Position reporting for vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10522046-B2
Application number	US-201715668037-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2017
Priority date	Aug 3, 2017
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

In some examples, a system for transmitting a location of an ownship vehicle is configured to be mounted on the ownship vehicle and includes a positioning system configured to receive positioning signals. In some examples, the system also includes a cellular transceiver, a surveillance transceiver, and processing circuitry configured to determine a position of the ownship vehicle based on the positioning signals. In some examples, the processing circuitry is further configured to determine that the ownship vehicle is located in an identified risk volume based on the position of the ownship vehicle and to cause the surveillance transceiver and the cellular transceiver to simultaneously transmit surveillance signals and cellular signals indicating the position of the ownship vehicle in response to determining that the ownship vehicle is located in the identified risk volume.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for transmitting a position of an unmanned aerial ownship vehicle, wherein the system is configured to be mounted on the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle, the system comprising:
a positioning system configured to receive positioning signals;
a cellular transceiver;
a surveillance transceiver; and
processing circuitry configured to:
determine the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle based on the positioning signals;
determine that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located in an identified risk volume based on the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle;
cause the surveillance transceiver to transmit surveillance signals indicating the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle in response to determining that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located in the identified risk volume; and
cause the cellular transceiver to transmit cellular signals indicating the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle simultaneously with the surveillance transceiver transmitting the surveillance signals in response to determining that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located in the identified risk volume.

2. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located in the identified risk volume by at least determining that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located less than a threshold distance from a site,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the surveillance transceiver to transmit the surveillance signals indicating the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle in response to determining that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located less than the threshold distance from the site, and
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the cellular transceiver to transmit the cellular signals indicating the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle simultaneously with the surveillance transceiver transmitting the surveillance signals in response to determining that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located less than the threshold distance from the site.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located outside of the identified risk volume based on the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle;
determine that the cellular transceiver lost a cellular connection during a time interval; and
cause the surveillance transceiver to transmit the surveillance signals indicating the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle in response to:
determining that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located outside of the identified risk volume; and
determining that the cellular transceiver lost the cellular connection during the time interval.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located outside of the identified risk volume based on the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle;
determine that a latency for the cellular transceiver is greater than a threshold latency level; and
cause the surveillance transceiver to transmit the surveillance signals indicating the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle in response to:
determining that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located outside of the identified risk volume; and
determining that the latency for the cellular transceiver is greater than the threshold latency level.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located outside of the identified risk volume based on the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle;
determine that the surveillance transceiver received a signal indicating that surveillance signal interference is less than a threshold interference level; and
cause the surveillance transceiver to transmit the surveillance signals indicating the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle in response to:
determining that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located outside of the identified risk volume; and
determining that the surveillance transceiver received the signal indicating that the surveillance signal interference is less than the threshold interference level.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located outside of the identified risk volume based on the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle;
determine that the cellular transceiver did not lose a cellular connection during a time interval;
determine that a latency for the cellular transceiver is not greater than a threshold latency level;
determine that surveillance signal interference is not greater than a threshold interference level; and
cause the cellular transceiver to transmit the cellular signals indicating the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle in response to:
determining that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located outside of the identified risk volume;
determining that the cellular transceiver did not lose the cellular connection during the time interval;
determining that the latency for the cellular transceiver is not greater than the threshold latency level; and
determining that the surveillance signal interference is greater than the threshold interference level.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine that a quality level for cellular communication is less than a threshold quality level for cellular communication;
determine whether a quality level for surveillance communication is less than a threshold quality level for surveillance communication; and
cause the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle to perform a safety maneuver in response to:
determining that the quality level for cellular communication is less than the threshold quality level for cellular communication; and
determining that the quality level for surveillance communication is less than the threshold quality level for surveillance communication.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located outside of the identified risk volume based on the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle;
determine that a quality level for cellular communication is greater than a threshold quality level for cellular communication;
determine that a quality level for surveillance communication is greater than a threshold quality level for surveillance communication; and
cause the cellular transceiver to transmit the cellular signals indicating the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle in response to:
determining that the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located outside of the identified risk volume;
determining that the quality level for cellular communication is greater than the threshold quality level for cellular communication; and
determining that the quality level for surveillance communication is greater than the threshold quality level for surveillance communication.

9. A method for transmitting a position of an unmanned aerial ownship vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving positioning signals;
determining the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle based on the positioning signals;
determining that, in a first instance, the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle is located in an identified risk volume based on the position of the unmanned aerial ownship vehicle;
cause a

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Wang Haiming

Classifications

• G01S19/14

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• G01S19/42

  Determining position · CPC title

• G01S5/0027

  of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile · CPC title

• H04W84/042

  Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems · CPC title

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title