Airborne vehicle emulation system and method

• US 20090109063A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Butler, Frank B., Grimshaw, Stephen B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,868,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: F41F 3/065 Rocket pods, i.e. detachable containers for launching a plurality of rockets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

An apparatus includes a first interface configured to communicate via a first protocol, and a first holding device configured to hold an airborne vehicle. The first holding device includes a second interface configured to communicate with the first interface via the first protocol, and to communicate with the airborne vehicle via a second protocol. The apparatus includes an emulator configured to convert at least one of a communication of the first protocol into a communication of the second protocol, and a communication of the second protocol into a communication of the first protocol.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first interface configured to communicate via a first protocol;

a first holding device configured to hold an airborne vehicle, the first holding device including a second interface configured to communicate with the first interface via the first protocol and to communicate with the airborne vehicle via a second protocol; and

an emulator configured to convert at least one of a communication of the first protocol into a communication of the second protocol, and a communication of the second protocol into a communication of the first protocol.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the airborne vehicle is a first airborne vehicle of a first type;

the apparatus comprises a control unit configured to communicate with the second interface and an operator of the apparatus via the first protocol; and

the control unit includes the first interface and a display.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first interface comprises:

a receiving unit configured to receive first configuration information of the first airborne vehicle via the first protocol; and

an output unit configured to output the received first configuration information to at least one of the second interface and the display via the first protocol.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the apparatus is at least one of an aircraft, a land-based vehicle and a naval-based vehicle;

the first configuration information of the first protocol includes instructions and parameters for operating the first airborne vehicle; and

the receiving unit is configured to receive the first configuration information from the operator of the apparatus via the first protocol.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the receiving unit is configured to receive at least one of a power on/off instruction, a test instruction, a coordinates instruction and a launch instruction as the first configuration information of the first airborne vehicle via the first protocol from the operator of the apparatus; and

the output unit is configured to output the received first configuration information of the first airborne vehicle to the second interface via the first protocol.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the receiving unit comprises an input unit configured to be operated by the operator of the apparatus to input the first configuration information of the first airborne vehicle via the first protocol; and

the first configuration information of the first protocol includes instructions and parameters for operating the first airborne vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the first holding device is configured to hold a plurality of the first airborne vehicles; and

the receiving unit is configured to receive, as the first configuration information of at least one of the first airborne vehicles, initialization instructions of the at least one first airborne vehicle from the second interface via the first protocol, and a remaining number instruction indicating a remaining number of the plurality of first airborne vehicles available in the first holding device from the second interface via the first protocol.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the initialization instructions include a designation of whether one of the plurality of first airborne vehicles is presently configured to be launched from the first holding device.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the receiving unit is configured to at least one of

automatically receive the remaining number instruction from the second interface upon one of the plurality of first airborne vehicles being launched from the first holding device, and

receive the remaining number instruction in response to a request from the operator of the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the output unit is configured to output the first configuration information received by the receiving unit to the display via the first protocol; and

the display is configured to display the first configuration information of the at least one first airborne vehicle via the first protocol.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising:

a second holding device configured to hold a second airborne vehicle of a second type, which operates in accordance with a communication of the first protocol,

wherein the first interface is configured to communicate with the first holding device and the second holding device via the first protocol.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first airborne vehicle is a laser guided rocket, and the second airborne vehicle is a guided missile.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the first holding device is a canister configured to hold the laser guided rocket, and to launch the laser guided rocket via the second protocol; and

the second holding device is a canister configured to hold the guided missile, and to launch the guided missile via the first protocol.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, comprising:

a platform configured to mount the first holding device and the second holding device to the apparatus, wherein;

the platform includes a launcher configured to launch the second airborne vehicle held in the second holding device; and

the first holding device is adaptively structured to be mounted to the launcher to enable the launcher to launch the first airborne vehicle.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the apparatus is an aircraft including a wing; and

the platform is configured to mount the first holding device and the second holding device to the wing of the aircraft.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first interface comprises:

a receiving unit configured to receive first configuration information of the first airborne vehicle via the first protocol, and to receive second configuration information of the second airborne vehicle via the first protocol; and

an output unit configured to output the received first configuration information to the second interface via the first protocol to operate the first airborne vehicle, and to output the received second configuration information to the second holding device via the first protocol to operate the second airborne vehicle.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first configuration information of the first protocol includes instructions and parameters for operating the first airborne vehicle, and the second configuration information of the first protocol includes instructions and parameters for operating the second airborne vehicle.

18. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the second interface is configured to output the first configuration information of the first airborne vehicle received from the output unit to the emulator via the first protocol; and

the emulator is configured to convert the received first configuration information of the first protocol into configuration information of the second protocol for operating the first airborne vehicle.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the emulator is configured to communicate with the first airborne vehicle via the second protocol, and to output the converted configuration information of the second protocol to the first airborne vehicle to operate the first airborne vehicle.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

the first airborne vehicle is configured to output the configuration information of the second protocol to the emulator;

the emulator is configured to convert the configuration information of the second protocol received from the first airborne vehicle into the first configuration information of the first protocol, and to output the converted first configuration information of the first protocol to the second interface via the first protocol; and

the second interface is configured to output the received converted first configuration information of the first protocol to the receiving unit of the first interface.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

the emulator is configured to communicate with a launcher;

the launcher is configured to hold and launch the first airborne vehicle, which operates in accordance with configuration information of the second protocol, a second airborne vehicle of a second type, which operates in accordance with configuration information of the first protocol, and a third airborne vehicle of a third type, which operates in accordance with configuration information of a third protocol;

the emulator is configured to receive the configuration information of the first protocol from the interface;

the configuration information of the first protocol includes parameters and instructions for operating the first airborne vehicle, the second airborne vehicle, and the third airborne vehicle; and

the emulator is configured to convert the received configuration information of the first protocol into the configuration information of the second protocol for operating the first airborne vehicle, and to convert the received configuration information of the first protocol into the configuration information of the third protocol for operating the third airborne vehicle.

22. An emulator comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a first communication of a first protocol for operating an airborne vehicle, which operates in accordance with a communication of a second protocol, and to receive a second communication of the second protocol from the airborne vehicle;

a conversion unit configured to convert at least one of the received first communication of the first protocol into the second communication of the second protocol, and the received second communication of the second protocol into the first communication of the first protocol; and

an output unit configured to output at least one of the converted second communication of the second protocol to the airborne vehicle for operating the airborne vehicle, and the converted first communication of the first protocol to an interface enabling an operator to control an operation of the airborne vehicle.

23. An airborne vehicle holding device for holding and launching a first airborne vehicle of a first type, the airborne vehicle holding device comprising:

a first interface configured to communicate with a second interface via a first protocol to receive a communication of the first protocol for operating the first airborne vehicle, which operates in accordance with a communication of a second protocol;

a canister configured to hold the first airborne vehicle, the canister being adaptively structured to be mounted to a launcher configured to launch a second airborne vehicle of a second type; and

an emulator configured to convert at least one of the received communication of the first protocol into a communication of the second protocol for operating the first airborne vehicle via the second protocol, and a communication of the second protocol received from the first airborne vehicle into a communication of the first protocol to be outputted to the first interface via the first protocol.

24. A weapons system comprising:

first communication means for communicating via a first protocol;

first holding means for holding an airborne vehicle;

second communication means for communicating with the first communication means via the first protocol, and communicating with the airborne vehicle via a second protocol; and

conversion means for converting at least one of a communication of the first protocol into a communication of the second protocol, and a communication of the second protocol into a communication of the first protocol.

25. A method for emulating an airborne vehicle, the method comprising:

transmitting a communication of a first protocol to a holding device holding an airborne vehicle, which operates in accordance with a communication of a second protocol;

converting the communication of the first protocol transmitted to the holding device into a communication of the second protocol; and

transmitting the converted communication of the second protocol to the airborne vehicle to operate the airborne vehicle.