Ad-hoc secure communication networking based on formation flight technology

• US 8,811,265 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Horvath, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghafoerkhan, Faiyazkhan
• Application Number:
  US11/875,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20090103452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,496 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/316
• 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:

designating a single vehicle of a fleet to be a fleet router, the fleet including a plurality of vehicles;

routing long range communication through the fleet router, where all long range communication between individual vehicles within the fleet and any communication point outside of the fleet are routed through the fleet router, wherein none of the individual vehicles within the fleet except for the fleet router communicate directly with any communication point outside of the fleet, wherein the long range communication between the fleet router and any communication point outside of the fleet is detectable by one or more remotely located detecting systems; and

forming an ad-hoc communication network with the plurality of vehicles of the fleet to communicate communication signals between the plurality of 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, wherein the communication signals between the plurality of vehicles in the fleet are not detectable by the one or more remotely located detecting systems, and wherein the detected surveillance information is detected by at least one vehicle within the plurality of vehicles and includes at least one of position, ID, speed, heading, and intended trajectory information for the plurality of vehicles.

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 provide the surveillance information used to determine the network topology; and

communicating the surveillance messages between the plurality of vehicles using the surveillance equipment, wherein the surveillance equipment is different equipment from communications equipment used to communicate the communication signals.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting the long range communication signals to the fleet router.

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

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the 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.

7. A method of communicating messages for a fleet of vehicles, the method comprising:

designating a single vehicle of a fleet to be a fleet router, the fleet including a plurality of vehicles;

determining a topology of an ad-hoc communication network formed between the plurality of vehicles in the fleet based on surveillance information detected by at least one vehicle within the plurality of vehicles and including at least one of position, ID, speed, heading, and intended trajectory information for the plurality of vehicles;

determining message routing between the plurality of vehicles and the fleet router based on the topology; and

transmitting communication messages between the plurality of vehicles using the determined message routing, wherein communication messages transmitted between the plurality of vehicles in the fleet are not detectable by one or more remotely located detecting systems; and

transmitting all communication messages originating from any vehicle of the plurality of vehicles for transmission to any communication point outside the fleet of vehicles through the fleet router, wherein none of the plurality of vehicles within the fleet except for the fleet router transmit any communication messages directly to any communication point outside of the fleet of vehicles, wherein the communication messages transmitted between the fleet router and any communication points outside of the fleet of vehicles is detectable by one or more remotely located detecting systems.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving all communication messages originating from any point outside the fleet of vehicles for transmission to any vehicle of the plurality of vehicles through the fleet router, wherein none of the plurality of vehicles within the fleet except for the fleet router receive any communication message directly from any communication point outside of the fleet of vehicles.

9. The method of claim 7, 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 using surveillance equipment;

communicating the surveillance information to a central management function (CMF) using surveillance equipment, wherein the surveillance equipment is different equipment from communications equipment used for transmitting communication messages between the plurality of vehicles;

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

storing the then current topology in a database.

10. The method of claim 7,

wherein determining the topology of the ad-hoc communication network includes communicating the surveillance messages between the plurality of vehicles using surveillance equipment, wherein the surveillance equipment is different equipment from communications equipment used for transmitting communication messages between the plurality of vehicles.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication signals transmitted between the fleet router and any communication point outside of the fleet of vehicles are ACARS communication signals and the communication signals transmitted between the plurality of vehicles are at least one of very high frequency (VHF) signals, high frequency (HF) signals, microwave signals, radio frequency (RF) signals and laser signals.

12. 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;

wherein a single vehicle of the plurality of vehicles is designated as a fleet router, wherein the fleet router is configured to communicate using a first communication system and 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 plurality of vehicles, 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; and

wherein all communications between the plurality of vehicles and at least one communication point outside the plurality of vehicles is routed through the fleet router, wherein communications between the plurality of vehicles is by the first communication system and communications between the fleet router and the at least one communication point outside the plurality of vehicles is by the second communication system, wherein none of the plurality of vehicles except for the fleet router communicate directly with any communication point outside of the plurality of vehicles;

wherein communication between the fleet router and the at least one communication point outside the plurality of vehicles is detectable by one or more remotely located detecting systems; and

wherein communication between the plurality of vehicles is not detectable by the one or more remotely located detecting systems.

13. The communication network of claim 12, wherein each vehicle in the plurality of vehicles is configured to communicate over long distances with the first communication system and short distances with the second communication system, each vehicle including a receiver configured to receive the at least position and ID information transmitted by other vehicles in the plurality of vehicles, 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.

14. The communication network of claim 12, further comprising:

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

15. The communication network of claim 12, wherein the first communication system is an ACARS communication system and the second communication system is a very high frequency (VHF) communication system.

16. The communication network of claim 12, wherein the surveillance equipment is configured to further generate at least one of speed information, heading information and intended trajectory information;

and

wherein the surveillance equipment and the surveillance transmitter are separate from equipment used in the first communication system or the second communication system.