Wireless operational and testing communications network for diverse platform types

• US 7,869,766 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Chun, Craig C. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell; Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/329,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20070049195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,826 Days
• Field of Search: 455/13.2, 455/9, 455/67.11, 455/67.14, 455/423, 455/115.1, 455/226.1, 340/945, 340/445, 340/447, 244/194
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18519 Operations control, administration or maintenance

Abstract

An intra-platform wireless communications system is disclosed. The wireless intra-platform communication system comprises a first wireless transceiver, coupled to a platform processor and a second wireless transceiver, coupled to at least one of the subsystems. Platform operational data is communicated between the platform processor and the at least one subsystem via the first and second wireless transceivers.

Claims

1. An intra-platform communications system for use with a platform having a payload, a processor, and plurality of subsystems supporting the payload, comprising:

a first non-line of sight (NLOS) wireless transceiver, coupled to the processor;

a second NLOS wireless transceiver, coupled to at least one of the subsystems; and

a fourth NLOS wireless transceiver, coupled to another of the subsystems;

wherein platform operational data is remotely reprogrammably communicated between the processor and the at least one subsystem via the first and second wireless transceivers and directly between the at least one subsystem and the another of the subsystems via the second NLOS wireless transceiver and the fourth NLOS wireless transceiver without the first NLOS wireless transceiver; and

wherein the operational data is encrypted before transmission and decrypted after reception and wherein the operational data is communicated between the processor and the at least one subsystem according to a communication parameter having a first value and the operational data communicated directly between the at least one subsystem and another of the subsystems is communicated according to the communication parameter having a second value differing from first value, and the communication parameter is selected from the group comprising multiplex technique, operating frequency band, and encryption level.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a third NLOS wireless transceiver, coupled to the payload; and

wherein the platform operational data is communicated between the processor and the payload via the first and third NLOS wireless transceivers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third NLOS wireless transceiver, coupled to the payload for communicating platform operational information, wherein the platform operational data is remotely reprogrammably communicated directly between the at least one subsystem and the payload via the second NLOS wireless transceiver and the third NLOS wireless transceiver without the first NLOS wireless transceiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the platform operational data is also communicated between the at least one subsystem and the payload via the first NLOS wireless transceiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a third NLOS wireless transceiver, coupled to the payload;

a system test communications system, the system test communications system comprising;

a system test NLOS wireless transceiver, coupled to system test equipment, for communicating test information between the system test equipment and a transceiver selected from the group consisting the first NLOS wireless transceiver, the second NLOS wireless transceiver, and the third NLOS wireless transceiver.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the system test NLOS wireless transceiver communicates test information between the system test equipment and the second NLOS wireless transceiver or the third NLOS wireless transceiver via the first NLOS wireless transceiver.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the system test NLOS wireless transceiver communicates test information directly between the system test equipment and the second NLOS wireless transceiver or the third NLOS wireless transceiver without the first NLOS wireless transceiver.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the platform operational data is transmitted via a spread spectrum.

9. A method of performing intra-platform communications in a platform having a plurality of platform elements including a platform processor, a payload, and a plurality of platform subsystems, comprising the steps of:

encrypting and transmitting platform operational data from a first non-line-of-sight (NLOS) wireless transmitter coupled to a first platform element;

receiving and decrypting the platform operational data in a first NLOS wireless receiver coupled to a second platform element;

wherein at least a first portion of the platform operational data is transmitted directly from the first platform element to the second platform element without the platform processor according to a communication parameter having a first value;

wherein at least a second portion of the operational data is transmitted between the platform processor and at least one of the platform subsystems according to a second communication parameter having a second value differing from the first value, the communication parameter selected from the group comprising multiplex technique, operating frequency band, and encryption level; and

wherein the communications with the second platform element are remotely reprogrammably selectable to be between a second platform subsystem and a third platform subsystem.