Remote programmable reference

• US 8,331,888 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Halladay, Henry E., Edewaard, David O., Swann, Terry M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HAI V
• Application Number:
  US11/421,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20070281645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,386 Days
• Field of Search: 455/187.1
• US Class Current: 455/187.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/23 Testing, monitoring, correcting or calibrating of receiver elements

Abstract

Remote programmable reference systems and methods are described. A remote programmable reference system maintains a set of parameters from which a reference signal can be generated to transmit the reference signal to a system platform. In an embodiment, a parameters update can be received from which a modified reference signal can be generated to transmit the modified reference signal. In another embodiment, the remote programmable reference system maintains multiple sets of parameters from which respective reference signals can be generated for any one or more system platforms having different system configurations. The system platforms can interface with the remote programmable reference system through a system interface via a communication network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

maintaining, in a memory module coupled to a reference system, a set of programmable reference signal parameters, the set of programmable reference signal parameters including a reference signal frequency and a specific antenna band designation;

generating, in the reference system, a reference signal from the set of programmable reference signal parameters;

transmitting the reference signal from the reference system to an aircraft platform according to;

(1) a transmission schedule stored at the reference system and (2) the specific antenna band designation;

receiving, at the reference system, an updated set of programmable reference signal parameters from the aircraft platform;

generating, in the reference system, a modified reference signal at the reference system based on the received updated set of programmable reference signal parameters, wherein the modified reference signal describes a positioning of the aircraft platform with a greater accuracy than the reference signal; and

transmitting the modified reference signal from the reference system to the aircraft platform.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the reference system is a mobile programmable reference system, and further wherein the reference signal includes a position, velocity, and acceleration information associated with the reference system.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the reference system, a modification input from the aircraft platform, the modification input to initiate the generating the modified reference signal.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmission schedule is received from the aircraft platform via a communication network.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of programmable reference signal parameters further include at least one of:

a transmission start time;

a transmission duration;

a reference signal power level;

a reference signal frequency;

an exclusion band designation;

or geographic location information.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a reference system, a calibration input from a system platform to initiate generation of a calibration reference signal, the calibration input including a set of programmable parameters;

generating, in the reference system, the calibration reference signal from the set of programmable parameters including a reference signal frequency and a specific antenna band designation;

transmitting the calibration reference signal via a radio frequency (RF) switch of the reference system coupled to a low band antenna and a high band antenna of the reference system, the calibration reference signal transmitted according to a transmission schedule stored at the reference system;

receiving, at the reference system, an additional set of programmable parameters from the system platform;

modifying, upon request at the reference system, the calibration reference signal based on the additional set of programmable parameters;

transmitting the modified calibration reference signal from the reference system; and

calibrating the system platform based on the modified calibration reference signal received from the reference system.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising receiving an input from the system platform to initiate the generating the calibration reference signal, the input received via a communication network and through a network interface.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

receiving an input from the system platform to initiate the generating the calibration reference signal; and

receiving an additional input from the system platform to initiate the modifying the calibration reference signal.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the reference system is implemented in an airport and the system platform is an aircraft such that the transmitting the calibration reference signal transmits the calibration reference signal to the aircraft to calibrate at least one a voice, video, radar, and data receiver of the aircraft.

10. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the transmission schedule includes a scheduled time for transmission of the calibration reference signal from the reference system to the system platform.

11. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the set of programmable parameters include at least one of:

a reference signal frequency;

an antenna band designation;

an exclusion band designation; and

geographic location information.

12. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising maintaining multiple sets of programmable parameters at the reference system, each set corresponding to a different programmable reference signal for a different system platform.

13. A method of calibrating aircraft data, comprising:

maintaining a set of programmable reference signal parameters at an airport reference system, the set of programmable reference signal parameters including;

a transmission duration,

a reference signal power level,

a reference signal frequency, and

an antenna band designation;

transmitting a calibration reference signal from the airport reference system to an aircraft, the calibration reference signal transmitted according to the transmission duration, the reference signal power level, the reference signal frequency, and the antenna band;

receiving, in the airport reference system, an updated set of programmable reference signal parameters;

modifying, in the airport reference system, the calibration reference signal to calibrate out a propagation effect of the calibration reference signal, the calibration reference signal modified based on the updated set of programmable reference signal parameters; and

transmitting the modified calibration reference signal from the airport reference system to the aircraft.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising receiving an input from the aircraft to transmit the calibration reference signal, the input received via a communication network and through a network interface.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the modified calibration reference signal is transmitted upon request from the aircraft.

16. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the calibration reference signal contains data to calibrate radar data of the aircraft.

17. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the calibration reference signal contains data to calibrate voice data of the aircraft.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the set of programmable reference signal parameters further includes at least one of an exclusion band designation and geographic location information.

19. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the calibration reference signal contains data to calibrate video data of the aircraft.

20. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the transmitting the calibration reference signal transmits the calibration reference signal at a scheduled time.