Information layer for a vehicular control network and method

• US 7,515,998 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2006
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vertex Aerospace, LLC
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Stiffler, William T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US11/409,946
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/3, 701/120, 244/75.1, 340/945
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• 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 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A system and method to provide extensibility to an existing vehicular control network. To provide such extensibility, an information layer network incorporating a protocol such as an Ethernet protocol in which additional peripheral devices may be easily coupled thereto or additional software applications providing enhanced functionality. Interfacing of the information layer to the vehicular control network is accomplished via an Information layer interface mechanism that translates signals from those compliant to the vehicular control network to those compliant with the information layer. Additionally, means are disclosed to provide for momentary control over one or more peripheral devices that are coupled to the vehicular control network via peripheral devices that are coupled to the information layer.

Claims

1. An avionics control system comprising:

a control network that is operable to administer the operation of at least one avionics peripheral device via a MIL-STD-1553 bus;

an extensible layer that is operable to administer the operation of at least one user display function, the extensible layer comprising an internet protocol (IP) data network, wherein the at least one user display function being accessible by an operator of the vehicle during the operation thereof; and

a MIL-STD-1553 to IP conversion circuit operable to facilitate communication of the user display with the at least one avionics peripheral device.

2. The avionics control system of claim 1, further comprising a control system to facilitate control over the at least one avionics peripheral device via the at least one user display.

3. A control system for a vehicular network comprising:

a control network that is operable to administer the operation of at least one peripheral device associated with the operation of a vehicle via a vehicular control databus, the at least one peripheral device being disposed on the vehicle;

an extensible layer that is operable to administer the operation of at least one user interface application, the extensible layer having a protocol that is disparate to the control network; and

an interfacing circuitry operable to facilitate communication of the user interface application with the at least one peripheral device.

4. The information layer for a vehicular network of claim 3, wherein the at least one user interface application is accessible by an operator of the vehicle during the operation thereof.

5. The information layer for a vehicular network of claim 3, wherein the vehicular control system comprises an aircraft vehicular control system.

6. The information layer for a vehicular network of claim 3, wherein the at least one peripheral device is selected from the group consisting of a radar, an antenna, a data link, an early warning sensor, a targeting pod, and a forward looking infrared radar.

7. The information layer for a vehicular network of claim 3, wherein the vehicular control bus comprises a MIL-STD-1553 bus.

8. The information layer for a vehicular network of claim 3, wherein the at least one user interface application communicates with the extensible layer via a data network.

9. The information layer for a vehicular network of claim 8, wherein the data network comprises an internet protocol (IP) data network.

10. The information layer for a vehicular network of claim 3, wherein the user interface application communicates with the extensible layer via extensible markup language (XML) and a relational database.

11. The information layer for a vehicular network of claim 3, wherein the user interface application is operable to administer the operation of at least one external peripheral device via the extensible layer, wherein the at least one external peripheral device is not disposed on the vehicle.

12. A method comprising:

providing vehicular control databus that is operable to administer the operation of at least one peripheral device associated with the operation of a vehicle;

providing an extensible data network that is operable to administer the operation of at least one software application, the extensible data network having a protocol that is disparate to the vehicular control databus;

monitoring a first signal that has been transmitted from the at least one peripheral device;

converting the first signal from a protocol that is compliant to the vehicular control databus to a second signal having a protocol that is compliant to the extensible data network; and

sending the second signal to the at least one software application during operation of the vehicle, the software application being operable to provide information regarding the operation of the vehicle to an operator of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the vehicular control databus is a MIL-STD-1553 bus.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the extensible data network is an Ethernet protocol.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting a third signal by the software application;

converting the third signal from a protocol that is compliant to the extensible data network to a fourth signal having a protocol that is compliant to the vehicular control databus; and

sending the second signal to the at least one peripheral device via the vehicular control databus.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the vehicular control databus has major frames of fixed duration that are sub-divided into a plurality of minor frames;

the extensible data network is coupled to the vehicular control databus and is not initially configured to transmit signals over the vehicular control databus; and

substituting at least one of the plurality of minor frames during operation of the vehicular control databus with at least one substituted minor frame such that the at least one software application may transmit signals over the vehicular control databus via the at least one substituted minor frame.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

the at least one peripheral device being associated with at least one particular minor frame of the plurality of minor frames; and

logically removing the at least one peripheral device from the at least one particular minor frame prior to the substituting at least one of the plurality of minor frames, such that the at least one peripheral device momentarily may not access the vehicular control databus.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the vehicular control databus is configured on a military vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the military vehicle is an aircraft.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the vehicular control databus is a MIL-STD-1553 databus.