Wireless communication system and method for wireless signal communication in flight vehicles

• US 8,422,951 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Nejad, Shah A., Ihly, Rafael A., Wangsvick, Chad
• Primary Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US12/695,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20130065534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66.1, 455/90.3, 455/39, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/431
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/046 involving vehicles, e.g. floating traffic data [FTD] or vehicle traffic prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for wireless signal communication in flight vehicles are disclosed. In an embodiment, a system includes a first portion that generates a first wireless zone. A second portion is decoupleable from the first portion and generates a second wireless zone. The first wireless zone and the second wireless zone communicate flight-related information while the first portion and the second portion are coupled, and discontinue the communication subsequent to the separation of the first portion from the second structural portion. In another embodiment, a method includes establishing a first wireless zone in a first portion of a flight vehicle, and establishing a second wireless zone in a second decoupleable portion of the flight vehicle. Flight-related information is communicated between the first wireless zone and the second wireless zone while the first portion and the second portion are coupled, and communication is discontinued after decoupling.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system for a flight vehicle, comprising:

a first portion configured to generate a first wireless zone; and

a second portion configured to be structurally decoupled from the first portion and configured to generate a second wireless zone, wherein the first wireless zone and the second wireless zone are configured to communicate flight-related information between the first portion and the second portion while the first portion and the second portion are coupled, and to discontinue the communication of flight-related information between the first portion and the second portion subsequent to the separation of the first portion from the second portion.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the first portion includes a first transceiver coupled to a first antenna positioned on the first portion, and the second portion includes a second transceiver coupled to a second antenna positioned on the second portion, wherein the first antenna is proximate to the second antenna.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein the first transceiver is coupled to a first electronics unit, and the second transceiver is coupled to a second electronics unit, wherein at least one of the first electronics unit and the second electronics unit are configured to communicate the flight-related information to the respective first transceiver and the second transceiver.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein the first transceiver and the second transceiver are configured to communicate using more than one communications channel.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the flight-related information includes at least one of flight guidance information for the flight vehicle, navigation information for the flight vehicle, propulsion system information for the flight vehicle, sensor information for the flight vehicle and in-flight separation information for the flight vehicle.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna includes a patch antenna configured to be positioned on an exterior of the first portion or an exterior of the second portion.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein the first transceiver and the second transceiver are configured to operate in one of the ultra-high-frequency (UHF) portion, the super-high-frequency (SHF) portion, or the extremely-high-frequency (EHF) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein the first transceiver and the second transceiver are configured to communicate the flight-related information using spread spectrum methods, including at least one of frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS), direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS), time-hopping spread spectrum (THSS), and chirp spread spectrum (CSS).

9. The wireless communication system of claim 6, wherein the patch antenna includes a directional array configured to be positioned on the exterior of the first portion or the second portion.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 9, wherein the patch antenna includes a phase-driven directional array.

11. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein the first portion comprises a first stage of a multi-stage flight vehicle, the second portion comprises a second stage of the multi-stage flight vehicle, and the first stage and the second stage are coupled by an inter-stage coupling configured to decouple the first stage and the second stage upon activation, further wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are proximate to the inter-stage coupling.

12. A wireless communication system for a multi-staged flight vehicle, comprising:

a first stage including a first transceiver; and

a second stage configured to be coupled to the first stage during a first flight portion, and decoupled from the first stage during a second flight portion, the second stage including a second transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the first transceiver, wherein the first transceiver and the second transceiver wirelessly communicate flight-related information between the first stage and the second stage during the first flight portion, and discontinue wireless communication of the flight-related information between the first stage and the second stage during the second flight portion.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 12, wherein the first transceiver and the second transceiver are configured to communicate using more than one communications channel.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 12, comprising a first electronics unit coupled to the first transceiver and a second electronics unit coupled to the second transceiver, wherein at least one of the first electronics unit and the second electronics unit are configured to communicate at least one of flight guidance information, navigation information, propulsion system information, sensor information and in-flight separation information for the multi-stage flight vehicle to at least one of the first transceiver and the second transceiver.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein the first transceiver and the first electronics unit are coupled to a first power supply, and the second transceiver and the second electronics unit are coupled to a second power supply, wherein at least one of the first power supply and the second power supply include at least one of a thermal battery power source, a fuel cell power source and a photovoltaic power source.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first transceiver and the first electronics unit is configured to be removably coupled to a first umbilical, and at least one of the second transceiver and the second electronics unit is configured to be removably coupled to a second umbilical, wherein the first umbilical and the second umbilical are configured to be decoupled prior to the first flight portion of the multi-stage flight vehicle.

17. A method of wireless communication in a flight vehicle, comprising:

establishing a first wireless zone in a first portion of a flight vehicle;

establishing a second wireless zone in a second portion of the flight vehicle, the first portion configured to be structurally decoupled from the second portion of the flight vehicle;

communicating flight-related information between the first wireless zone and the second wireless zone while the first portion and the second portion of the flight vehicle are structurally coupled; and

discontinuing the communication of flight-related information between the first portion and the second portion of the flight vehicle subsequent to structurally decoupling the first portion of the flight vehicle from the second portion of the flight vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein communicating flight-related information between the first wireless zone and the second wireless zone comprises communicating the flight-related information using more than one communications channel.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising communicating at least a portion of the flight-related information from one of the first portion and the second portion to one of a ground receiving station and a satellite subsequent to structurally decoupling the first portion of the flight vehicle from the second portion of the flight vehicle.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein communicating flight-related information between the first wireless zone and the second wireless zone comprises encrypting the flight-related information prior to communicating the flight-related information between the first wireless zone and the second wireless zone.