Unmanned air vehicle interoperability agent

• US 20070235584A1
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Martens, Eric, Corman, David, Herm, Thomas, Dorris, Steven, Paunicka, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,918,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/75.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A method of coordinating communications between a plurality of Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) operating in connection with differing communication languages. A common language is provided which includes common language commands and common language data objects. Common language commands are communicated from a user to a plurality of UAVs through a UAV Interoperability Agent (UIA), which converts the common language commands to UAV-specific commands which can be understood by the specific UAV. Additionally, UAVs send data in a native platform format to the UIA, which converts the native platform data to common language format for collection and interpretation by the user.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with a plurality of mobile platforms having different communication languages, comprising:

generating a first packet of common language information; and

sending said first packet of common language information to an intermediate translating subsystem; and

using said intermediate translating subsystem to convert said first packet of common language information to a first packet of mobile platform specific information, said first packet of mobile platform specific information being understandable by at least one of the plurality of mobile platforms.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating said first packet of common language information comprises generating at least one of a common language command and common language data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending said first packet of mobile platform specific information to said at least one mobile platform.

4. A method for communicating between a mobile platform and a remote system, comprising:

generating a packet of mobile platform specific information at said mobile platform;

sending said packet of mobile platform specific information from said mobile platform to an intermediate translating subsystem;

using said intermediate translating subsystem to convert said packet of mobile platform specific information to a packet of common language information understandable by said remote system; and

sending said packet of common language information from said intermediate translating subsystem to said remote system.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising using the remote device to generate information that is transmitted to, and converted by, said intermediate translating system, into an additional packet of mobile platform specific information understandable by said mobile platform.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein generating said packet of mobile platform specific information comprises generating at least one of a common language command and common language data.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said packet of mobile platform specific information instructs said mobile platform to fly to a predetermined location.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein generating said packet of mobile platform specific information comprises generating sensor data collected by said mobile platform.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising using said remote device to generate an initial packet of mobile platform specific information that instructs said mobile platform to send said packet of mobile platform specific information to said intermediate translating subsystem, said packet of mobile platform specific information comprising image data collected by said mobile platform.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising using said remote device to generate an initial packet of mobile platform specific information that instructs said mobile platform to send said packet of mobile platform specific information to said intermediate translating subsystem, said packet of mobile platform specific information comprising video data collected by said mobile platform.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising using said remote device to generate an initial packet of mobile platform specific information that instructs said mobile platform to initiate an electromagnetic jamming signal from said mobile platform.

12. A method for enabling bi-directional communication between a user and a plurality of mobile platforms operating with differing communication languages, the method comprising:

having said user generate a first packet of common language information adapted for receipt by a specific one of said mobile platforms;

using an intermediate translating subsystem to convert said first packet of common language information to a first packet of mobile platform specific information understandable by said specific mobile platform;

causing said specific mobile platform to generate a second packet of mobile platform specific information; and

using said intermediate translating subsystem to receive said second packet of mobile platform specific information and to generate a second packet of common language information therefrom that is understandable by said user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said first packet of common language information comprises at least one of a first common language command and a first packet of common language data.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said first packet of mobile platform specific information instructs said specific mobile platform to fly to a predetermined location.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said first packet of mobile platform specific information instructs said specific mobile platform to send said second packet of mobile platform specific information to said intermediate translating subsystem, said second packet of mobile platform specific information comprising sensor data collected by said specific mobile platform.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said first packet of mobile platform specific information instructs said specific mobile platform to send said second packet of mobile platform specific information to said intermediate translating subsystem, said second packet of mobile platform specific information comprising image data collected by said specific mobile platform.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said first packet of mobile platform specific information instructs said specific mobile platform to deploy a weapon carried by said specific mobile platform.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein said first packet of mobile platform specific information instructs said specific mobile platform to send said second packet of mobile platform specific information to said intermediate translating subsystem, said second packet of mobile platform specific information comprising video data collected by said specific mobile platform.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein said first packet of mobile platform specific information instructs said specific mobile platform to initiate an electromagnetic jamming signal from said specific mobile platform.

20. A system for enabling communication between a user and a plurality of mobile platforms operating with differing communication languages, the system comprising:

an information network interface in communication with a universal information network at one of a plurality of connection points associated with said universal information network, said universal information network adapted for transmitting information from the user to said information network interface;

a translating subsystem in communication with said information network interface, said translating subsystem adapted for translating said information into mobile platform specific information understandable by at least one of the plurality of mobile platforms; and

a mobile platform communication module in communication with said translating subsystem and said at least one of the plurality of mobile platforms, said mobile platform communication module being adapted for transmitting said mobile platform specific information to said at least one of the plurality of mobile platforms.