UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM POSITION REPORTING SYSTEM AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20090248287A1
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sierra Nevada Co. LLC
• Original Assignee: Kutta Technologies, Inc. (Sierra Nevada Co. LLC)
• Inventors: Barnhard, David H., Limbaugh, Douglas V., Rychener, Thomas H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,437,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station

Abstract

Methods of communicating the location of an unmanned aerial system (UAS). Implementations of the method may include receiving position data for a UAS with an air traffic control reporting system (ATC-RS) from a ground control station (GCS) in communication with the UAS, where the ATC-RS and the GCS are coupled together and located on the ground. The method may include transmitting the position data using one or more telecommunication modems included in the ATC-RS to an air traffic control center (ATC) and transmitting the position data using an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) and traffic information services broadcast (TIS-B) receiver to one or more aircraft.

Claims

1. A method of communicating the location of an unmanned aerial system (UAS), the method comprising:

receiving position data for a UAS with an air traffic control reporting system (ATC-RS) from a ground control station (GCS) in communication with the UAS, where the ATC-RS and the GCS are coupled together and located on the ground;

transmitting the position data using one or more telecommunication modems included in the ATC-RS to an air traffic control center (ATC); and

transmitting the position data using an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) and traffic information services broadcast (TIS-B) transceiver to one or more aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a voice signal from an operator of the UAS using the ATC-RS and transmitting the voice signal using the one or more telecommunication modems included in the ATC-RS to the ATC.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining a beacon line of sight region using characteristics of the ADS-B and TIS-B transceiver.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining a radio frequency line of sight (RFLOS) region using the ATC-RS from characteristics of a radio frequency connection between the GCS and the UAS where the RFLOS region surrounds the ATC-RS.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising defining one or more terrain shadowed regions within the RFLOS region by using the ATC-RS to locate a contour of one or more terrain based obstructions and to specify that the one or more terrain shadowed regions exist within a predetermined distance from the contour.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising automatically rerouting the UAS as it enters the one or more terrain shadowed regions.

7. A method of communicating the location of an unmanned aerial system (UAS), the method comprising:

defining a radio frequency line of sight (RFLOS) region surrounding an air traffic control reporting system (ATC-RS) using the ATC-RS;

defining a beacon line of sight region surrounding the ATC-RS using the ATC-RS, the ATC-RS including an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) and traffic information services broadcast (TIS-B) transceiver;

transmitting position information of the UAS located within the RFLOS region to an air traffic control center (ATC) using one or more telecommunication modems included in the ATC-RS, the position information generated using position data received from a ground control station (GCS) coupled to the ATC-RS and in communication with the UAS;

transmitting position information of the UAS using the ADS-B and TIS-B transceiver of the ATC-RS to one or more aircraft located within the beacon line of sight region, the one or more aircraft including an ADS-B and TIS-B transceiver.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein defining the RFLOS region further comprises using one or more characteristics of a radio frequency connection between the GCS and the UAS in defining the RFLOS region and wherein defining the beacon line of sight region further comprises using one or more characteristics of the ADS-B and TIS-B transceiver in defining the beacon line of sight region.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein defining the RFLOS region and defining the beacon line of sight region further include defining a beacon line of sight region larger than the RFLOS region.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting a voice signal from an operator of the UAS received by the ATC-RS using the one or more telecommunication modems.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising defining one or more terrain shadowed regions within the RFLOS region by locating a contour of one or more terrain based obstructions and specifying that the one or more terrain shadowed regions exist within a predetermined distance from the contour.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically rerouting the UAS as it enters the one or more terrain shadowed regions.

13. A method of enabling tracking of the position of an unmanned aerial system (UAS) using a first air traffic control center (ATC) and at least a second ATC, the method comprising:

establishing a first data connection and a first voice connection with the first ATC using one or more telecommunications modems included in an air traffic control reporting system (ATC-RS) coupled with a ground control station (GCS) in communication with the UAS, the ATC-RS and the GCS located on the ground;

transmitting position information and a voice signal to the first ATC using the first data connection and the first voice connection, the position information generated using the ATC-RS from position data received by the ATC-RS from the GCS;

defining at least a first ATC sector and a second ATC sector, the first ATC located in the first ATC sector and the second ATC located in the second ATC sector;

defining an ATC transition zone in one of the first ATC sector, the second ATC sector, or in both the first ATC sector and the second ATC sector;

establishing a second data connection and a second voice connection with the second ATC using the one or more telecommunications modems in response to the UAS entering the ATC transition zone; and

closing the first data connection and the first voice connection with the first ATC after confirming the existence of the second data connection and the second voice connection with the second ATC.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein defining an ATC transition zone further includes defining a size of the ATC transition zone using the speed of the UAS and the average time required to make a data connection and a voice connection with an ATC.