AD-HOC SECURE COMMUNICATION NETWORKING BASED ON FORMATION FLIGHT TECHNOLOGY

• US 20090103452A1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Horvath, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,811,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

An ad-hoc secure communication network and methods of communicating with a fleet of vehicles using the ad-hoc communication network is provided. The method includes communicating relatively long range communication signals to a fleet router. The fleet router is a select one of the vehicles in the fleet. The method further includes forming an ad-hoc communication network between the fleet vehicles to communicate relatively short range communication signals between the vehicles in the fleet. Wherein each vehicle in the fleet uses surveillance information to determine the network topology and each vehicle routes messages based on the discovered network topology.

Claims

1. A method of communicating with a fleet of vehicles, the method comprising:

communicating relatively long range communication signals to a fleet router, the fleet router being a select one of the vehicles in the fleet; and

forming an ad-hoc communication network with the vehicles to communicate relatively short range communication signals between the vehicles in the fleet, wherein each vehicle in the fleet uses detected surveillance information to determine the network topology and each vehicle routes messages based on the discovered network topology.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing messages to one or more vehicles in the fleet from a ground station via the fleet router.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating surveillance messages with surveillance equipment in each aircraft in the fleet, wherein the surveillance messages provides the surveillance information used to determine the network topology.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the surveillance messages include at least one of position, ID, speed, heading and intended trajectory information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the most efficient and reliable route for messages through the ad-hoc communication network with each vehicle in the fleet based on the topology determined by the respective vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting the relatively long range communication signals to the fleet router.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the relatively long range communication signals are at least one of radio and satellite signals.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the relatively short range communication signals are at least one of very high frequency (VHF) signals, high frequency (HF) signals, microwave signals, radio frequency (RF) signals and laser signals.

9. A method of communication messages to a fleet of vehicles, the method comprising:

receiving relatively long range communication signal containing a communication message at a fleet router, the fleet router being a select one of the vehicles in the fleet;

determining other vehicles in the fleet designated to receive the communication message;

determining a topology of an ad-hoc communication network of the vehicles in the fleet based on received surveillance information;

determining routes to the other designated vehicles to receive the message based on the topology; and

transmitting the communication message to the other vehicles based on the determined routes using relatively short range communication signals.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving the communication signal from the fleet router at another vehicle;

determining if the another vehicle is a destination node for the communication message; and

when the another vehicle is not the destination node, determining a topology of the ad-hoc communication network of the vehicles in the fleet based on received surveillance information,

determining a route to the destination node based on the determined topology, and

transmitting the communication message to yet another vehicle based on the determined route using a relatively short range communication signal.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a topology of an ad-hoc communication network of the vehicles in the fleet based on received surveillance information further comprises:

monitoring surveillance information of vehicles in the fleet;

communicating the surveillance information to a central management function (CMF);

determining the then current topology based on the surveillance information; and

storing the then current topology in a database.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a route is based on the most efficient and reliable route based on the topology.

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

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the relatively long range communication signals are ACARS communication signals and the relatively short range communication signals are at least one of very high frequency (VHF) signals, high frequency (HF) signals, microwave signals, radio frequency (RF) signals and laser signals.

15. An ad-hoc secure vehicle communication network, the communication network comprising:

a plurality of vehicles, each vehicle including surveillance equipment to generate at least position and ID information regarding the respective vehicle, each vehicle further including a surveillance transmitter configured to transmit the at least position and ID information; and

a fleet router configured to communicate over relatively long distances with a first communication system and relatively short distances with a second communication system, the fleet router including a receiver configured to receive the at least position and ID information transmitted by the vehicles in the fleet, the fleet router further comprising a communication management function (CMF) configured to determine an ad-hoc network topology based on the received position and ID information and determine communication routes based on the determined topology, the fleet router further configured to implement the second communication system when communicating based on the determined topology.

16. The communication network of claim 15, wherein each vehicle in the fleet is configured to communicate over relatively long distances with a first communication system and relatively short distances with a second communication system, each vehicle including a receiver configured to receive the at least position and ID information transmitted by other vehicles in the fleet, each vehicle further comprising a communication management function (CMF) configured to determine an ad-hoc network topology based on the received position and ID information and determine communication routes based on the determined topology, each vehicle further yet configured to implement the second communication system when communicating based on the determined topology.

17. The communication network of claim 15, further comprising:

a ground station configured to communicate with the first communication system of the fleet router using encrypted messages.

18. The communication network of claim 15, wherein the first communication system is an ACARS communication system and the second communication system is a very high frequency (VHF) communication system.

19. The communication network of claim 15, wherein the surveillance equipment is configured to further generate at least one of speed information, heading information and intended trajectory information.

20. The communication network of claim 19, wherein the fleet router is further configured to determine topology based further on the at least one of speed information, heading information and intended trajectory information.