Voice call group function for a satellite based air traffic control system

• US 6,185,430 B1
• Filed: 11/26/1997
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Dynamics C4 Systems Incorporated (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Osman, Jeffrey S., Derr, Randall K., Yee, David Moon, Zucarelli, Philip John, Keller, Theodore Woolley, Bickley, Robert Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Craver, Charles
• Application Number:
  US08/979,798
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/519, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.2, 455/426, 455/427, 455/428, 455/430, 455/431, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/462, 455/463, 455/464, 379/114, 379/134, 379/177-187, 379/1
• US Class Current: 455/519
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

Voice call group functionality is provided in a satellite based air traffic control system to allow air traffic controllers and pilots of one or more aircraft to establish and maintain voice communication over a group call. A pilot of an aircraft may maintain voice communication with the same air traffic controller the entire duration of the flight over the entire globe. Voice communication between the pilot of an aircraft may be handed off from one air traffic controller to another by switching voice call groups. The voice call group functionality allows an air traffic controller to communicate simultaneously with pilots of different aircraft, and also allows pilots of different aircraft to communicate with each other.

Claims

1. A satellite based voice call group function for an air traffic control system, comprising:

a satellite communications network at a satellite processing node;

a plurality of avionics processing nodes, each comprising an avionics satellite communication unit aboard an aircraft for communicating with said satellite communications network over a satellite communication link, said satellite communication link comprising at least one first group communication channels;

an air traffic control station at an air traffic control processing node, said air traffic control station in communication with said satellite communications network over a satellite ground link, said satellite ground link comprising at least one second group communication channels;

a call group controller for assigning voice call group assigned channel to a common voice call group, said voice call group assigned channels comprising selected ones of said first group communication channels and selected ones of said second group communication channels, wherein said voice call group assigned channels includes a dedicated uplink to allow said air traffic control station to speak at any time and always be heard by each of the other members of said common voice call group;

a communication controller which operates to route voice and data signals over and between said voice call group assigned channels, said data signals_including information describing relevant navigation information for each member of said common voice call group; and

said satellite communications network comprises a plurality of satellites which communicate with each other over inter-satellite links.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

selected ones of said aircraft join said common voice call group by accessing at least one of said selected ones of said first group communication channels.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said call group controller is configured to maintain a register for recording an aircraft ID for each of said selected ones of said aircraft that joins said common voice call group.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

said call group controller records a call start time and a call end time for each of selected ones of said aircraft, said call start time indicating a time at which said corresponding selected one of said aircraft joins said common voice call group, and said call end time indicating a time at which said corresponding selected one of said aircraft exits said common voice call group.

5. The system of claim 4, comprising:

a billing processor for receiving each aircraft ID and associated call start time and call end time, said billing processor for calculating a call duration and associating a charge for said call duration to be attributed to said aircraft identified by said aircraft ID.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said selected ones of said aircraft that have joined said common voice call group transmit voice signals over said voice call group assigned channels according to a push-to-talk protocol.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said push-to-talk protocol includes the steps of:

waiting for silence on said voice call group assigned channels;

sending a channel access request to said call group controller requesting permission to transmit over said voice call group assigned channels;

waiting for said channel access request to be granted; and

transmitting voice signals over said voice call group assigned channels.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

said step of requesting access to speak over said voice call group assigned channels comprises the step of pressing a push-to-talk button, said push-to-talk button generating said channel access request when pressed.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said air traffic control station joins said common voice call group by accessing at least one of said selected ones of said second group communication channels.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said selected ones of said second group communication channels comprises an uplink channel reserved for the transmission of air traffic control (ATC) voice signals via said air traffic control station; and

said selected ones of said first group communication channels comprises an downlink channel over which said ATC voice signals are routed, said downlink channel reserved for listening only by avionics members comprising selected ones of said avionics satellite communication units that have joined said common voice call group by accessing said selected ones of said first group communication channels.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

said selected ones of said first group communication channels comprises a designated first talk channel over which each of said avionics members may transmit and receive traffic voice signals; and

said selected ones of said second group communication channels comprises a designated second talk channel over which said traffic voice signals may be received by said air traffic control station.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said call group controller control is configured to allow or disallow each of said aircraft to join said common voice call group.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said call group controller is implemented at said air traffic control processing node.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said call group controller is implemented at said satellite processing node.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said satellite communications network comprises a satellite.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said satellite communication network provides global communication coverage.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said first group communication channels are implemented using a multiple access transmission protocol.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said second group communication channels are implemented using a multiple access transmission protocol.

19. A method for providing voice group call functionality in a satellite based air traffic control (ATC) system, said ATC system comprising a satellite communications network, a plurality of aircraft each comprising an avionics satellite communication unit for communicating with said satellite communications network, and an air traffic control station, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing a satellite communication link for transmitting voice signals between said satellite communications network and selected ones of said plurality of aircraft, said satellite communication link comprising at least one first group communication channels;

establishing a satellite ground link for transmitting voice signals between said satellite communications network and said air traffic control station, said satellite ground link comprising at least one second group communication channels;

assigning voice call group assigned channels to a common voice call group, said voice call group assigned channels comprising selected ones of said first group communication channels and selected ones of said second group communication channels, wherein said step of assigning voice call group assigned channels to a common voice call group includes the step of establishing a dedicated uplink to allow said air traffic control system to speak at any time and always be heard by each of the other members of said common voice call group;

routing voice and data signals over and between said voice call group assigned channels, said data signals including information describing relevant navigation information for each member of said common voice call group; and

said activity of establishing a satellite communication link including an activity of communication via inter-satellite links among a plurality of satellites of said satellite communication network.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

allowing selected ones of said aircraft to become members of said common voice call group, said members joining said common voice call group by accessing at least one of said selected ones of said first group communication channels.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a record for each of said members, said record comprising a member ID corresponding to said respective member, a call start time indicating a time at which said respective member joins said common voice call group, and a call end time when said member exits said common voice call group.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

calculating a voice call group duration from said call start time and said call end time associated with a member ID; and

associating a charge for said voice call group duration to be attributed to an entity identified by said member ID.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said members of said common voice call group follow a push-to-talk protocol for transmitting voice signals over said voice call group assigned channels, said protocol comprising the steps of:

waiting for silence on said voice call group assigned channels;

sending a channel access request to said call group controller requesting permission to transmit over said voice call group assigned channels;

waiting for said channel access request to be granted; and

transmitting voice signals over said voice call group assigned channels.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said step of requesting access to speak over said voice call group assigned channels comprises the step of:

pressing a push-to-talk button, said push-to-talk button generating said channel access request when pressed.

25. The system of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

allowing said aircraft control station to become a member of said common voice call group, said member joining said common voice call group by accessing at least one of said selected ones of said second group communication channels.