SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTING A GROUND STATION IN AN AIR-GROUND DATA NETWORK

• US 20060217851A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: McGuffin, Thomas F., True, Willard R., Erwin, Mark C., Holder, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,684,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

Systems and methods for selecting a ground station for air-ground communications are disclosed. In an embodiment, a system includes a communications device operable to maintain bi-directional communications between an aircraft and a selected ground station, and a communications processor coupled to the device that is configured to select the ground station by executing a logical rule that is based upon a signal strength value of the ground station and at least one of an aircraft altitude and an occupancy value of the frequency channel.

Claims

1. A communications system for an aircraft, comprising:

a communications device operable to maintain bi-directional data communications between the aircraft and a selected ground communications station; and

a communications processor coupled to the communications device that is configured to select the ground communications station by executing at least one logical rule retained within the processor, the at least one logical rule operable to select the ground station based upon a ground station signal strength value and at least one of an aircraft altitude and a station occupancy value.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the at least one logical rule is operable to determine if the aircraft has exceeded a reference altitude while maintaining communications with a first ground station and further operable to determine if a measured signal strength is less than a reference signal strength and transferring the bi-directional communications from the first ground station to a second ground station if the aircraft has exceeded the reference altitude and if the measured signal strength is less than the reference signal strength.

3. The communications system of claim 2, wherein the reference altitude is at least about twenty-four thousand feet, and the measured signal strength is at least about two.

4. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the at least one logical rule is operable to determine a frequency channel occupancy value for a frequency channel used for communication with the aircraft and further operable to determine if a measured signal strength is less than a reference signal strength and transferring the bi-directional communications from the first ground station to a second ground station if the frequency channel occupancy is less than a predetermined reference value and if the measured signal strength is less than the reference signal strength.

5. The communications system of claim 4, wherein the predetermined reference value is about 0.50 and the measured signal strength is at least about two.

6. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the at least one logical rule comprises a hardware portion of the communications processor.

7. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the at least one logical rule comprises a software component installed in the communications processor.

8. The communications system of claim 7, wherein the software component is a portion of a software revision.

9. A method of selecting a ground station in an air-ground communications network, comprising:

initiating radio communications between an aircraft and a first ground station;

determining an altitude of the aircraft while determining a signal strength value of the first ground station; and

comparing the altitude of the aircraft to a first reference altitude while comparing the signal strength value to a first reference signal strength value, and if the aircraft is above the first reference altitude and the signal strength value is less than the first reference signal strength value, discontinuing radio communications with the first ground station and initiating radio communications with a second ground station.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising comparing the altitude of the aircraft to a second reference altitude while comparing the signal strength value to a second reference signal strength, and if the altitude is greater than the first reference altitude and less than the second reference altitude while the signal strength value is less than the second reference signal strength, discontinuing radio communications with the first ground station and initiating radio communications with the second ground station.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising comparing the altitude of the aircraft to a third reference altitude while comparing the signal strength value to a third reference signal strength, and if the altitude is greater than the second reference altitude and less than the third reference altitude while the signal strength value is less than the third reference signal strength, discontinuing radio communications with the first ground station and initiating radio communications with the second ground station.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising comparing the altitude of the aircraft to the third reference altitude while comparing the signal strength value to a fourth reference signal strength, and if the altitude is greater than the third reference altitude while the signal strength value is less than the fourth reference value, discontinuing radio communications with the first ground station and initiating radio communications with the second ground station.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first reference altitude is approximately about five-thousand feet, and the first signal strength value is approximately about five.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the second reference altitude is approximately about twelve-thousand feet, and wherein the second reference signal strength value is approximately about four.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the third reference altitude is approximately about twenty-four thousand feet, and wherein the third reference signal strength value is approximately about three.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein a fourth reference signal of approximately about two.

17. A method of selecting a ground station in an air-ground communications network, comprising:

initiating radio communications between an aircraft and a first ground station;

determining a channel occupancy value for the frequency channel while determining a signal strength value for the first ground station; and

comparing the channel occupancy to a reference occupancy value while comparing the signal strength value to a reference signal strength value, and if the occupancy value is less than the reference occupancy value and the signal strength value is less than the reference value, discontinuing radio communications with the first ground station and initiating radio communications with a second ground station.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising comparing the channel occupancy to a second reference occupancy while comparing the signal strength value to a second reference signal strength, and if the channel occupancy is greater than the reference value and less than the second reference altitude while the signal strength value is less than the second reference value, discontinuing radio communications with the first ground station and initiating radio communications with the second ground station.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising comparing the channel occupancy to the second reference occupancy while comparing the signal strength value to a third reference signal strength, and if the channel occupancy is greater than the reference value while the signal strength value is less than the third reference value, discontinuing radio communications with the first ground station and initiating radio communications with the second ground station.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein comparing the channel occupancy to a reference occupancy value while comparing the signal strength value to a reference signal strength value further comprises comparing the channel occupancy to a reference occupancy value of approximately about 0.25, and wherein comparing the signal strength value to a reference signal strength value further comprises comparing the signal strength value to a reference signal strength value of approximately about one.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein comparing the channel occupancy to a second reference occupancy while comparing the signal strength value to a second reference signal strength further comprises comparing the channel occupancy to a second reference occupancy value of approximately about 0.50, and further wherein comparing the signal strength value to a second reference signal strength further comprises comparing the signal strength value to a second reference signal strength of approximately about two.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein comparing the channel occupancy to the second reference occupancy while comparing the signal strength value to a third reference signal strength further comprises comparing the signal strength value to a third reference value of approximately about three.