Systems and methods for optimizing broadcasts

• US 9,425,843 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2013
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CTAF Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Michael L. Gibbons
• Inventors: Gibbons, Michael L., Gibbons, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Zhiyu
• Application Number:
  US13/972,882
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1638 Special circuits to enhance selectivity of receivers not otherwise provided for resonant circuits H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/71 Wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/322 Power control of broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Optimizing a power level for a transmission so that the transmission is receivable at or near a destination, but no farther, is useful for reduced-power transmissions. Taking into account known distance for the transmission as determined by onboard GPS and geographic databases, a power level may be set more precisely. Accounting for atmospheric conditions which may impact transmission as determined by onboard or received measurements of temperature, solar or other conditions may also permit a power level to be set more precisely. An obstruction database may be consulted to determine whether transmissions will degrade due to objects in between the transmitter and receiver, permitting power level, frequency, bandwidth or transmit/receive location to be adjusted accordingly. The techniques may be implemented in any signal transmission scenario including mobile telephones, aircraft, marine or other vehicle radios, mobile devices with Wi-Fi radios for network computing, stationary radios, and other situations requiring communications.

Claims

1. An aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of an aircraft radio for reducing effects of Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) radio congestion, comprising:

circuitry configured for receiving at least (i) an indication of an airport, (ii) a geographic range surrounding the airport, and (iii) a CTAF frequency associated with the airport;

circuitry configured for determining a first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport;

circuitry configured for providing an indication of a first squelch value based at least in part on (a) the determined first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) an assumed fixed transmission signal strength; and

circuitry configured for providing an indication of a second squelch value based at least in part on (a) a determined second distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) the assumed fixed transmission signal strength,

wherein the second squelch value is operable to alter a signal strength threshold associated with the aircraft radio audibly emitting received CTAF radio broadcasts as a function of the determined second distance between the aircraft radio and the airport.

2. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for determining a first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport comprises:

circuitry configured for sensing, using a GPS operably coupled with the aircraft radio, a location of the aircraft radio; and

circuitry configured for determining a distance between the aircraft radio and the airport based at least in part on the sensed location of the aircraft radio and one or more geographic coordinates related to the airport, the one or more geographic coordinates obtained from a database operably coupled with the aircraft radio.

3. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 2, wherein circuitry configured for determining a distance between the aircraft radio and the airport based at least in part on the sensed location of the aircraft radio and one or more geographic coordinates related to the airport, the one or more geographic coordinates obtained from a database operably coupled with the aircraft radio comprises:

circuitry configured for determining a distance between the aircraft radio and the airport based at least in part on an altitude of the aircraft radio and an altitude of the airport.

5. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for providing an indication of a second squelch value based at least in part on (a) a determined second distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) the assumed fixed transmission signal strength comprises:

circuitry configured for determining whether the distance between the aircraft radio and the airport is decreasing and, if the distance between the aircraft radio and the airport is decreasing, providing an indication of a second squelch value that is increased relative to the first squelch value.

6. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for receiving at least (i) an indication of an airport, (ii) a geographic range surrounding the airport, and (iii) a CTAF frequency associated with the airport comprises:

circuitry configured for at least one of receiving an indication of a frequency and determining an airport via at least a search of a database associating frequencies and airports, or receiving an indication of an airport and determining a frequency via at least a search of a database associating airports and frequencies.

7. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for providing an indication of a second squelch value based at least in part on (a) a determined second distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) the assumed fixed transmission signal strength comprises:

circuitry configured for at least one of (i) dynamically increasing a squelch as the distance between the aircraft radio and the airport decreases, or (ii) dynamically decreasing the squelch as the distance between the aircraft radio and the airport increases.

8. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for receiving at least (i) an indication of an airport, (ii) a geographic range surrounding the airport, and (iii) a CTAF frequency associated with the airport comprises:

a user interface of the aircraft radio, the user interface configured at least for receiving an identifier associated with an airport;

circuitry configured for determining a location of an airport based at least in part on a received identifier associated with the airport, the identifier received via the user interface; and

circuitry configured for determining a frequency associated with the airport based at least in part on the received identifier associated with the airport.

9. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for determining a first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving a GPS location of the aircraft radio, the GPS location provided by at least one of GPS circuitry internal to the aircraft radio or by a GPS source external to the aircraft radio, and circuitry configured for determining a first distance between the received GPS location and the airport.

10. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for determining a first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport comprises:

circuitry configured for determining the distance between the aircraft radio and the airport based at least in part on a latitude and longitude of the aircraft radio and a latitude and longitude of the airport.

11. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for providing an indication of a second squelch value based at least in part on (a) a determined second distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) the assumed fixed transmission signal strength comprises:

circuitry configured for providing an indication of a second squelch value based at least in part on a detected change in the distance.

12. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for providing an indication of a second squelch value based at least in part on (a) a determined second distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) the assumed fixed transmission signal strength comprises:

circuitry configured for providing an indication of a second squelch value based at least in part on one or more time parameters, the one or more time parameters including at least one of one or more periodic time parameters or one or more aperiodic time parameters.

15. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for providing an indication of a first squelch value based at least in part on (a) the determined first distance between the mobile receiver and the location of interest, (b) the geographic range surrounding the location of interest, and (c) an assumed fixed transmission signal strength comprises:

circuitry configured for providing the indication of a first squelch value based at least in part on (a) the determined first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) an assumed signal strength associated with transmissions.

16. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 15, wherein circuitry configured for providing an indication of a first squelch value based at least in part on (a) the determined first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) an assumed fixed transmission signal strength comprises:

circuitry configured for providing the indication of a first squelch value based at least in part on (a) the determined first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) an assumed fixed strength for all transmissions which could be received by the aircraft radio.

17. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for providing an indication of a first squelch value based at least in part on (a) the determined first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) an assumed fixed transmission signal strength comprise:

circuitry configured for providing the indication of the first squelch value, the first squelch value operable at least to at least to unmute one or more outputs of the aircraft radio during reception of one or more signals on the received frequency associated with the airport having a signal strength above a threshold associated with the first squelch value and to otherwise mute the one or more outputs of the aircraft radio.

18. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for receiving at least (i) an indication of an airport, (ii) a geographic range surrounding the airport, and (iii) a CTAF frequency associated with the airport comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving the geographic range surrounding the airport based at least in part on at least one of an entry received via a user interface of the aircraft radio or a database lookup.

19. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including at least some data associating identifiers related to airports, geographic coordinates related to the airports, and frequencies related to the airports.

20. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, wherein the aircraft radio circuitry arrangement for reducing effects of Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) radio congestion is a system operably couplable with the aircraft radio.

21. The aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of claim 1, wherein the aircraft radio circuitry arrangement is operable to reduce radio congestion related to multiple airports within a vicinity of the aircraft radio being assigned the same CTAF frequency by setting a squelch threshold such that one or more transmissions intended for a remote airport are muted while one or more transmissions intended for a nearby airport are audibly emitted.

4. A method for an aircraft radio for reducing effects of Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) radio congestion, comprising:

receiving, at the aircraft radio, at least (i) an indication of an airport, (ii) a geographic range surrounding the airport, and (iii) a CTAF frequency associated with the airport;

determining, by the aircraft radio, a first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport;

providing, by the aircraft radio, an indication of a first squelch value based at least in part on (a) the determined first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) an assumed fixed transmission signal strength; and

providing, by the aircraft radio, an indication of a second squelch value based at least in part on (a) a determined second distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) the assumed fixed transmission signal strength,

wherein the second squelch value is operable to alter a signal strength threshold associated with the aircraft radio audibly emitting received CTAF radio broadcasts as a function of the determined second distance between the aircraft radio and the airport.

13. An aircraft radio circuitry arrangement of an aircraft radio for reducing effects of Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) radio congestion, comprising:

means for receiving at least (i) an indication of an airport, (ii) a geographic range surrounding the airport, and (iii) a CTAF frequency associated with the airport;

means for determining a first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport;

means for providing an indication of a first squelch value based at least in part on (a) the determined first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) an assumed fixed transmission signal strength t; and

means for providing an indication of a second squelch value based at least in part on (a) a determined second distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) the assumed fixed transmission signal strength,

wherein the second squelch value is operable to alter a signal strength threshold associated with the aircraft radio audibly emitting received CTAF radio broadcasts as a function of the determined second distance between the aircraft radio and the airport.

14. An aircraft radio configured for reducing effects of Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) radio congestion, comprising:

at least one processing device; and

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to at least;

receive at least (i) an indication of an airport, (ii) a geographic range surrounding the airport, and (iii) a CTAF frequency associated with the airport;

determine a first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport;

provide an indication of a first squelch value based at least in part on (a) the determined first distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) an assumed fixed transmission signal strength; and

provide an indication of a second squelch value based at least in part on (a) a determined second distance between the aircraft radio and the airport, (b) the geographic range surrounding the airport, and (c) the assumed fixed transmission signal strength,

wherein the second squelch value is operable to alter a signal strength threshold associated with the aircraft radio audibly emitting received CTAF radio broadcasts as a function of the determined second distance between the aircraft radio and the airport.