Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Joseph T Graf

James B West

Tj T Kwon

James A Stevens

William Bascom Sorsby

Eric J Loren

Thomas L Tapp

Jonathan A Lovseth

Wayne H Meyer

Steven V Schatz

Anthony D Schaefer

Matthew D Bousselot

Justin William Ehm

Phillip J Nadolny

Jesslyn Coghlan

Kyle Charron

James C Gregory

Philip D Dean

Brishty Som

Disclosed are embodiments of antenna assemblies for integration with aircraft lighting systems. The antenna assemblies in some embodiments include a ground plane, a patch antenna positioned on the ground plane, and a radome covering the patch antenna. The patch antenna and radome are configured as an annular ring for positioning around a light fixture received through a center opening through each of the ground plane, patch antenna, and radome such that the antenna assembly can mount and connect to the aircraft utilizing the light fixture aperture without the need for a separate antenna aperture.

Aircraft antenna array and lighting system integrations

A system may include a transmitter node and a receiver node. Each node may include a communications interface including at least one antenna element and a controller operatively coupled to the communications interface, the controller including one or more processors, wherein the controller has information of own node velocity and own node orientation. Each node of the transmitter node and the receiver node may be in motion relative to each other. Each node may be time synchronized to apply Doppler corrections associated with said node's own motions relative to a common reference frame. The common reference frame may be known to the transmitter node and the receiver node prior to the transmitter node transmitting signals to the receiver node and prior to the receiver node receiving the signals from the transmitter node. The receiver node may be configured to be in a state of reduced emissions.

Situational awareness (SA) in radio silence (spatial awareness)

A system may include a transmitter node and a receiver node. Each node may include a communications interface including at least one antenna element and a controller operatively coupled to the communications interface, the controller including one or more processors, wherein the controller of the receiver node has information of own node velocity and own node orientation. The receiver node may be in motion and the transmitter node may be stationary. Each node may be time synchronized to apply Doppler corrections associated with said node's own motions relative to a common reference frame. The common reference frame may be known to the transmitter node and the receiver node prior to the transmitter node transmitting signals to the receiver node and prior to the receiver node receiving the signals from the transmitter node.

System and method for application of doppler corrections for time synchronized stationary transmitter and receiver in motion

A system and method for transmission and receipt of signals within a distributed system are disclosed. In the distributed system there may be a plurality of digital and radio frequency (RF) electronics. The plurality of digital electronics may be coupled to the plurality of radio frequency electronics with at least one fiber optic cable. The at least one fiber optic cable may support wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). Further, the digital electronics may combine a time-at-the-tone signal, a pulse per second signal, and a standard frequency reference signal via amplitude modulation to produce a single complex wave. The single complex wave and other signals may be simultaneously transmitted along the at least one fiber optic cable to the plurality of RF electronics via WDM.

Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) approach to phase lock distributed digital and RF electronics over fiber

A communications system for line-of-sight (LOS) and beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communications using a single aperture includes one or more operators positioned within an environment, wherein each operator includes a common aperture, one or more low-earth orbit satellites communicatively coupled to a plurality of communications sub-systems disposed on the operators. In one embodiment, the communications sub-systems may include a first antenna element to transmit and receive first radio frequency signals along a first directional link via the common aperture. In another embodiment, the communications sub-systems may include a second antenna element to transmit and receive second radio frequency signals along a second directional link via the common aperture.

Systems and methods for line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications using a single aperture

A system including an aircraft. A phased array may be configured to transmit electromagnetic (EM) energy toward rotor blades and receive EM energy in a direction from the rotor blades. A processor may be configured to: determine or obtain rotor blade information; determine or obtain aircraft information; based on the rotor blade information and the aircraft information, determine (a) a time to transmit EM energy or receive EM energy and (b) an angle to transmit EM energy or receive EM energy; and based on the rotor blade information and the aircraft information, control the phased array to adjust a beam pointing angle and to transmit EM energy for a duration at the beam pointing angle. The phased array may be configured to transmit EM energy for the duration at the beam pointing angle, wherein the transmitted EM energy is configured to reflect off a rotor blade toward a target.

Phased array transmission reflected off rotor blade to target

A system of high-frequency (HF) antennas is disposed on various aircraft body panels. The antennas are configured for orthogonal polarization such that NVIS may be operable no matter the state of the ionosphere. The antennas are disposed on substantially perpendicular body panels so that, when operated in concert, the resulting signals have opposite polarization and at least one signal will bounce off the ionosphere.

