SYSTEM AND A COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHOD FOR MULTI PATH COMMUNICATION WITH AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE DURING A MISSION

• US 20170303123A1
• Filed: 02/06/2017
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Villar, Victor Perez
• Granted Patent: US 10,609,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/18 for wireless local area networks or WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/20 Countermeasures against jamming in radar G01S7/36; interference suppression in receivers H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/226 Selection of non-jammed channel for communication spectrum sharing arrangements H04W16/14; selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/92 related to allowing or preventing remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0844 with user authentication or key authentication, e.g. ElGamal, MTI, MQV-Menezes-Qu-Vanstone protocol or Diffie-Hellman protocols using implicitly-certified keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices

Abstract

A system and a method of multi path communication to improve communication between an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) and ground control during a mission is disclosed. A database previously stores a plurality of secure data links to be used on networks during the mission for communicating and are managed for simultaneously distributing data flow among data links according to coverage and UAV location preventing third parties may compromise security of a mission. The database may be updated during the mission if needed.

Claims

1. An onboard system of multi path communication for an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) during a mission, the system comprising:

a database configured to store a plurality of secure data links to be used onone or more networks during the mission;

a communicating unit configured to communicate on one or more networks using a plurality of secured data links; and

a managing unit for managing data links and simultaneously distributing data flow among data links according to coverage and UAV location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the database comprises geographical coverage data associated with each data link of a network.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the managing unit is configured to select a data link in the database upon checking compatibility of current UAV location and geographical coverage data.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the managing unit is configured to operate the database upon remotely receiving an instruction from an authenticated entity using a secure data link.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

a delete operation performed on an element of the database is confirmed with the authenticated entity by the communicating unit using an alternative secure data link.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

each data link in the database is tagged with a separate encryption key.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the communicating unit is configured to communicate using multi path TCP (MPTCP) and a plurality of data links in the database are marked as MP_CAPABLE.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the authenticated entity is ground control or a different UAV.

9. A computer-implemented method of multi path communication for an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) during a mission, the method comprising:

storing in a database a plurality of secure data links to be used on one or more networks during the mission;

communicating data flow on one or more networks using a plurality of secured data links; and

managing data links and simultaneously distributing data flow among data links according to coverage and UAV location.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

an authentication step wherein the authentication is associated with the session and the data link.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the authentication step is triggered when a data link is dropped or a new data link is used.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein:

the database comprises geographical coverage data associated with each data link of a network.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein:

the step of managing data links comprises selecting a data link in the database upon checking compatibility of current UAV location and geographical coverage data.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein:

the step of managing further comprising operating the database upon remotely receiving an instruction from an authenticated entity using a secure data link.

15. A computer program product for multi path communication for an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) during a mission, comprising computer code instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method of claim 9.