Method to establish and maintain an aircraft ad-hoc communication network

• US 9,264,126 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Foster, Eric N., Kauffman, Donald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, ANH NGOC M
• Application Number:
  US11/875,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20090103473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,042 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/351, 370/316, 370/315
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18584 Arrangements for data networking, i.e. for data packet routing, for congestion control data switching networks H04L12/00

Abstract

An ad-hoc communication network including at least two vehicles such as at least two aircraft. Each vehicle includes surveillance equipment, a surveillance transmitter, a surveillance receiver, a communication management function (CMF), a communication transmitter, and a communication receiver. The surveillance equipment is configured to generate at least position and ID information. The surveillance transmitter is configured to transmit the at least position and ID information. The surveillance receiver is configured to receive at least position and ID information from other vehicles. The communication management function (CMF) is configured to determine a network topology based on the received at least position and ID information and determine a route for a communication signal based on the determined network topology and the communication transmitter is configured to transmit the communication signals to a select communication receiver pursuant to the determined route.

Claims

1. An ad-hoc aircraft communications network, comprising:

at least two aircraft vehicles, each of the aircraft vehicles including;

surveillance equipment configured to generate surveillance information;

a surveillance transceiver configured to receive surveillance information from other aircraft vehicles;

a processor for managing communications, the processor configured to;

(a) receive the surveillance information;

(b) determine a current ad-hoc network topology based on the surveillance information;

(c) store the current ad-hoc network topology;

(d) repeat (a) to (c) at a selected frequency rate; and

(e) determine a route for communicating a message based on the stored current ad-hoc network topology; and

a communication transceiver configured to transmit the message to a select node in the ad-hoc aircraft network pursuant to the determined route.

4. The network of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one ground station that includes the select node.

5. The network of claim 1, wherein the surveillance equipment of at least one of the aircraft vehicles is configured to further generate at least one of speed information, heading information and intended trajectory information;

wherein the surveillance transceiver of at least one other of the aircraft vehicles is configured to receive the at least one of the speed information, heading information and intended trajectory information; and

wherein the processor of the at least one other of the aircraft vehicles is further configured to determine the network topology based on the received at least one of the speed information, heading information and intended trajectory information.

6. The network of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one ground station including a ground surveillance source and a ground surveillance transmitter configured to transmit surveillance information to at least one of the aircraft vehicles.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein the surveillance equipment includes at least one of an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B), and an automatic dependent surveillance-rebroadcast (ADS-R).

8. The network of claim 1, wherein the route determined for communicating the message based on the stored current ad-hoc network topology comprises the most efficient and reliable route.

2. A system for communications in an ad-hoc aircraft network, the system comprising:

a surveillance transceiver located in a first aircraft, the surveillance transceiver configured to receive surveillance information generated by surveillance equipment located in other aircraft;

a processor located in the first aircraft for managing communications, the processor configured to;

(a) receive the surveillance information;

(b) determine a current ad-hoc network topology based on the surveillance information;

(c) store the current ad-hoc network topology;

(d) repeat (a) to (c) at a selected frequency rate; and

(e) determine a route for communicating a message based on the stored current ad-hoc network topology; and

a communication transceiver located in the first aircraft, the communication transceiver configured to transmit the message to a select node in the ad-hoc aircraft network.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the surveillance information includes at least one of position, heading, speed, vehicle ID and intended trajectory information.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the surveillance equipment includes at least one of an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B), and an automatic dependent surveillance-rebroadcast (ADS-R).

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the route determined for communicating the message based on the stored current ad-hoc network topology comprises the most efficient and effective route.

3. A method for communications in an ad-hoc aircraft network, the method comprising:

(a) monitoring surveillance information from other aircraft, wherein the surveillance information is generated by surveillance equipment located in the other aircraft;

(b) determining a current ad-hoc network topology based on the surveillance information;

(c) storing the current ad-hoc network topology;

(d) repeating steps (a) to (c) at a selected frequency rate;

(e) determining a route for communicating a message based on the stored current ad-hoc network topology; and

(f) transmitting the message to a select node in the ad-hoc aircraft network.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the select node is one of another aircraft and a ground station.

13. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining if the select node is a destination node for the message; and

if the select node is not the destination node for the message, with the select node;

monitoring surveillance information from other sources indicating each aircraft'"'"'s position, heading and speed;

determining a then current topology of the ad-hoc aircraft network based on the monitored surveillance information; and

based on the determined then current topology, transmitting the message to another select node in the ad-hoc aircraft network.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein the surveillance equipment includes at least one of an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B), and an automatic dependent surveillance-rebroadcast (ADS-R).

15. The method of claim 3, wherein the surveillance information includes at least one of position, speed, heading, vehicle ID and intended trajectory information.

16. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting surveillance messages from at least one ground station.

17. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

based on the surveillance information, predicting at least one of when existing communication links will break, when new communication links will become available, and estimating aircraft-to-aircraft communication link reliability based on proximity and flight intent information.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining the most efficient and reliable route for the message based on the prediction.