System and method for collection of radio environment information using a limited datalink

• US 10,700,943 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2018
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacific Custom Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pacific Custom Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Ahlport, Steven Frederick, Von Stauffenberg, Andy
• Primary Examiner(s): Shiue, Dong-Chang
• Application Number:
  US15/994,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20180351826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/20 Drawing from basic elements, e.g. lines or circles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/336 Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

Systems and methods for analyzing and displaying radiofrequency (RF) information collected at a radio sensor are provided. The method can include receiving, analyzing and buffering RF signal information at a radio sensor. The radio sensor can relay the buffered signal data and related metadata to a ground station for display, review, and playback. The buffered signal data can be stored in a memory of the ground station, each RF signal of the plurality of RF signals having an associated signal data buffer in the memory. The ground station can then display activity boxes on a box display indicating an activity level or an amount of data buffered relating to an associated RF signal. The system can further display activity symbols on an activity display each activity symbol depicting a timewise display of the spectral data and/or an amount of signal data buffered.

Claims

1. A method for displaying radiofrequency (RF) information collected at a radio sensor, the method comprising:

receiving signal data from a radio sensor at a receiver of a ground station, the signal data being associated with a plurality of RF signals received at the radio sensor, the radio sensor being configured to buffer data related to a subset of the plurality of RF signals;

storing the signal data in a memory of the ground station, the signal data including metadata data associated with each RF signal of the plurality of RF signals;

determining, by one or more processors coupled to the memory, an activity level of each RF signal based on the metadata, the activity level indicating an amount of data received on each RF signal;

assigning, by the one or more processors, a color and fill to an activity box of plurality of activity boxes based on the activity level, each activity box corresponding to a single RF signal of the plurality of RF signals;

displaying, by the one or more processors, the plurality of activity boxes on a box display of a user interface;

receiving, at the one or more processors, a selection of one or more activity boxes via the user interface, the selection indicating one or more signals of interest, the one or more signals of interest being a subset of the plurality of RF signals;

transmitting, to the sensor, a request to downlink buffered versions of the one or more signals of interest the buffered versions including audio data associated with the one or more signals;

receiving and saving to the memory, the buffered versions of the one or more signals of interest; and

displaying a plurality of activity symbols on the user interface as an activity display based on the selection and the associated signal data buffers, each activity symbol of the plurality of activity symbols representing the signal data associated with a period of time of a corresponding RF signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity symbols are displayed in rows on the activity display based on channel and time, each row corresponding to a single RF signal over time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity display further comprises the metadata displayed for each channel.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a selection of an activity symbol of the plurality of activity symbols; and

playing the audio data related to the selected activity symbol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the color and fill of each activity box is based at least in part on an amount of signal data in the memory and available for playback.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the plurality of RF signals within a RF spectrum at the radio sensor at a receiver of the radio sensor;

decoding and demodulating the plurality of RF signals;

determining metadata for each RF signal of the plurality of RF signals; and

buffering one or more of the RF signals in memory.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the signal data includes periodic reception of a corresponding RF signal of the plurality of RF signals.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata comprises at least one of signal frequency, signal bandwidth, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a signal UpTime, and a signal DownTime.

9. A ground station for receiving and displaying radiofrequency (RF) information collected at a radio sensor, the ground station comprising:

a receiver configured to signal data from a radio sensor, the signal data being associated with a plurality of RF signals received at the radio sensor, the radio sensor being configured to buffer data related to a subset of the plurality of RF signals;

a memory configured to store the signal data, the signal data including metadata data associated with each RF signal of the plurality of RF signals;

one or more processors operably coupled to the receiver and the memory and configured to

determine an activity level of each RF signal based on the metadata, the activity level indicating an amount of data received on each RF signal, and

assign a color and fill to an activity box of plurality of activity boxes based on the activity level, each activity box corresponding to a single RF signal of the plurality of RF signals; and

a user interface operably coupled to the one or more processors and configured to display the plurality of activity boxes via a box display;

wherein the user interface is further configured to receive a selection of one or more activity boxes, the selection indicating one or more signals of interest, the one or more signals of interest being a subset of the plurality of RF signals, and

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to

transmit, to the sensor, a request to downlink buffered versions of the one or more signals of interest;

receive and save to the memory, the buffered versions of the one or more signals of interest; and

display a plurality of activity symbols on the user interface as an activity display based on the selection and the associated signal data buffers, each activity symbol of the plurality of activity symbols representing the signal data associated with a period of time of a corresponding RF signal.

10. The ground station of claim 9, wherein the activity symbols are displayed in rows on the activity display based on channel and time, each row corresponding to a single RF signal over time.

11. The ground station of claim 9, wherein the color and fill of each activity box is based on an amount of signal data in the memory and available for playback.

12. A system for analyzing and displaying RF signal information including the ground station of claim 9, the system further comprising the radio sensor having:

a receiver configured to receive a plurality of RF signals within a RF spectrum;

a signal processing subsystem configured to

decode and demodulate the plurality of RF signals,

determine metadata for each RF signal of the plurality of RF signals, and

store the RF signals as the signal data to a plurality of buffers in a sensor memory.

13. The ground station of claim 9 wherein the signal data includes periodic reception of a corresponding RF signal of the plurality of RF signals.

14. The ground station of claim 9 wherein the signal data includes metadata related to each buffered RF signal, the metadata including at least one of signal frequency, signal bandwidth, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a signal UpTime, and a signal DownTime.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, that when executed by one or more processors cause a computer to:

receive signal data associated with a plurality of RF signals received at a radio sensor, the radio sensor being configured to buffer data related to a subset of the plurality of RF signals;

store the signal data in a memory, the signal data including metadata data associated with each RF signal of the plurality of RF signals;

determine an activity level of each RF signal based on the metadata, the activity level indicating an amount of data received on each RF signal;

assign a color and fill to an activity box of plurality of activity boxes based on the activity level, each activity box corresponding to a single RF signal of the plurality of RF signals;

display the plurality of activity boxes on a box display of a user interface;

receive a selection of one or more activity boxes via the user interface, the selection indicating one or more signals of interest, the one or more signals of interest being a subset of the plurality of RF signals;

transmit a request to downlink buffered versions of the one or more signals of interest the buffered versions including audio data associated with the one or more signals;

receive and store the buffered versions of the one or more signals of interest; and

display a plurality of activity symbols on the user interface as an activity display based on the selection and the associated signal data buffers, each activity symbol of the plurality of activity symbols representing the signal data associated with a period of time of a corresponding RF signal.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the activity symbols are displayed in rows on the activity display based on channel and time, each row corresponding to a single RF signal over time.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the activity display further comprises metadata displayed for each channel.