TRANSPONDER-BASED BEACON TRANSMITTER FOR SEE AND AVOID OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

• US 20100085236A1
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Meyers, David W., Muldoon, Kelly P., Franceschini, Michael R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,969,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/782 using multimoding or selective addressing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft

Abstract

A transponder-based beacon transmitter system in an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided. The transponder-based beacon transmitter system comprises a global positioning system interface communicatively coupled to receive position information indicative of a current location of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a message formatter communicatively coupled to the global positioning system interface, and a transponder-based beacon transmitter. The message formatter formats vehicle identification of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the position information indicative of the current location of the unmanned aerial vehicle into an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter message. The message formatter operates in one of a military mode, a National Airspace System mode, and a combined military/National Airspace System mode. The transponder-based beacon transmitter transmits the automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter messages from the unmanned aerial vehicle. Receivers in the vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle receive unsolicited vehicle identification and location of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Claims

1. A transponder-based beacon transmitter system in an unmanned aerial vehicle, the transponder-based beacon transmitter system comprising:

a global positioning system interface communicatively coupled to receive position information indicative of a current location of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a message formatter communicatively coupled to the global positioning system interface, the message formatter operable to format vehicle identification of the unmanned aerial vehicle and to format the position information indicative of the current location of the unmanned aerial vehicle into an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter message, wherein the message formatter operates in one of at least three modes, the at least three modes including a military mode, a National Airspace System mode, and a combined military/National Airspace System mode; and

a transponder-based beacon transmitter operable to transmit the automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter messages from the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein receivers in the vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle receive unsolicited vehicle identification of the unmanned aerial vehicle and position information indicative of the current location of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

2. The transponder-based beacon transmitter system of claim 1, wherein the transponder-based beacon transmitter comprises:

a modulator to modulate the information indicative of the vehicle identification and the position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

an amplifier to amplify the modulated position information and the modulated vehicle identification, wherein the transmitted automatic dependent surveillance broadcast formatted mode-select squitter messages have a power level of 1 Watt.

3. The transponder-based beacon transmitter system of claim 1, further comprising:

a timer to randomized transmission of the squitter messages, wherein the automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter messages are quasi-periodically transmitted.

4. The transponder-based beacon transmitter system of claim 3, wherein the quasi-periodically transmitted automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter messages are transmitted every 0.5 second plus or minus 0.1 seconds.

5. The transponder-based beacon transmitter system of claim 1, further comprising:

a global positioning system communicatively coupled to global positioning system interface.

6. The transponder-based beacon transmitter system of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna communicatively coupled to the transponder, the antenna operable to squitter the automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter messages.

7. The transponder-based beacon transmitter system of claim 1, wherein the message formatter is initialized during an initialization process to operate in one of at least three modes.

8. The transponder-based beacon transmitter system of claim 1, wherein the transponder-based beacon transmitter is a stand-alone system.

9. The transponder-based beacon transmitter system of claim 1, wherein a volume of the transponder-based beacon transmitter system is less than 6 cubic inches, and a weight of the transponder-based beacon transmitter is less than one pound.

10. The transponder-based beacon transmitter system of claim 1, wherein the transponder-based beacon transmitter transmits at 1090 MHz frequency and the unmanned aerial vehicle is unable to receive signals at the 1090 MHz frequency.

11. The transponder-based beacon transmitter system of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory communicatively coupled to transmit the information indicative of the vehicle identification to the message formatter.

12. A method of broadcasting unsolicited information about a current position and vehicle identification of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:

initializing a transponder-based beacon transmitter system in the unmanned aerial vehicle to one of at least three modes of operation prior to operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the at least three modes comprising a military mode, a National Airspace System mode, and a combined military/National Airspace System mode;

receiving information indicative of an unmanned aerial vehicle position from a global positioning system at the unmanned aerial vehicle during operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

squittering the position information and a vehicle identification of the unmanned aerial vehicle to aircraft located within a detection distance of the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the aircraft receiving the position information and the vehicle identification use the position information and the vehicle identification to identify the unmanned aerial vehicle and to avoid collision with the unmanned aerial vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

reinitializing the unmanned aerial vehicle to another one of the at least three modes of operation prior to a new operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

formatting the information indicative of an unmanned aerial vehicle position and the vehicle identification as an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter message.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

modulating the automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter message onto a 1090 MHz carrier using standard modulation for extended squitter.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the squittering comprises:

quasi-periodically transmitting the automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter message from the unmanned aerial vehicle.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

amplifying the automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter message to a power level of less than 1 Watt.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the squittering comprises:

quasi-periodically transmitting the automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter message from the unmanned aerial vehicle.

19. A computer readable medium encoded with computer instructions stored thereon for a method for broadcasting unsolicited information about a current position and vehicle identification of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:

initializing the unmanned aerial vehicle to at least one of at least three modes of operation, the at least three modes comprising a military mode, a National Airspace System mode, and a combined military/National Airspace System mode;

receiving information indicative of an unmanned aerial vehicle position from a global positioning system in the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

quasi-periodically squittering the position information and vehicle identification of the unmanned aerial vehicle to aircraft located within a detection distance of the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the aircraft are able to see, identify, and avoid the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the squittering.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein computer instructions stored thereon for a method for quasi-periodically squittering the position information and vehicle identification of the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises:

formatting the information indicative of an unmanned aerial vehicle position and the vehicle identification as an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter message;

modulating the automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter message onto a 1090 MHz carrier using standard modulation for extended squitter, wherein the automatic dependent surveillance broadcast mode-select squitter message is amplified to a power level of about 1 Watt, and is transmitted from the unmanned aerial vehicle.