Control station audio and data recording systems for vehicles

• US 10,583,923 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2017
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Alves, Erin Elizabeth, Krishna, Kiran Gopala
• Primary Examiner(s): Alharbi, Adam M
• Application Number:
  US15/670,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20190039729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1281 Aircraft, e.g. spacecraft, airplane or helicopter

Abstract

Control station audio and data recording systems are provided. The audio recording system comprises an audio packetizer processing unit in a control station and in operative communication with audio sources. The packetizer processing unit generates audio packet information for vehicles in communication with the control station. An audio storage unit communicates with the packetizer processing unit. The audio storage unit stores audio packet information, and provides audio indexing and metadata. An audio playback unit provides access to the stored audio packet information. The data recording system comprises a data processing unit located a the control station. The data processing unit communicates with onboard vehicle data recorders and with other data sources. The data processing unit generates data packet information for the vehicles. A data storage unit communicates with the data processing unit and stores the data packet information. A data playback unit provides access to the stored data packet information.

Claims

1. A control station audio recording system, comprising:

an audio packetizer processing unit located in at least one ground controller station, the audio packetizer processing unit in operative communication with one or more audio sources, the audio packetizer processing unit configured to generate audio packet information for one or more vehicles in operative communication with the at least one ground controller station;

an audio storage unit in operative communication with the audio packetizer processing unit, the audio storage unit configured to store the audio packet information for each vehicle, and provide audio indexing and audio metadata; and

an audio playback unit, located in the at least one ground controller station, and configured to provide access to the stored audio packet information for each vehicle;

wherein the audio packet information is generated from audio information received by the audio packetizer processing unit from the one or more audio sources.

2. The control station audio recording system of claim 1, wherein the audio packet information comprises at least one of vehicle identification, timestamp information, operator identification per channel, or audio stream per channel.

3. The control station audio recording system of claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicles comprise an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), an unmanned ground vehicle, or an autonomous vehicle.

4. The control station audio recording system of claim 3, wherein the one or more audio sources comprise an audio input from one or more vehicle operators, an air traffic control (ATC) audio stream, or an event marker source.

5. The control station audio recording system of claim 1, wherein the audio storage unit is implemented with non-volatile memory locally in the at least one ground controller station.

6. The control station audio recording system of claim 1, wherein the audio storage unit is implemented with non-volatile memory remotely in cloud storage.

7. The control station audio recording system of claim 1, wherein the audio playback unit includes playback controls that allow for time specific playback and event specific playback of the stored audio packet information.

8. The control station audio recording system of claim 1, further comprising an audio query engine that provides search functions for accessing the stored audio packet information, the search functions including query by time, query by event, query by vehicle identification, or select channels.

9. The control station audio recording system of claim 1, wherein:

the audio packetizer processing unit is located in each of a plurality of ground controller stations, the audio packetizer processing unit in each respective ground controller station in operative communication with the one or more audio sources; and

the audio storage unit is in a centralized location away from each respective ground controller station, the audio storage unit in operative communication with each audio packetizer processing unit through an audio router or gateway in each respective ground controller station.

10. The control station audio recording system of claim 9, wherein the audio storage unit is implemented with non-volatile memory in a centralized server or in cloud storage.

11. A control station data recording system, comprising:

a data processing unit located in at least one ground controller station, the data processing unit in operative communication with a vehicle data recorder onboard each of one or more vehicles, and with one or more other data sources, wherein the data processing unit is configured to generate data packet information for the one or more vehicles;

a data storage unit in operative communication with the data processing unit, the data storage unit configured to store the data packet information for each vehicle; and

a data playback unit, located in the at least one ground controller station, and configured to provide access to the stored data packet information for each vehicle;

wherein the data packet information is generated from data received from the vehicle data recorder onboard each vehicle, and data received from the one or more other data sources.

12. The control station data recording system of claim 11, wherein the data packet information comprises at least one of control station site identification, vehicle identification, mission data, event marker identification, timestamp information, operator data and identification, processed data generated by a workstation with identification, telemetric data from a vehicle data recorder, ground equipment health, or external data.

13. The control station data recording system of claim 11, wherein the one or more vehicles comprise an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), an unmanned ground vehicle, or an autonomous vehicle.

14. The control station data recording system of claim 11, wherein the one or more other data sources comprise an operator input source, a processed output source, a mission data source, an external data source, a control station equipment heath monitor, or an event marker source.

15. The control station data recording system of claim 11, wherein the data storage unit is implemented with non-volatile memory locally in the at least one ground controller station.

16. The control station data recording system of claim 11, wherein the data storage unit is implemented with non-volatile memory remotely in cloud storage.

17. The control station data recording system of claim 11, wherein the data playback unit is configured to index stored data using time queries or event queries.

18. The control station data recording system of claim 11, wherein:

the data processing unit is located in each of a plurality of ground controller stations, the data processing unit in each respective ground controller station in operative communication with the vehicle data recorder onboard each vehicle and with the one or more other data sources; and

the data storage unit is in a centralized location away from each respective ground controller station, the data storage unit in operative communication with each data processing unit through a data router or gateway in each respective ground controller station.

19. The control station data recording system of claim 18, wherein the data storage unit is implemented with non-volatile memory in a centralized server or in cloud storage.