Over the horizon communications network and method

• US 20030164794A1
• Filed: 03/04/2002
• Published: 09/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Levy, Renato, Bachrach, Benjamin, Haynes, Leonard S.
• Application Number:
  US10/090,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20030164794A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/353
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7172 Pulse shape in general H04L25/03834
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7183 Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/719 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform

Abstract

A network and method are provided that utilize impulse radio technology to enable an impulse radio communication link between a ground control station and an unmanned ground vehicle. Moreover, the network can include one or more unmanned aerial vehicles that act as repeater platforms which can extend the range of the impulse radio communication link between the ground control station and the unmanned ground vehicle.

Claims

1. A network comprising:

a ground control station; and

at least one unmanned ground vehicle, each unmanned ground vehicle is capable of operating from a non line-of-sight location with respect to said ground control station because each unmanned ground vehicle is capable of communicating with said ground control station using an impulse radio communications link.

2. The network of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles capable of acting as repeater platforms that extend a range of the impulse radio communications link between each unmanned ground vehicle and said ground control station.

3. The network of claim 2, wherein said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles are self-controlling.

4. The network of claim 2, wherein said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles can be self-controlling by following the steps of:

identifying one or more unmanned aerial vehicles that should be in communication with each unmanned ground vehicle;

identifying for each unmanned aerial vehicle at least one unmanned aerial vehicle they should be in communication with; and

guiding each unmanned aerial vehicle to a position which allows that unmanned aerial vehicle to satisfy the results of the two identifying steps.

5. The network of claim 2, wherein each unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of making navigation decisions based on perceived positions of other unmanned aerial vehicles and at least one unmanned ground vehicle.

6. The network of claim 2, wherein each unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of making navigation decisions based on perceived ranges of other unmanned aerial vehicles and at least one unmanned ground vehicle.

7. The network of claim 2, wherein said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles are self-healing such that if one or more unmanned aerial vehicles become disabled then the remaining unmanned aerial vehicles can organize in a manner to maintain communication connectivity between each unmanned ground vehicle and said ground control station.

8. The network of claim 2, wherein said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles are capable of determining whether additional unmanned aerial vehicles should be launched to help maintain communication connectivity between each unmanned ground vehicle and said ground control station.

9. The network of claim 1, wherein said network is an active network capable of adjusting the bandwidth of each impulse radio communications link.

10. A method for enabling an impulse radio communication link between an unmanned ground vehicle and a ground control station, said method comprising the steps of:

setting up the ground control station;

deploying the unmanned ground vehicle; and

deploying a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles each of which is capable of acting as a repeater platform that extends a range of the impulse radio communications link between the unmanned ground vehicle and the ground control station.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of deploying a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles in a manner such that the unmanned aerial vehicles are self-controlling.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles can be self-controlling by following the steps of:

identifying one or more unmanned aerial vehicles that should be in communication with the unmanned ground vehicle;

identifying for each unmanned aerial vehicle at least one unmanned aerial vehicle they should be in communication with; and

guiding each unmanned aerial vehicle to a position which allows that unmanned aerial vehicle to satisfy the results of the two identifying steps.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of deploying a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles further includes the step of enabling each unmanned aerial vehicle to make navigation decisions based on perceived positions of other unmanned aerial vehicles and said unmanned ground vehicle.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of deploying a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles further includes the step of enabling each unmanned aerial vehicle to make navigation decisions based on perceived ranges of other unmanned aerial vehicles and said unmanned ground vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of deploying a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles further includes the step of enabling said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles to be self-healing such that if one or more unmanned aerial vehicles become disabled then the remaining unmanned aerial vehicles can organize in a manner to maintain communication connectivity between said unmanned ground vehicle and said ground control station.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of deploying a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles further includes the step of enabling said plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles to determine whether additional unmanned aerial vehicles should be launched to help maintain communication connectivity between said unmanned ground vehicle and said ground control station.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said impulse radio communications link is capable of simultaneously supporting communications, telemetry and range determinations.

18. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

an impulse radio unit capable of enabling an impulse radio communications link between an unmanned ground vehicle and a ground control station, wherein said unmanned ground vehicle is operating from a non line-of-sight location with respect to the ground control station.

19. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 18, wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle is part of a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles that are self-controlling.

20. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 19, wherein each unmanned aerial vehicle in the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles is capable of making navigation decisions based on a perceived position of the unmanned ground vehicle.

21. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 20, further comprising a pair of ultra-wideband antennas each of which receives an impulse radio signal from the unmanned ground vehicle which enables said unmanned aerial vehicle to determine a time difference of arrival measurement and then an angle of arrival measurement which indicates the position of the unmanned ground vehicle.

22. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 19, wherein each unmanned aerial vehicle in the swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles is capable of making navigation decisions based on a perceived range of the unmanned ground vehicle.

23. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 18, wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle is part of a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles that are self-healing such that if one or more unmanned aerial vehicles become disabled then the remaining unmanned aerial vehicles can organize in a manner to maintain communication connectivity between the unmanned ground vehicle and the ground control station.

24. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 18, wherein said unmanned aerial vehicle is part of a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles that are capable of determining whether additional unmanned aerial vehicles should be launched to help maintain communication connectivity between the unmanned ground vehicle and said ground control station.

25. An unmanned ground vehicle comprising:

an impulse radio unit capable of communicating with an ground control station using an impulse radio communications link, wherein a range of said impulse radio communications link can be extended by using unmanned aerial vehicles as repeater platforms between the ground control station and said unmanned ground vehicle.

26. The unmanned ground control vehicle of claim 25, wherein said unmanned ground control vehicle is capable of operating from a non line-of-sight location with respect to the ground control station.

27. The unmanned ground vehicle of claim 25, further comprising at least one sensor coupled to said impulse radio unit that is capable of transmitting sensor related data to the ground control station.

28. The unmanned ground vehicle of claim 25, further comprising a camera coupled to said impulse radio unit that is capable of transmitting a digital video to the ground control station.

29. The unmanned ground vehicle of claim 25, wherein said impulse radio communications link is enabled by a high level information sharing protocol.