Alternative communications for an air vehicle

• US 10,249,201 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2017
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Spinelli, Charles B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US15/433,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20170154538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1- 18
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/01 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0004 Transmission of traffic-related information to or from an aircraft airborne radio transmission systems in general H04B7/185; airborne wireless networks H04W84/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

An example air vehicle includes a transponder to transmit a code indicative of a communications systems failure on the air vehicle. The example air vehicle includes a satellite receiver to receive, after the transponder code has been transmitted, a message from a satellite in communication with the air vehicle. The satellite receiver is to identify the message as including a command for the air vehicle and decode the message to determine the command. The example air vehicle includes a processor to execute the command.

Claims

1. An air vehicle comprising:

a transponder to transmit a code indicative of a communications system failure on the air vehicle;

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver to;

receive, after the transponder code has been transmitted, a message from a GPS satellite in communication with the air vehicle;

identify the message as including a command for the air vehicle; and

decode the message to determine the command; and

a processor to execute the command.

2. The air vehicle of claim 1, wherein the code is indicative of a failure of the communications system to communicate with an air vehicle controller.

3. The air vehicle of claim 1, wherein the command includes a flight path for the air vehicle, the processor to cause the flight path to be displayed via a display of the air vehicle.

4. The air vehicle of claim 1, wherein the command includes a location to which the air vehicle is to fly.

5. The air vehicle of claim 1, wherein the message is a first message, and wherein the GPS receiver is to distinguish the first message from a second message received by the GPS receiver from the GPS satellite based on respective formats of the first and second messages.

6. The air vehicle of claim 1, wherein the code is a first code, and wherein the transponder is to transmit a second code indicative of receipt of the message by the GPS receiver.

16. The air vehicle of claim 1, wherein the communications system failure is indicative of a failure of a radio communication controller on the air vehicle.

17. The air vehicle of claim 1, wherein the message is broadcast by the GPS satellite, wherein the message is encrypted, and wherein the GPS receiver is to decrypt the message via a decryption key.

7. A method for re-establishing communication with an air vehicle after a communications system failure on the air vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, via a processor, an indication of the communications system failure;

generating, by executing an instruction with the processor, an instruction for the air vehicle including a course of action to be taken by the air vehicle;

encrypting, by executing an instruction with the processor, the instruction into an encrypted message; and

reducing an amount of time to re-establish communication with the air vehicle by transmitting, by executing an instruction with the processor, the encrypted message to a satellite receiver of the air vehicle via a satellite in communication with the air vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the instruction is a first instruction and further including:

receiving an indication of an intended course of action of the air vehicle;

generating a second instruction for the air vehicle to override the intended course of action; and

transmitting the second instruction to the satellite receiver via the satellite.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the indication of the communications system failure includes a transponder code transmitted by the air vehicle, the transponder code indicative of a loss of two-way communication.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the air vehicle is an unmanned air vehicle and the indication includes a communication from an operator of the unmanned air vehicle of a loss of communication with the unmanned air vehicle.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein generating the instruction includes providing an identifier to identify the instruction as a command message for the air vehicle.

12. The method of claim 7, further including sending the encrypted message to the air vehicle periodically after receipt of the indication of the communications system failure.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein the satellite receiver is a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and the satellite is a GPS satellite.

13. A vehicle comprising:

means for providing an indication of a communications system failure on the vehicle;

means for receiving an encrypted message from a global positioning system (GPS) satellite in communication with the vehicle, the means for receiving the encrypted message to receive the encrypted message after the providing of the indication of the communications system failure by the means for providing, the means for receiving the encrypted message to decode the encrypted message to determine a course of action for the vehicle; and

means for executing the course of action.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the means for providing the indication is a transponder.

15. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the means for receiving the encrypted message is to distinguish the encrypted message from a second message received by the means for receiving from the GPS satellite, the second message including data other than the course of action.