for about 120 minutes or more, because then it would not necessarily have to be changed at half-time. With small remote-controlled airships, however, this is possible. The blimps, secured with ropes, could be filled with helium enough for them to rise and stay aloft using the helium buoyancy force alone. Because the three or four ropes anchor her to the ground in all directions, she cannot fly away. The remote control and an active propulsion system would practically only be there to possibly bring the drone / the airship back to the ground against the lift, or to generate various projections / advertising patterns made of light on the soccer field.

The ropes or the thin threads 9 that anchor the missile should be built very light and tear-resistant (e.g. similar to fishing line). They can also be made of metal so that they conduct current and can be coupled to electrical elements of the missile, e.g. the drone, so that the drone can be supplied with electricity from a power source 54 on the ground. In this case, the electricity would be necessary for the drive and the remote-controlled electrical elements of the drone. The laser emitter on the ground would continue to be responsible for the lighting.

The drone should remain as light as possible. It would be ideal if it were no heavier than 50-150 g. You also have to consider that if she malfunctions, she could fall to the ground. Therefore, it should be built so lightly that it cannot injure any players. With a weight of 50 to 150g, a serious injury is unlikely, also because it is severely slowed down by the air resistance and can hardly fall faster than 15 to 25km/h towards the ground. The nature of the drone, the light reflector and the propellers (although they are meant to be kept off) greatly slow the drone's fall. The drone can also be equipped with a light parachute that opens automatically when the drone is in free fall.

When using thin cables that conduct electricity, you have to consider that the drone can be struck by lightning if it is positioned at an altitude of 50 to 150m above the stadium. Therefore, the anchor points should be placed far from people and ideally coupled with a pillar that serves as a lightning rod. The power supply should not necessarily come from the mains, but from a powerful battery pack, which may be destroyed in the event of a lightning strike, but no further damage to the mains will be caused. The power supply for the drone can also be obtained directly from the laser beam. In that case you have to get into the drone install solar cells 55 on the lower side, which convert the laser beam energy into electricity and make it available to the drone. For such purposes, there are special solar cells that are a thousand times more effective than conventional solar cells with a high radiation density of the incoming beam and that are optimized for laser beam energy. The laser beam energy density depends on the radiation density and can amount to several tens of KW per cm ² . However, we only need a few watts/cm ² to power the drone.

Several drones (airships) can also be used at the same time for the stadium lighting, but the use of only a single drone is optimal, because then multiple shadows are avoided. However, the second airship or drone can be on standby to provide a back-up light should the first fail.

The laser beam with which the reflector is hit can also be in the UV or IR light range in all variants with light converters, i.e. invisible to the human eye, but this can be achieved by light converters in the reflector or a spherical body in the focal point of a concave mirror converted to visible light.

On the 17 an embodiment has been presented in which the electrical energy for the power supply of the drone also comes partly from the laser beam energy, which is collected by a special solar cell 48. The solar cell 48 can be installed in the middle of the mirror/reflector 6. The power requirement for the drone is quite low because the drone only needs to fly and be controlled remotely. The potentially strong power consumer, namely the strong lighting, is not on board at all.

Reference List

1

drone

2

airship

3

balloon

4

laser emitters, laser diodes)

5

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)

6

reflector, mirror

7

Wide cone of light

8th

Stadium Game Field

9

Thin ropes / threads

10

anchor weights

11

snap hook

12

conductor

13

Light converter surface (or light converter body)

14

actuator

15

micro mirror chip

16

Bundled laser beam

17

Housing

18

elastic material

19

air cushion

20

Flat air balloon

21

Small pump

22

bimetallic elements

23

heatsink

24

Fan

25

Gimbal / ball joint

26

Movable mirror elements

27

Small weak LEDs or laser diodes in the drone

28

promotional messages

29

soccer player

30

circle of light

31

sphere (hollow sphere)

32

ball socket

33

magnets

34

electromagnetic coils

35

Control system from sensors

36

steering

37

Mirror surface edges / borders

38

light converter

39

gas balloon

40

Converter in the form of a flat plate

41

balloon

42

Ball of light guides

43

light guide

44

converter layer

45

lower area

46

upper area

47

Mirror coating

48

solar cell

49

Powerful, white light-emitting diodes

50

Ambient Light Sensor

51

Light reflecting foil

52

propeller

53

incidence slot

54

power source

55

Support

56

Ball joint / joint on the laser emitter

57

Ball socket coupled with the laser emitter

58

Counter-rotating rotors

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• DE 102017211017 A1 [0004]
• DE 112016007456 T5 [0005]
• EP 2507546 B1 [0006]
• US20200148386A1 [0007]
• DE 112018003162 T5 [0008]
• DE 102011115756 B4 [0009]
• EP 1762774 A1 [0010]

