Virtual or remote transponder

• US 8,358,677 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Collette, Daniel Ross, Fulton, Vaughn
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Shuwang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bolourchi, Nader
• Application Number:
  US12/145,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20090316755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,673 Days
• Field of Search: 375/133, 701/1, 701/3, 701/120, 370/98, 370/427
• US Class Current: 375/133
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/767 Responders; Transponders teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

A system and method for transmitting UAV position data to a central flight control center transmits UAV position data using a virtual transponder. A ground control station for controlling the UAV receives data from the UAV, including UAV position data. The UAV may provide GPS data, or corrected position data based on readings from an inertial navigation system. The ground control station transmits the UAV position data to a flight control center.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting position data for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to a flight control center, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a UAV controller onboard the UAV, UAV position data from a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit located onboard the UAV to a ground control station, wherein the UAV controller transmits the UAV position data to the ground control station via a transmitter onboard the UAV and a receiver at the &

round control station, and wherein the ground control station is separate from the UAV and the ground control station controls the operation of the UAV;

formatting the UAV position data by a ground control station controller included in the ground control station, wherein the UAV position data is formatted to be received by the flight control center;

assigning aircraft identification to the formatted UAV position data; and

transmitting the formatted UAV position data from the ground control station to the flight control center, wherein the flight control center receives position data for a plurality of aerial vehicles.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a signal from the flight control center requesting UAV position data; and

in response to receiving the signal, transmitting the UAV position data to the flight control center.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving with the UAV controller at least one input from an inertial navigation system, wherein the inertial navigation system comprises;

at least one accelerometer sensor;

at least one gyroscopic sensor;

at least one temperature sensor; and

at least one barometric pressure sensor;

calculating with the UAV controller a corrected UAV position data; and

transmitting the corrected UAV position data to the ground control station.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, with the UAV controller, at least one input from an inertial navigation system, wherein the inertial navigation system comprises;

at least one accelerometer sensor;

at least one gyroscopic sensor;

at least one temperature sensor; and

at least one barometric pressure sensor;

transmitting the at least one input from the inertial navigation system to the ground control station;

calculating, with the ground control station controller, a corrected UAV position data; and

transmitting the corrected UAV position data to the flight control center.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying on a ground control station display at least one map, wherein the ground control station controller has the at least one map stored in its memory;

displaying on the ground control station display the position of the UAV.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving from the flight control center data comprising positions of at least one airborne vehicle in an airspace of the UAV;

displaying the position of the at least one airborne vehicle on the at least one map.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the ground control station further comprises a communications port, and

wherein the ground control station controller transmits data to and receives data from the flight control station via the communications port.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the UAV position data to the flight control center continuously.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting data from the UAV to the ground control station via a broad spectrum, frequency hopping radio signal between the UAV transmitter and the ground control station receiver.

10. A system for transmitting position data for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to a flight control center, the system comprising:

the UAV, comprising;

a UA V controller;

a VA V receiver and transmitter;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit, wherein the GPS unit is configured to provide a GPS position of the UAV; and

a ground control station, comprising;

a ground control station controller; and

a ground control station receiver and transmitter;

wherein the UAV controller is configured to transmit UAV position data based on the GPS position of the UAV to the ground control station via the UAV transmitter and the ground control station receiver,

wherein the ground control station controller is configured to transmit the UAV position data to the flight control center, and

wherein the flight control center is configured to receive position data for a plurality of aerial vehicles, and

wherein the UAV controller is a controller onboard the UAV configured to provide the UAV position data to the ground control station.

11. The system of claim 10,

wherein the ground control station further comprises a transponder,

wherein the transponder is configured to receive a request from the flight control center to provide UAV position data, and

wherein, in response to the request from the flight control center to provide UAV position data, the ground control station controller is configured to instruct the transponder to send UAV position data to the flight control center.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising

an inertial navigation system comprising:

at least one accelerometer sensor;

at least one gyroscopic sensor;

at least one temperature sensor; and

at least one barometric pressure sensor,

wherein the UAV controller is configured to receive at least one input from the inertial navigation system sensors.

13. The system of claim 12,

wherein the UAV controller is configured to calculate a corrected UAV position based on the at least one input from the inertial navigation system, and

wherein the UAV controller is configured to transmit the corrected UAV position to the ground control station.

14. The system of claim 12,

wherein the UAV controller is configured to transmit the at least one input from the inertial navigation system sensors to the ground control station,

wherein the ground control station is configured to calculate a corrected UAV position based on the at least one input from the inertial navigation system sensors, and

wherein the ground control station is configured to transmit the corrected UAV position to the flight control center.

15. The system of claim 10,

wherein the ground control station further comprises a display,

wherein the ground control station controller has at least one map stored in its memory, and

wherein the ground control station controller is configured to display the at least one map and the UAV position on the ground control station display.

16. The system of claim 15,

wherein the ground control station controller is configured to receive information from the flight control center comprising position data for at least one airborne vehicle in airspace of the UAV, and

wherein the ground control station controller is configured to display the UAV position and a position of the at least one airborne vehicle in the airspace of the UAV on the display based on the position data for the at least one airborne vehicle.

17. The system of claim 10,

wherein the ground control station further comprises a communications port, and

wherein the ground control station controller is configured to transmit data to and receive data from the flight control station via the communications port.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the ground control station controller is configured to transmit the UAV position data to the flight control center continuously.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the UAV controller is configured to transmit data to the ground control station via a broad-spectrum, frequency hopping radio signal between the UAV transmitter and the ground control station receiver.

20. A system for transmitting unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) position data to a flight control center, the system comprising:

a UAV controller located on onboard a UAV; and

a ground station controller located at a ground control station;

wherein the UAV controller is configured to transmit the UAV position data to the ground station controller;

wherein the ground control station controller is configured to store at least one map; and

wherein the ground control station is configured to, in response to receiving a request from the flight control center to provide UAV position data, send the UAV position data to the fight control center.