Monitoring the high-frequency ambient parameters by means of a wireless network in an aircraft

• US 10,243,677 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Mueller, Jan, Schwark, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Jung H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Andrews, III, Hoyet H
• Application Number:
  US14/268,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20140241282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,789 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A network node of a wireless communications network is provided in a means of transportation, for an aircraft, for ascertaining sources of interference, to a system with such a network node, to an associated method for ascertaining sources of interference of a wireless communications network provided in a means of transportation, for the aircraft, and to a computer program for executing the method. The network node includes an interference-power-ascertaining component, for ascertaining an interference power of an interfering radiation emitted from a source of interference, and a transmitting component for wireless or wirebound transmission of the ascertained interference power to a control device for determining at least one of a direction of the interfering radiation and a distance of the source of interference, including the position of the source of interference, on the basis of the ascertained interference power.

Claims

1. A network node for ascertaining sources of interference of a wireless communications network provided in a means of transportation, for an aircraft, the network node comprising:

an interference-power-ascertaining component for determining a time interval based on a flight phase and periodically ascertaining, at the determined time interval, an interference power of an interfering radiation emitted from a source of interference; and

a transmitting component for at least one of wireless and wire-bound transmission of an ascertained interference power to a control device for determining at least one of;

a direction of the interfering radiation and

a distance of the source of interference, including the position of the source of interference, based on the ascertained interference power;

wherein the network node is configured to detect existence of interference; and

wherein, when the existence of interference is detected, the network node instructs itself or another network node to ascertain a level of interference power quantitatively.

2. The network node according to claim 1, wherein the network node is configured as at least one of:

a wireless terminal of the wireless communications network and

a wireless data concentrator of the wireless communications network, which is in wireless communication with at least one wireless terminal of the wireless communications network.

3. The network node according to claim 1, wherein the network node is located at an outermost extremity of the aircraft.

4. The network node according to claim 1, wherein the network node is configured to detect whether the source of interference is within or in the vicinity of the aircraft.

5. The network node according to claim 1, wherein the determined time interval when the aircraft is in flight

is shorter than the determined time interval when the aircraft is on the ground.

6. A system for ascertaining sources of interference of a wireless communications network provided in a means of transportation, for an aircraft, the system comprising:

at least one network node for ascertaining sources of interference of a wireless communications network provided in a means of transportation, for an aircraft, the network node including;

an interference-power-ascertaining component for determining a time interval based on a flight phase and periodically ascertaining, at the determined time interval, an interference power of an interfering radiation emitted from a source of interference; and

a transmitting component for at least one of wireless and wire-bound transmission of an ascertained interference power to a control device for determining at least one of;

a direction of the interfering radiation and

a distance of the source of interference, including the position of the source of interference, based on the ascertained interference power; and

a control device, the control device comprising a receiving component, for receiving the interference power transmitted from the transmitting component, and an interference-source-determining component for determining at least one of

a direction of the interfering radiation and

a distance of the source of interference, including the position of the source of interference, on the basis of the received interference power;

wherein the interference-power-ascertaining component is located outside a coverage zone of the wireless communications network.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the control device is further configured to compare the received interference power with a predetermined threshold and in the event of the threshold being exceeded to at least one of:

output a warning and

change one or more transmission parameters of the communications network.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the control device is configured to change the one or more transmission parameters in such a manner that at least one of:

a frequency range or communication channel being used in the communications network,

a modulation process being used in the communications network and

a channel-coding process being used in the communications network is changed.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the control device is further configured to instruct the interference-power-ascertaining component to ascertain the interference power of the interfering radiation emitted from the source of interference.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein the control device is further configured to instruct the at least one network node not to ascertain the interference power of the interfering radiation when no interference power is present within a measurable range.

11. The system according to claim 6, wherein, when the at least one network node ascertains the source of interference, the at least one network node instructs a further at least one network node to ascertain a power level of the source of interference.

12. The system according to claim 6, wherein the control device is further configured to take an action to address the source of interference before the network node is impaired by the source of interference.

13. The system according to claim 6, wherein the control device is further configured to change the determined time interval dependent on

a presence of numerous sources of interference.

14. A method for ascertaining sources of interference of a wireless communications network provided in a means of transportation, for an aircraft, the process comprising the following steps:

determining a time interval based on a flight phase;

periodically ascertaining, the determined time interval, an interference power of an interfering radiation emitted from a source of interference; and

determining at least one of;

a direction of the interfering radiation and

a distance of the source of interference on the basis of the ascertained interference power; and

wherein existence of interference is detected; and

when the existence of interference is detected, a level of interference power is quantitatively ascertained.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the process further comprises the determining of the position of the source of interference on the basis of at least one of the ascertained direction and the ascertained distance.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the ascertained interference power is compared with a predetermined limiting value and in the event of the limiting value being exceeded at least one of:

a warning is output and

one or more transmission parameters of the communications network is changed.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of changing the one or more transmission parameters comprises at least one of:

the changing of at least one of a frequency range and a communication channel being used in the communications network,

the changing of a modulation process being used in the communications network, and

the changing of a channel-coding process being used in the communications network.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein if a plurality of interfering radiations are emitted from a plurality of sources of interference, a plurality of interference powers of the plurality of emitted interfering radiations are ascertained, and at least one of:

the directions of the plurality of interfering radiations and

the ranges of the plurality of sources of interference, including the positions of the plurality of sources of interference, is determined on the basis of the ascertained interference powers.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein from the plurality of interference powers, the spatial distribution of the plurality of interfering radiations is ascertained.

20. A non-transitory program-storage medium having computer executable instructions, the instructions being loaded onto and running on a computer or a processor, causing the computer or processor to execute the instructions for ascertaining sources of interference of a wireless communications network provided in a means of transportation, for an aircraft, comprising the instructions to:

determine a time interval based on a flight phase;

periodically ascertain, at the determined time interval, an interference power of an interfering radiation emitted from a source of interference; and

determine at least one of;

a direction of the interfering radiation and

a distance of the source of interference on the basis of the ascertained interference power;

wherein existence of interference is detected; and

when the existence of interference is detected, a level of interference power is quantitatively ascertained.