INTELLIGENT COMMUNICATION MOBILE TRANSPONDER

• US 20140323038A1
• Filed: 04/28/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Hubbell, Wesley H., Anderson, John L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,179,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15528 Control of operation parameters of a relay station to exploit the physical medium
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An intelligent mobile transponder determines an optimal position to relay signals with respect to multiple users based on a comparison of the signal characteristics of all the users. An intelligent transponder communication system includes a first communication module to transmit a first communication signal at a first direction. The first communication signal has at least one first signal characteristic. A second communication module is configured to transmit a second communication signal at a second direction. The second communication signal has at least one second signal characteristic different from the at least one first signal characteristic. The intelligent mobile transponder is further configured to automatically self-locate to the optimal position to relay the communication signals between the multiple users.

Claims

1. An intelligent mobile transponder communication system, comprising:

an intelligent mobile transponder configured to;

receive a first communication signal from at least one first communication module, the at least one first communication module configured to transmit a first communication signal in a first plurality of directions, the first communication signal having at least one first signal characteristic;

receive second communication signal from at least one second communication module, the at least one second communication module configured to transmit a second communication signal in a second plurality of directions, the second communication signal having at least one second signal characteristic different from the at least one first signal characteristic; and

to determine an optimal position with respect to the first and second directions based on a comparison between the at least one first signal characteristic and the at least one second signal characteristic, wherein the intelligent mobile transponder automatically self-locates to the optimal position to relay the first and second communication signals to the at least one first communication module and the at least one and second communication module.

2. The intelligent transponder communication system of claim 1, wherein the first signal characteristic is a first RF power level and the second signal characteristic is a second RF power level that is less than the first RF power level.

3. The intelligent transponder communication system of claim 2, wherein the intelligent mobile transponder locates closer to the at least one second communication module such that the power levels of the first and second communication signals are balanced with respect to one another.

4. The intelligent transponder communication system of claim 3, wherein the intelligent mobile transponder continuously compares the first and second RF power levels and automatically controls navigation to maintain the optimal position such that the signals remain balanced.

5. The intelligent transponder communication system of claim 4, wherein the intelligent mobile transponder includes a directional antenna configured to determine a primary direction of the first and second communication signals with respect to the intelligent mobile transponder.

6. The intelligent transponder communication system of claim 5, wherein the intelligent mobile transponder is an unmanned vehicle.

7. The intelligent transponder communication system of claim 6, wherein the intelligent mobile transponder determines the RF power levels according to a root-mean-square algorithm.

8. A transponder module included in an intelligent mobile transponder, the transponder module comprising:

an on-board communication module configured to receive a first incoming communication signal from at least one first communication module and a second incoming communication signal from at least one second communication module;

a signal characteristic processing module in electrical communication with the on-board communication module, the signal characteristic processing module configured to determine a first primary direction of the first incoming communication signal and a second primary direction of the second incoming communication signal, and configured to determine at least one first signal characteristic of the first incoming communication signal and at least one second signal characteristic of the second incoming communication signal; and

a control module in electrical communication with the signal characteristic processing module, the control module configured to determine an optimal position of the intelligent mobile transponder based on the first and second primary directions and the at least one first and second signal characteristics.

9. The transponder module of claim 8, wherein the control module compares the at least one first signal characteristic with the at least one second signal characteristic, and determines the optimal position based on the comparison.

10. The transponder module of claim 9, further comprising a navigation module configured to control the position of the intelligent mobile transponder, wherein the control module commands the navigation module to position the intelligent mobile transponder at the optimal position.

11. The transponder module of claim 10, wherein the signal characteristic processing module determines a first RF power level of the first incoming communication signal and a second RF power level of the second incoming communication signal different from the first RF power level.

12. The transponder module of claim 11, wherein the signal characteristic processing module determines the first RF power level and second RF power level based on a root-means-square algorithm.

13. The transponder module of claim 12, wherein the signal characteristic processing module includes a directional antenna configured to sense the first primary direction of the first incoming communication signal and the second primary direction of the second incoming communication signal.

14. A method of relaying communication signals via an intelligent mobile transponder, the method comprising:

receiving from at least one first communication module a first incoming communication signal having at least one first signal characteristic received from at least one first direction;

receiving from at least one second communication module a second incoming communication signal having at least one second signal characteristic received from at least one second direction that is different from the first direction;

determining an optimal position with respect to the first and second directions based on a comparison between the at least one first signal characteristic and the at least one second signal characteristic; and

automatically locating the intelligent mobile transponder to the optimal position to relay the first and second communication signals to the at least one first second communication module and the at least one second communication module.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first signal characteristic is a first RF power level and the second signal characteristic is a second RF power level that is less than the first RF power level.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising balancing the RF power levels of the first and second communication signals with respect to one another in response to locating intelligent mobile transponder closer to the second communication module.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising continuously comparing the first and second RF power levels and automatically navigating the intelligent mobile transponder to maintain the optimal position such that the first and second communication signals remain balanced.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining a primary direction of the first and second communication signals with respect to the intelligent mobile transponder.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the intelligent mobile transponder is an unmanned vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining the RF power levels according to a root-mean-square algorithm.