HELIDECK SURVEILLANCE TRANSCEIVER

• US 20160371990A1
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aviation Communication and Surveillance Systems LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aviation Communications And Surveillance Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Manberg, Charles, Oldach, Arnold
• Application Number:
  US15/184,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20160371990A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/007 Helicopter portable landing pads
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/15 Aircraft landing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/003 for aircraft positioning relative to the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/028 Spatial transmit diversity using a single antenna at the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Various aviation systems may benefit from appropriately configured systems and methods for communication. For example, aircraft situational awareness systems and helideck systems may benefit from helideck surveillance transceiver systems and methods. An apparatus can include a transceiver and at least one data link antenna operably connected to the transceiver. The transceiver and the at least one data link antenna can be configured to obtain and distribute helideck information regarding a helideck to at least one helicopter.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a transceiver; and

at least one data link antenna operably connected to the transceiver,

wherein the transceiver and the at least one data link antenna are configured to obtain and distribute helideck information regarding a helideck to at least one helicopter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an interface configured to obtain the helideck information from at least one of a helideck system or a helideck sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one processor and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to process the helideck information; and

prepare messages to be transmitted to the at least one helicopter based on the processed helideck information.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the helideck information comprises parameters from helideck interfaced systems, and wherein the at least one processor and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to extract information from the parameters for inclusion in the messages.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to compute trend information from information received from at least one helideck system for inclusion in the messages.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to extract information from data parameters received from the at least one helicopter.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the data parameters comprise at least one of metrological data from aircraft, aircraft performance data, health monitoring data, or aircraft location.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the data parameters are communicated over a data link to a system remote from the helideck or stored.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transceiver and the at least one data link antenna are configured to distribute the helideck information using phase enhancement.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a position sensor configured to provide at least position information, wherein the transceiver is configured to communicate the position information to the at least one helicopter.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit to the at least one helicopter at least one stored characteristic of the helideck.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive manually entered data and transmit the manually entered data to the at least one helicopter.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive queries from the at least one helicopter and to respond to the queries.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured to relay information from the at least one helicopter to at least one external system.

15. A method, comprising:

obtaining helideck information regarding a helideck; and

distributing, using a transceiver and at least one data link antenna operably connected to the transceiver, the helideck information to at least one helicopter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the obtaining the helideck information comprises receiving the helideck information over an interface from at least one of a helideck system or a helideck sensor.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

processing the helideck information; and

preparing messages to be transmitted to the at least one helicopter based on the processed helideck information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the helideck information comprises parameters from helideck interfaced systems, the method further comprising:

extracting information from the parameters for inclusion in the messages.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

computing trend information from information received from at least one helideck system for inclusion in the messages.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

extracting information from data parameters received from the at least one helicopter.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the data parameters comprise at least one of metrological data from aircraft, aircraft performance data, health monitoring data, or aircraft location.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

storing the data parameters or communicating the data parameters over a data link to a system remote from the helideck.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the distributing the helideck information comprises transmitting the helideck information using phase enhancement.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

obtaining at least position information from a position sensor; and

communicating the position information to the at least one helicopter.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting to the at least one helicopter at least one stored characteristic of the helideck.

26. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving manually entered data; and

transmitting the manually entered data to the at least one helicopter.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving queries from the at least one helicopter; and

responding to the queries.

28. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

relaying information from the at least one helicopter to at least one external system.

29. A system, comprising:

a host structure configured to provide a helideck; and

a helideck system comprising a transceiver and at least one data link antenna operably connected to the transceiver,

wherein the transceiver and the at least one data link antenna are configured to obtain and distribute helideck information regarding the helideck to at least one helicopter.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the host structure comprises at least one of a hospital, a battleship, a yacht, an ocean liner, an offshore platform, an office building, a hotel, an airport, a train, an aircraft carrier, a ship, or search and rescue operation.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

a transceiver; and

at least one data link antenna operably connected to the transceiver,

wherein the transceiver and the at least one data link antenna are configured to communicate with a helideck regarding helideck information from at least one helicopter.