Wireless, ground link-based aircraft data communication system with roaming feature

• US 7,769,376 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2009
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wright, Thomas H., Ziarno, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L
• Application Number:
  US12/435,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20090233597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 455/431, 340/981
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A flight information communication system has a plurality of RF direct sequence spread spectrum ground data links that link respective aircraft-resident subsystems, in each of which a copy of its flight performance data is stored, with airport-located subsystems. The airport-located subsystems are coupled by way communication paths, such as land line telephone links, to a remote flight operations control center. At the flight operations control center, flight performance data downlinked from plural aircraft parked at different airports is analyzed. In addition, the flight control center may be employed to direct the uploading of in-flight data files, such as audio, video and navigation files from the airport-located subsystems to the aircraft.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating compliance with limitations imposed upon wireless communications by multiple governing jurisdictions comprising:

transmitting from an RF transceiver unit at a particular location within one of said multiple governing jurisdictions an interrogation beacon on at least one of a plurality of preselected radio-frequency (RF) channels, said interrogation beacon containing information representative of limitations imposed by the jurisdiction governing wireless communications at the location of the particular RF transceiver unit; and

receiving data at the RF transceiver unit on a selected channel in accordance with communication limitations imposed by the jurisdiction governing wireless communications at the location of the RF transceiver unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, including transmitting interrogation beacons on a plurality of preselected radio-frequency (RF) channels.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information transmitted in the interrogation beacon comprises data that is representative of emitted power level restrictions for the location of the RF transceiver unit.

4. The method according to claim 1, and further comprising assigning frequency channels that can be selected for communication based on the location of the RF transceiver unit.

5. The method according to claim 1, and further comprising transmitting an interrogation beacon from at least two RF transceiver units physically spaced apart from each other by a separation distance sufficient to provide antenna spatial diversity.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said RF transceiver unit comprises a pair of associated first and second antennas physically spaced apart from each other by a separation distance sufficient to provide antenna spatial diversity, and transmitting said interrogation beacon through each of said first and second antennas.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information transmitted in the interrogation beacon comprises data that is representative of frequency channels that can be selected for communication based on the location of the RF transceiver unit.

8. A wireless communication system that facilitates compliance with limitations imposed upon wireless communications by multiple governing jurisdictions comprising:

a transmitter located at a particular location within one of said multiple governing jurisdictions which transmits an interrogation beacon on at least one of a plurality of preselected radio-frequency (RF) channels, said interrogation beacon containing information representative of limitations imposed by the jurisdiction controlling wireless communications based on the location of said particular transmitter.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the transmitter transmits interrogation beacons on a plurality of preselected radio-frequency (RF) channels.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the information in the interrogation beacon comprises data that is representative of emitted power level restrictions for the location of the RF transceiver unit.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the information in the interrogation beacon is data concerning the radio-frequency channels that can be selected for communication based on the location of the transmitter.

12. The system according to claim 8, and further comprising at least two RF transmitters physically spaced apart from each other by a separation distance sufficient to provide antenna spatial diversity, each of said transmitters operable to transmit an interrogation beacon.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein said transmitter comprises a pair of associated first and second antennas physically spaced apart from each other by a separation distance sufficient to provide antenna spatial diversity, each of said transmitter antennas operable to transmits an interrogation beacon.

14. A system for facilitating compliance with limitations imposed upon wireless communications by multiple governing jurisdictions comprising:

an RF transceiver unit located at a particular location within one of said multiple governing jurisdictions and operable to transmit an interrogation beacon on at least one of a plurality of preselected radio-frequency (RF) channels,

said interrogation beacon containing information representative of limitations imposed by the jurisdiction governing wireless communications at the location of the particular RF transceiver unit,

said RF transceiver unit operable to receive data on a selected channel in accordance with communication limitations imposed by the jurisdiction governing wireless communications at the location of the RF transceiver unit.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said RF transceiver unit is operable for transmitting interrogation beacons on a plurality of preselected radio-frequency (RF) channels.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the information in the interrogation beacon comprises data that is representative of emitted power level restrictions for the location of the RF transceiver unit.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the information in the interrogation beacon comprises data that is representative of frequency channels that can be selected for communication based on the location of the RF transceiver unit.