Multi-polarization HF NVIS for vertical lift aircraft

A system of spiral antennas is incorporated into aircraft body panels. The spiral antennas may be slot or printed material antennas, cavity backed for unidirectional communication, or open for bi-directional communication. The spiral antennas are operated in concert as a steerable array. The spiral antennas are utilized for various signal functions including ultra-wideband communications and electronic support measures interferometry.

Vertical lift aircraft panels with embedded spiral antennas

A system of antennas, each having disparity operating frequencies, are incorporated into the same aircraft body panels. HF antennas define loops with large internal areas; additional higher frequency antennas are disposed within that large internal area. The higher frequency antennas are sufficiently different so as to prevent coupling. Antennas operating in the same frequency range, disposed on different parallel surfaces are operated in concert as a steerable array.

Multi-band integrated antenna arrays for vertical lift aircraft

Disclosed are embodiments of exterior aircraft assemblies integrating compatible elements. In one example, an integrated aircraft assembly includes an aerodynamic housing attachable to an aircraft, an antenna system including at least one antenna element housed within the aerodynamic housing, and a lighting system including at least one light fixture housed within the aerodynamic housing. The at least one antenna element and the at least one light fixture may be co-located within then housing or mounted separately on the housing.

Integrated aircraft antenna and light assemblies

A mobile platform communication system includes one or more HF antennas disposed in the surface of the mobile platform. The HF antenna may comprise one or more mesh screens. Alternatively, or in addition, the HF antennas may comprise characteristic mode transducers to excite metallic features on the mobile platform skin. The mobile platform skin includes a lightning strike protection layer that is disposed within the mobile platform skin around in internal surface of the antenna such that the antenna does not distend the mobile platform skin and increase drag.

Embedded antennas in aerostructures and electrically short conformal antennas

In embodiments, a communication node of a multi-node communication network includes a communication interface and a controller communicatively coupled to the communication interface. In embodiments, the controller is configured to receive a first data packet transmitted from a source communication node to a destination communication node; transmit the first data packet via a packet flooding procedure; receive a first route response transmitted from the destination communication node along a discovered route; relay an additional data packet transmitted from the source communication node to the destination communication node along the discovered route; determine a route failure of the additional data packet; re-transmit the additional data packet to the destination communication node via a packet flooding procedure; receive an additional route response transmitted from the destination communication node along a recovered route; and relay a second additional data packet transmitted from the source communication node along the recovered route.

Flooding to routing

The present invention is directed to a quick, low-distortion and efficient reduction in sample rate requiring minimal logic. An IF signal is passed into an analog-to-digital converter. The converted signal is mixed with the combination of an in-phase and a quadrature component. The mixed signal is then split into an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal. The quadrature signal is interpolated to form a new signal aligned in time to the in-phase signal. Alternatively, the in-phase signal is interpolated to form a new signal aligned in time to the quadrature signal. The interpolation may comprise linear interpolation or parabolic interpolation. The simplified signal processing reduces the sample rate of the signal and the interpolation reduces aliasing introduced by the simplification. One advantage of this approach is that only half of the signal needs to be processed.

Ultra-efficient hardware-based decimation technique

A method and apparatus for receiving data over a dispersive media is disclosed. The received signal is composed of an unknown data segment preceded and followed by known data segments. A replica of each known data segment is generated by the communication apparatus. Channel characteristics existing at the time of transmission of the known data segments are estimated by comparing the known data segments with the replica. Using estimations of the channel characteristics, symbols of the unknown data segment can be determined. Decisions can be made on the various unknown symbols as they are analyzed. Channel characteristics can be re-estimated after determining each symbol, each pair of symbols or each group of symbols. Two solutions of the unknown symbols can be combined in various ways to arrive at a final determination of the unknown transmitted symbols.

Block decision directed equalization method and apparatus

A method and apparatus for receiving data over a dispersive media is disclosed. The received signal is composed of an unknown data segment preceded and followed by known data segments. The communication apparatus generates a replica of the known data segments. Channel characteristics existing at the time of transmission of the known data segments are estimated by comparing the known data segments with the replica. The symbols of the unknown data segment are then determined via application of a QR factorization. Factorization can be accomplished via Householder transformation, Givens rotation or fast Givens rotation. Decisions can be made on the various unknown symbols as they are analyzed and then fed back via back substitution.

Growing community of inventors

Center Point, IA, United States of America

Joseph T Graf