Communication apparatus and method for unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 10,439,790 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2016
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Aerospace Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Korea Aerospace Research Institute
• Inventors: Yoo, Chang Sun, Kim, Joong Wook
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Larkin Bost, Alexander Connor
• Application Number:
  US15/767,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20190074956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/185 Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systemsH04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• 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: H04B 7/208 Frequency-division multiple access [FDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1423 for simultaneous baseband signals

Abstract

A communication system for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: an onboard communication apparatus, mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle, for communicating by means of a previously configured frequency band; and a ground communication apparatus for communicating with the onboard communication apparatus by means of the previously configured frequency band.

Claims

1. A communication system for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the communication system comprising:

an onboard communication apparatus mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle and configured to operate using a preset frequency band; and

a ground communication apparatus configured to communicate with the onboard communication apparatus using the preset frequency band,

wherein the ground communication apparatus includes a baseband unit connected to a ground control apparatus, a transmission unit connected to the baseband unit, a reception unit connected to the baseband unit, a duplexer connected to the transmission unit and the reception unit, and an antenna unit connected to the duplexer, and

wherein the onboard communication apparatus includes a baseband unit connected to a flight control computer, a transmission unit connected to the baseband unit, a reception unit connected to the baseband unit, a duplexer connected to the transmission unit and the reception unit, and an antenna unit connected to the duplexer.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the preset frequency band is a C-band.

3. The communication system of claim 2, wherein the preset frequency band is a band of 5,030 MHz to 5,091 MHz.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein at least one of telecommands (TCs) and telemetry (TM) is transmitted and received between the onboard communication apparatus and the ground communication apparatus.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the ground communication apparatus communicates with the ground control apparatus through Ethernet, and the onboard communication apparatus communicates with the flight control computer mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle through RS-232.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the onboard communication apparatus further includes a divider interposed between and connected to the duplexer and the antenna unit, and the antenna unit includes a first antenna unit and a second antenna unit mounted on different positions.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the onboard communication apparatus and the ground communication apparatus emit radio waves with a power of −

75 dBW/MHz at an outside of the preset frequency band.

8. A communication method applied in a communication system for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the communication method comprising:

receiving, by an onboard communication apparatus mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle, a signal for controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle from a ground communication apparatus using a preset frequency band; and

processing, by the onboard communication apparatus, the signal,

wherein the ground communication apparatus includes a baseband unit connected to a ground control apparatus, a transmission unit connected to the baseband unit, a reception unit connected to the baseband unit, a duplexer connected to the transmission unit and the reception unit, and an antenna unit connected to the duplexer, and

wherein the onboard communication apparatus includes a baseband unit connected to a flight control computer, a transmission unit connected to the baseband unit, a reception unit connected to the baseband unit, a duplexer connected to the transmission unit and the reception unit, and an antenna unit connected to the duplexer.

9. The communication method of claim 8, wherein the preset frequency band is a C-band.

10. The communication method of claim 9, wherein the preset frequency band is a band of 5,030 MHz to 5,091 MHz.

11. A communication method applied in a communication system for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the communication method comprising:

generating, by a ground communication apparatus, a signal for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle; and

transmitting, by the ground communication apparatus, the signal to an onboard communication apparatus mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle using a preset frequency band,

wherein the ground communication apparatus includes a baseband unit connected to a ground control apparatus, a transmission unit connected to the baseband unit, a reception unit connected to the baseband unit, a duplexer connected to the transmission unit and the reception unit, and an antenna unit connected to the duplexer, and

wherein the onboard communication apparatus includes a baseband unit connected to a flight control computer, a transmission unit connected to the baseband unit, a reception unit connected to the baseband unit, a duplexer connected to the transmission unit and the reception unit, and an antenna unit connected to the duplexer.

12. The communication method of claim 11, wherein the preset frequency band is a C-band.

13. The communication method of claim 12, wherein the preset frequency band is a band of 5,030 MHz to 5,091 MHz.