Aerospace antenna and network system for simultaneously delivering internet to aircraft and reporting air quality index parameters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12374230-B2
Application number	US-202318141667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2023
Priority date	May 1, 2023
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A system collects air samples at altitude and shares data among aircraft in a network. The system includes an antenna with an antenna housing; the housing defines air inlets and outlets. While in flight, air samples are collected through the inlets, processed via sensors, and allowed to flow through to the outlet. Air quality data, including, but not limited to, contrail humidity, gas content, and particle density and size, may be transmitted to other aircraft in a network via the antenna. Air quality measurements are geolocated and correlated from different platforms at different altitudes. A data model or machine learning artificial intelligence may utilize the geolocated air quality data to make certain predictions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft antenna element comprising:
an aircraft antenna;
an antenna housing;
an atmospheric gas sensor suite; and
at least one processor connected to a memory for embodying processor executable code,
wherein:
the antennas housing defines an air inlet;
the air inlet is in fluid communication with the atmospheric gas sensor suite; and
the processor executable code configures the at least one processor to:
receive sensor data from the atmospheric gas sensor suite;
produce a contrail dissipation prediction based on the sensor data;
establish a data connection via the aircraft antenna; and
transmit the atmospheric gas sensor data to a network via the data connection.

2. The aircraft antenna element of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft antenna comprises a low earth orbit satellite antenna.

3. The aircraft antenna element of claim 1 , wherein the atmospheric gas sensor suite comprises at least a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, and a light scattering particulate sensor.

4. The aircraft antenna element of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive a location corresponding to the sensor data; and
tag the sensor data with the location.

5. The aircraft antenna element of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine an altitude and tag the sensor data with one of a latitude, longitude and altitude.

6. The aircraft antenna element of claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive data from a LIDAR; and
determine the altitude based on the LIDAR data.

7. The aircraft antenna element of claim 1 , wherein the antenna housing defines an air outlet.

8. A method comprising:
receiving an air sample via an inlet in an aircraft antenna housing;
processing the air sample via sensors in an atmospheric gas sensor suite to produce sensor data;
determining a location corresponding to the sensor data;
tagging the sensor data with the geospatial location;
producing a contrail dissipation prediction based on the sensor data;
establishing a data connection via an aircraft antenna; and
transmitting the sensor data to a network via the data connection.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising producing an updraft velocity prediction based on the sensor data.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising correlating sensor data from a plurality of aircraft based on location and a sampling time.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising analyzing the correlated sensor data via a trained artificial intelligence.

12. A system comprising:
a plurality of aircraft, each comprising:
an aircraft antenna;
an atmospheric gas sensor suite;
an antenna housing defining an air inlet defining an air inlet in fluid communication with the atmospheric gas sensor suite;
at least one processor connected to a memory for embodying processor executable code to configure the at least one processor to:
receive sensor data from the atmospheric gas sensor suite;
produce a contrail dissipation prediction based on the sensor data;
establish a data connection via the aircraft antenna;
transmit the atmospheric gas sensor data to a network via the data connection; and
receive remote atmospheric sensor data from other of the plurality of aircraft via the data connection.

13. The system element of claim 12 , wherein the atmospheric gas sensor suite comprises at least a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, and a light scattering particulate sensor.

14. The system element of claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive a location corresponding to the sensor data; and
tag the sensor data with the location.

15. The system element of claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine an altitude and tag the sensor data with the altitude.

16. The system of claim 12 , further comprising at least one ground station configured to receive atmospheric sensor data from the plurality of aircraft and compile the atmospheric sensor data into a database.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the ground station is configured to analyze the database of atmospheric sensor data via a trained artificial intelligence to provide actionable data.

18. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a laser and detector disposed within the housing to measure humidity.

Assignees

• Rockwell Collins Inc

Inventors

• Mitchell James P
• Ramaswamy Sitaram
• Harris Philip

Classifications

• G01S13/953

  mounted on aircraft · CPC title

• Y02A90/10

  Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation · CPC title

• G01W1/02

  Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed (G01W1/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G08G5/76 Primary

  for monitoring atmospheric conditions · CPC title

• G01W1/08 Primary

  Adaptations of balloons, missiles, or aircraft for meteorological purposes; Radiosondes (transmission of measurements G01D; transmitting circuits H04B; {balloons in general B64B; aeroplanes in general B64D; missiles in general F42B15/00}) · CPC title