Transmission data for flight check

• US 10,281,586 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2017
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales USA Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Thales USA Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Otsubo, Tom, Mullin, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US15/479,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20170293034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/31 Acquisition or tracking of other signals for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A method, system, and computer-readable medium for performing a flight check of one or more navigational aid systems. Aspects include obtaining, using an aircraft, first information associated with an accuracy of signals transmitted by a localizer. Aspects also include obtaining, using the aircraft, second information associated with an accuracy of signals transmitted by a glide slope station. Aspects also include transmitting the first information and the second information to a ground receiver for processing.

Claims

1. A method performed by at least one processor of an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, that operates to conduct a flight check of a navigational aid system, the method comprising:

receiving first signals transmitted by a localizer of the navigational aid system;

determining first information that indicates an accuracy of the first signals transmitted by the localizer;

receiving second signals transmitted by a glide slope station of the navigational aid system;

determining second information that indicates an accuracy of the second signals transmitted by the glide slope station; and

transmitting the first information and the second information, from the UAV through a wireless communication link, to a ground receiver to test an accuracy of the navigational aid system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one of location information, speed information, heading information, or altitude information during flight of the UAV; and

transmitting the at least one of the location information, the speed information, the heading information, or the altitude information determined during the flight of the UAV to the ground receiver.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving signals transmitted by one of a very high frequency omnidirectional range, VOR, equipment, a distance measuring equipment, DME, a TACtical Air Navigation, TACAN, equipment, or an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast, ADS-B, equipment;

determining third information that indicates an accuracy of signals transmitted by the VOR equipment, the DME, the TACAN equipment; and

the ADS-B equipment; and

transmitting the third information from the UAV to the ground receiver.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the localizer, the glide slope station, and the DME equipment are all part of an instrument landing system (ILS) used when landing an aircraft on a runway.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining third information that indicates an accuracy of signals transmitted by one of the VOR equipment, DME, and the ADS-B equipment comprises analyzing a phase difference between the signals transmitted by one of the VOR equipment, DME, and the ADS-B equipment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first signals and receiving the second signals comprises receiving the first signals and second signals during a prerecorded course of a flight of the UAV and performing the determination of the first and second information during the flight of the UAV along the prerecorded course of flight.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the UAV comprises a drone or a battery-operated quadcopter.

8. A method performed by a ground receiver that operates to conduct a flight check of a navigational aid system, comprising:

receiving, through a wireless communication link from an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, first information that indicates an accuracy of signals transmitted by a localizer of the navigational aid system to the UAV;

receiving, through the wireless communication link from the UAV, second information that indicates an accuracy of signals transmitted by a glide slope station of the navigational aid system to the UAV;

receiving at least one of location information, speed information, heading information, or altitude information associated with a position of the UAV;

determining the accuracy of the signals transmitted by the localizer to the UAV based on the first information and the at least one of the location information, the speed information, the heading information, or the altitude information; and

determining the accuracy of the signals transmitted by the glide slope station to the UAV based on the second information and the at least one of the location information, the speed information, the heading information, or the altitude information.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, through the wireless communication link from the UAV, third information that indicates an accuracy of signals transmitted by very high frequency (VHF) omnidirectional range (VOR) equipment; and

determining the accuracy of the signals transmitted by the VOR equipment to the UAV based on the third information and the at least one of the location information, the speed information, the heading information, or the altitude information.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the localizer and the glide slope station part of an instrument landing system (ILS) that guides aircraft during a landing procedure.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

validating existing ground-based augmentation system (GBAS) airport way-points using an integrated global positioning system (GPS) based on at least one of the first information, the second information, or the at least one of the location information, the speed information, the heading information, or the altitude information.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, through the wireless communication link from the UAV, third information that indicates an accuracy of signals transmitted to the UAV by at least one of a distance measuring equipment (DME), a TACtical Air Navigation (TACAN) equipment, or automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) equipment; and

determining an accuracy of the DME, the TACAN equipment, or ADS-B equipment based on the third information and the location information received from the from the UAV.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the UAV comprises one of a drone or a battery-operated quadcopter.

14. An apparatus of an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, that performs a flight check of a navigational aid system, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive first signals transmitted by a localizer of the navigational aid system;

determine first information that indicates an accuracy of the first signals transmitted by the localizer;

receive second signals transmitted by a glide slope station of the navigational aid system;

determine second information that indicates an accuracy of signals transmitted by the glide slope station; and

transmit, through a wireless communication link, the first information and the second information to a ground receiver to test an accuracy of the navigational aid system.

15. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, that stores computer executable code that causes a processor of the UAV to operate to conduct a flight check of a navigational aid system, the computer-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising code for:

receiving first signals transmitted by a localizer of the navigational aid system;

determining first information that indicates an accuracy of the first signals transmitted by the localizer;

receiving second signals transmitted by a glide slope station of the navigational aid system;

determining second information that indicates an accuracy of the second signals transmitted by the glide slope station; and

transmitting the first information and the second information, from the UAV through a wireless communication link, to a ground receiver to test an accuracy of the navigational aid system.