Claims (24)

Stadium lighting system, characterized in that it consists of at least - a flight device that is filled with a buoyant gas that can cause it to rise into the air solely through its buoyant force, - a light reflector that is installed rigidly or can be moved by actuators, which is mounted in the flight device or under the flight device, whereby it is arranged in such a way that light rays striking it from the side or obliquely from below reflect them broadly downwards in the direction of the ground, - a light source which is mobile or stationary on the ground aiming at the light reflector with a highly focused beam of light, - an automatic tracking system consisting of a controller and an electrical drive or actuator that directs the light source to the light reflector of the flight device always aimed, - an electrical propulsion system that can actively change the attitude or the flight direction or the flight altitude of the flight device, - a remote control system that controls the electrical propulsion system, - an anchoring system that consists of a or multiple ropes or thin, tear-resistant threads connected to the flight device and to attachments or weights located on the ground that hold the flight device in position during flight in the air. Stadium lighting system after Claim 1 , characterized in that the flight device is a small, remote-controlled airship. Stadium lighting system, characterized in that it consists of at least - a flight device, - a light reflector placed in the flight device or under the flight device, being arranged so that it can be seen from the side or rays of light hitting it at an angle from below, these are broadly reflected downwards in the direction of the ground, - a light source that is mobile or stationary on the ground, which aims at the light reflector with a strongly bundled light beam, - an automatic tracking system, consisting of a controller and an electrical drive or actuator that constantly directs the light source on the light reflector of the flight device, - a controller that controls the flight device, - an anchoring system consisting of one or more cables connected to the flight device and to fasteners or weights located on the ground that hold the flight device in position during flight in the air. Stadium lighting system after patent claim 3 , characterized in that the flight device is a remote-controlled flying drone. Stadium lighting system after Claim 1 or 3 , characterized in that the flight device is a transparent gas balloon equipped with a light reflector which is mounted inside the gas balloon, being arranged so that the light rays hitting it from the side or obliquely from below, these down reflected in ground direction. Stadium lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the light reflector is a mirror or a mirror surface. Stadium lighting system according to one of the patent claims 1 until 3 , or 5 or 6, characterized in that the light reflector consists of a specular coating built into the upper part of the flying device, the lower part of the flying device being a transparent shell. Stadium lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the mirror or the mirror surface is provided with numerous small curvatures. Stadium lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the light source emits light that is invisible to the eye in the form of UV light or infrared light and the reflector with a light converter layer that converts the invisible light into visible light converts, is equipped. Stadium lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the light source is at least one intensely luminous light-emitting diode or a laser emitter. Stadium lighting system after Claim 9 , characterized in that a plurality of laser emitters, each emitting laser beams in different light colors, form the light source. Stadium lighting system after Claim 9 or 10 , characterized in that the laser emitter is a laser diode. Stadium lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that it is equipped with an ambient light sensor which is coupled to the laser emitter and automatically controls the light intensity of the laser as a function of the ambient light intensity. Stadium lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the reflector consists of electrically movable or pivotable mirror elements. Stadium lighting system after Claim 13 , characterized in that the movement of the mirror elements can be carried out by built-in, electrically controllable actuators. Stadium lighting system after Claim 14 , characterized in that the actuators can be controlled via a remote control. Stadium lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the flight device is equipped with optical sensors. Stadium lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the reflector consists of at least one micro-mirror chip which is coupled to the remote control system. Stadium lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the tear-resistant threads or the ropes with which the flying device is anchored are electrically conductive and are connected to an energy source on the ground. Stadium lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the tear-resistant and thin threads or the cords are each connected to a winding roller on the floor, which each exerts a mechanical tension on the cords or the threads in the form of permanent tensile force. Stadium lighting system after patent claims 19 , characterized in that the tensile force is generated by mechanical spring force or electrically by actuators or electric motors. Stadium lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that bimetallic elements are installed in the reflector or in the mirror, which can bend or arch the reflector/mirror in a controlled manner. Stadium lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that instead of the laser emitter, a powerful light-emitting diode or point emitter of any type serves as the light source on the ground, which is aimed at the reflector/mirror of the drone. Stadium lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the missile is equipped with solar cells which partially convert the laser energy of the laser beam from the ground into electricity and additionally supply the drone with energy.

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