Method of software defined radio (SDR) waveform/function management

• US 7,551,988 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Leier, Terrence L., Wichgers, Joel M., Tsamis, Demetri, Arundale, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peche; Jorge O
• Application Number:
  US11/398,095
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 439/247, 439/571, 206/427, 701/3, 701/36, 701/47, 455/507, 455/418, 455/419, 455/414, 455/510, 455/515, 455/466, 455 98- 99, 455/556, 455/517, 370/344, 375/219, 375/220, 375/223, 340/853.2, 340/870.01, 340/870.11, 340/870.25, 340/870.26, 340/825, 340/825.01, 340/2.1, 340/2.24, 340/2.26, 342/175, 342/199, 342/200, 342/205
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A designated function or “golden” slot for implementing and managing re-configurable SDR modules is provided. In an embodiment, the slot includes at least one radio frequency (RF) front end for providing an interface with at least one antenna. In addition, the slot may include at least one slot modem coupled to the RF front end for implementing at least one designated function and at least one input/output (I/O) module coupled to the slot modem. The designated function or “golden” slot is capable of implementing and managing the at least one designated function in a re-configurable module during standard and emergency operations.

Claims

1. A cabinet architecture, comprising:

a designated function slot, comprising;

at least one radio frequency (RF) front end for providing an interface with at least one antenna;

at least one slot modem coupled to the RF front end for implementing at least one designated function; and

at least one input/output (I/O) module coupled to the slot modem,

wherein the designated function slot is capable of implementing and managing the at least one designated function during standard and emergency communication, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) operations; and

at least one non-designated function slot configured to be controlled by a reconfigurable resource controlling device;

wherein the designated function slot is designed and pre-configured to satisfy a set of additional requirements which cannot be satisfied by the at least one non-designated function slot, the designated function slot is configured to exclude control by the reconfigurable resource controlling device, and the reconfigurable resource controlling device is configured to perform at least one of monitoring and transferring at least a portion of functionality of the designated function slot to the at least one non-designated function slot.

2. The cabinet architecture as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more of the designated function slot modules are re-configurable software defined radio (SDR) modules.

3. The cabinet architecture as claimed in claim 2, wherein the functional elements are divided into more than one physical enclosure and are distributed to varying locations within the SDR module.

4. The cabinet architecture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reconfigurable resource controlling device is a waveform priority arbitrator.

5. The cabinet architecture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one designated function is flight-phase specific.

6. The cabinet architecture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one designated function is selected automatically.

7. The cabinet architecture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one designated function is selected manually.

8. The cabinet architecture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one designated function is implemented by software.

9. The cabinet architecture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one designated function is selected from the group consisting of an aircraft communication function, an aircraft navigation function, an aircraft surveillance function, and an aircraft control function.

10. The cabinet architecture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the set of additional requirements includes at least one selected from:

the designated function slot has a higher availability than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a higher integrity than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a higher continuity than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a higher performance than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a higher throughput than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has been verified at a higher design assurance level than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a bounded latency and the non-designated function slot does not, the designated function slot has a lower latency than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has an increased fault tolerance over the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has an alternate power source and the non-designated function slot does not, the designated function slot has a bounded fault region and the non-designated function slot does not, the designated function slot has an alternate input/output capability and the non-designated function slot does not, and the designated function slot has an additional input/output capability and the non-designated function slot does not.

11. A system for implementing and managing a re-configurable module function, comprising:

at least one designated function slot for implementing and managing at least one designated function, the at least one designated function slot including;

a radio frequency (RF) front end for providing an interface with an antenna, at least one slot modem coupled to the RF front end, and

at least input/output (I/O) module coupled to the slot modem;

at least one re-configurable function slot for implementing and managing at least one re-configurable function, and

at least one non-designated function slot configured to be controlled by a reconfigurable resource controlling device;

wherein the at least one designated function slot is capable of implementing and managing the at least one designated function in a re-configurable module during standard and emergency communication, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) operations, the designated function slot is designed and pre-configured to satisfy a set of additional requirements which cannot be satisfied by the at least one non-designated function slot, the designated function slot is configured to exclude control by the reconfigurable resource controlling device, and the reconfigurable resource controlling device is configured to perform at least one of monitoring and transferring at least a portion of functionality of the designated function slot to the at least one non-designated function slot.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the reconfigurable module is a re-configurable software defined radio (SDR) module.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the reconfigurable resource controlling device is a waveform priority arbitrator.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one designated function is flight-phase specific.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one designated function is selected automatically.

16. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one designated function is selected manually.

17. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one designated function is implemented by software.

18. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one designated function is selected from the group consisting of an aircraft communication function, an aircraft navigation function, an aircraft surveillance function, and an aircraft control function.

19. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the set of additional requirements includes at least one selected from:

the designated function slot has a higher availability than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a higher integrity than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a higher continuity than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a higher performance than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a higher throughput than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has been verified at a higher design assurance level than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a bounded latency and the non-designated function slot does not, the designated function slot has a lower latency than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has an increased fault tolerance over the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has an alternate power source and the non-designated function slot does not, the designated function slot has a bounded fault region and the non-designated function slot does not, the designated function slot has an alternate input/output capability and the non-designated function slot does not, and the designated function slot has an additional input/output capability and the non-designated function slot does not.

20. A method for managing a software defined radio (SDR) function, comprising:

configuring a SDR cabinet with at least one designated function slot, and at least one non-designated function slot configured to be controlled by a reconfigurable resource controlling device, wherein the designated function slot is designed and pre-configured to satisfy a set of additional requirements which cannot be satisfied by the at least one non-designated function slot, the designated function slot is configured to exclude control by the reconfigurable resource controlling device, and the reconfigurable resource controlling device is configured to perform at least one of monitoring and transferring at least a portion of functionality of the designated function slot to the at least one non-designated function slot; and

assigning at least one designated function to the designated function slot, the designated function slot being configured to implement and manage the at least one designated function in a re-configurable module during standard and emergency communication, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) operations.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the at least one designated function slot includes at least one radio frequency (RF) front end for providing an interface with at least one antenna, at least one slot modem coupled to the RF front end for implementing the at least one designated function, and at least one critical input/output (I/O) module coupled to the slot modem.

22. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the set of additional requirements includes at least one selected from:

the designated function slot has a higher availability than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a higher integrity than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a higher continuity than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a higher performance than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a higher throughput than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has been verified at a higher design assurance level than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has a bounded latency and the non-designated function slot does not, the designated function slot has a lower latency than the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has an increased fault tolerance over the non-designated function slot, the designated function slot has an alternate power source and the non-designated function slot does not, the designated function slot has a bounded fault region and the non-designated function slot does not, the designated function slot has an alternate input/output capability and the non-designated function slot does not, and the designated function slot has an additional input/output capability and the non-designated function slot does not.