18. The system according to claim 14, and further comprising two RF transceiver units physically spaced apart from each other by a separation distance sufficient to provide antenna spatial diversity, each of said RF transceivers operable to transmits an interrogation beacon.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein said RF transceiver unit comprises a pair of associated first and second antennas physically spaced apart from each other by a separation distance sufficient to provide antenna spatial diversity, each of said transmitter antennas operable to transmits an interrogation beacon.

20. A method of facilitating compliance with limitations imposed upon wireless communications by multiple governing jurisdictions comprising:

transmitting from an RF transceiver unit at a particular location within one of said multiple governing jurisdictions an interrogation beacon on at least one of a plurality of preselected radio-frequency (RF) channels, said interrogation beacon containing information representative of limitations imposed by the jurisdiction governing wireless communications at the location of the particular RF transceiver unit.

21. The method according to claim 20, including transmitting interrogation beacons on a plurality of preselected radio-frequency (RF) channels.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the information transmitted in the interrogation beacon comprises data that is representative of emitted power level restrictions for the location of the RF transceiver unit.

23. The method according to claim 20, and further comprising assigning frequency channels that can be selected for communication based on the location of the RF transceiver unit.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein the information transmitted in the interrogation beacon comprises data that is representative of frequency channels that can be selected for communication based on the location of the RF transceiver unit.

25. A method of facilitating compliance with limitations imposed upon wireless communications by multiple governing jurisdictions comprising:

receiving at an RF transceiver unit at a particular location within one of said multiple governing jurisdictions an interrogation beacon, said interrogation beacon containing information representative of limitations imposed by the jurisdiction governing wireless communications at the location of the particular RF transceiver unit;

adjusting at said RF transceiver unit transmission parameters applicable to the transmission of data from the RF transceiver unit responsive to the limitations imposed by a jurisdiction governing wireless communications at the location of the RF transceiver unit; and

transmitting data from the RF transceiver unit in accordance with communication limitations imposed by the jurisdiction governing wireless communications at the location of the RF transceiver unit.

26. The method according to claim 25, including transmitting interrogation beacons on a plurality of preselected radio-frequency (RF) channels.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the information transmitted in the interrogation beacon comprises data that is representative of emitted power level restrictions for the location of the RF transceiver unit.

28. The method according to claim 25, and further comprising assigning frequency channels that can be selected for communication based on the location of the RF transceiver unit.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein the information transmitted in the interrogation beacon comprises data that is representative of frequency channels that can be selected for communication based on the location of the RF transceiver unit.

30. A system for facilitating compliance with limitations imposed upon wireless communications by multiple governing jurisdictions comprising:

an RF transceiver unit at a particular location within one of said multiple governing jurisdictions and operable to receive an interrogation beacon on at least one of a plurality of preselected radio-frequency (RF) channels;

said interrogation beacon containing information representative of limitations imposed by the jurisdiction governing wireless communications at the location of the particular RF transceiver unit;

said RF transceiver unit operable to adjust its transmission parameters responsive to the limitations imposed by the jurisdiction governing wireless communications at the location of the RF transceiver unit; and

said RF transceiver unit operable to transmit data on a selected channel in accordance with communication limitations imposed by the jurisdiction governing wireless communications at the location of the RF transceiver unit.

31. The system according to claim 30, wherein said RF transceiver unit is operable for receiving interrogation beacons on a plurality of preselected radio-frequency (RF) channels.

32. The system according to claim 30, wherein the information in the interrogation beacon comprises data that is representative of emitted power level restrictions for the location of the RF transceiver unit.

33. The system according to claim 30, wherein the information in the interrogation beacon comprises data that is representative of frequency channels that can be selected for communication based on the location of the RF transceiver unit.

34. The system according to claim 30, wherein said RF transceiver unit comprises a pair of associated first and second antennas physically spaced apart from each other by a separation distance sufficient to provide antenna spatial diversity, each of said transceiver antennas operable to receive an interrogation beacon.

35. A method of facilitating compliance with limitations imposed upon wireless communications by multiple governing jurisdictions comprising:

receiving at an RF transceiver unit at a particular location within one of said multiple governing jurisdictions an interrogation beacon on at least one of a plurality of preselected radio-frequency (RF) channels, said interrogation beacon containing information representative of limitations imposed by the jurisdiction governing wireless communications at the location of the particular RF transceiver unit;

adjusting at said RF transceiver transmission parameters applicable to the transmission of data from the RF transceiver; and

transmitting data from the RF transceiver unit on a selected channel in accordance with communication limitations imposed by the jurisdiction governing wireless communications at the location of the RF transceiver unit.