Arinc, Inc.

Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Rolf Stefani

James Gary Cooper, Jr

George F Elmasry

Debra J Graves

William Brian Pemberton

Alan Martin Williard

Ernest Joseph Siegrist

James P Mitchell

Scott J Zogg

Mark A Bortz

Sean E Reilly

Benjamin J Haan

Kevin J Delaney

Robert L Lentz

Adam Mottram

Fraser R Chisholm

Diane D McClatchy

Andrew Kemmetmueller

Tim Ralph Russell

Alexander Scherbina

Brian Creswell

Alex Vladimir

Ronald Carl Hawkins

John Francis Eid

A system and method are provided to support accommodating safe integration of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUASs) into the National Airspace Structure in the United States and to augment previously untracked aircraft positions by opportunistically acquiring their position information and forwarding this information to other systems for display. The disclosed schemes integrate automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) capabilities in sUASs by providing an ADS-B receiver on the small unmanned aircraft or in association with a ground-based sUAS control and communication workstation. Processing of the ADS-B information is integrated with processing of acquired information on sUAS aerial platform operations. Processed integrated information is displayed locally on the workstation and transmitted to other facilities to be remotely displayed. Acquired position information for the sUAS aerial platform and manned aerial vehicles in a vicinity of the sUAS aerial platform are converted to formats commonly used by air traffic control systems.

Systems and methods for integrating automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast capabilities in small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) operations

A system and method are provided for implementing unmanned aircraft system (UAS) deconfliction schemes by accepting representations of UAS flight plans in disparate native forms, and to converting them into a common format in support of evaluating potential conflicts, and providing flight plan approval/disapproval, and/or flight plan execution restrictions or warnings regarding potentially conflicting manned and unmanned aerial vehicle operations. The disclosed UAS Traffic Management (UTM) scheme may validate a UAS flight plan based on the provided flight plan representation, approving or disapproving the flight plan, and may provide suggestions for modification of a submitted UAS flight plan to enhance operational deconfliction without completely rejecting, through disapproval, the flight plan. Different levels of alerts and/or warnings may be provided to alert the UAS platform operators and National Airspace System operators/controllers to potential conflicts and conflict avoidance.

Unmanned aerial system mission flight representation conversion techniques and traffic management scheme

A system and method are provided for integrating live flight following information provided as Trusted Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data with stored planned flight and other information, and for, in part, comparatively analyzing the data/information to generate automated alerts to one or more end-users when an aircraft is determined to deviate from a planned flight route by a predetermined degree, as specified by adjustable set parameters. Broadcast ADS-B data transmitted by participating aircraft is collected and communicated via a secure, trusted and dependable worldwide network for analysis in a centralized location. The analysis involves, in part, comparing the ADS-B data to other information provided to, or collected by, the centralized location from multiple sources regarding planned routes of flight for participating aircraft and other available information relevant to aircraft operations in particular geographic locations. Alerts regarding identified discrepancies or deviations are generated and communicated to stakeholders.

Planned flight tracking and divert alerting through the employment of trusted automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) position reporting system

Systems and methods for creating a network cloud based hierarchical architecture for supporting unmanned aircraft are disclosed. A system may include a higher level server, one or more lower level server in direct communication with the higher level server, and one or more control station in direct communication with the lower level server. Each control station may be configured to: control flight operations of an unmanned aircraft; acquire flight information and position information of the unmanned aircraft; and provide updates to the lower level server regarding the flight information and position information of the unmanned aircraft. Each lower level server may be configured to: process the flight information and position information received from the control station; and provide updates to the higher level server regarding the flight information and position information received from the control station.

Systems and methods for creating a network cloud based system for supporting regional, national and international unmanned aircraft systems

A system and method are provided for implementing a security construct for downloading, delivering and protecting large amounts of data for transfer to an aircraft upload capability in a short period of time, including between individual legs of a flight for a particular aircraft or fleet of aircraft. Large data packages include In Flight Entertainment and Electronic Flight Bag data. The data is downloaded at an available rate using wired communication paths communicating with various data sources via communication networks to a mobile communication device. The data is secured in the mobile communication device according to particular encryption schemes acceptable to data content providers. The mobile communication device securely holds the data for carriage to the aircraft where wired communication is established to upload the data in available abbreviated amounts of time in a manner that is not dependent on the availability of wireless communicating bandwidth.

Advance mobile communications gateway with satcom backhaul access and a modularized data security system and method for data and secure key distribution to aircraft

A system and method are provided for implementing multi-mission tracking and re-tasking for a plurality of unmanned vehicles from a central location to provide mission deconfliction and mission modification in an operating environment, including an evolving and moving operating environment, to effectively employ the plurality of locally-operated unmanned vehicles. A mission controller, operating from a centralized location, takes a provided graphical situational awareness a step further in creating, modifying, or deleting/suspending missions for one or multiple unmanned vehicles to carry out, and then to transmit the proposed mission changes to the deployed unmanned vehicle operators for validation, acceptance, and execution. A non-voice communication capability is provided for a mission controller in a centralized location to generate and transmit new mission details in a graphical format to translate to each of a plurality of fielded unmanned vehicle operators, each controlling one or more unmanned vehicles for execution.

Unmanned vehicle mission planning, coordination and collaboration

A system and method are provided for implementing low-cost real-time or near real-time tracking of a plurality of vehicles operating in a confined area, including on an airport. A MESH-type of network is provided to allow for the deployment and integration of large numbers of low power (line of sight) radios. The disclosed systems and network architecture include vehicle-mounted integrated end-device radio/GPS/power/antenna units, fixed or mobile router/repeater devices and fixed network gateways/coordinator units with Internet connectivity that may communicate near real-time end device (vehicle) position/track information for display on a situational awareness display device. The device/vehicle position/track information includes latitude, longitude, speed, direction, time/date, and identification of the end device (vehicle) to a server system capable of managing access to received data as well as capable of displaying received data on the situational awareness display device and of archiving the received data for other analytical uses.

Dynamic ground vehicle tracking and reporting system

A system and method are provided for employing local, opportunistic Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) information to augment other source 'knowledge' of local aircraft position information for improving situational awareness in areas lacking ADS-B coverage provided by other aircraft control agencies including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), other Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs), and/or other Air Traffic Control (ATC) entities. Locally-received, e.g., in a vicinity of a UAV or sUAS, ADS-B positional information is received by a UAV, sUAS or associated ground control station and integrated on a display component of the ground control station, e.g., a pilot display, for the UAV or sUAS. Received positional information is forwarded to other interested users/systems, including those associated with agencies or entities in overall tactical, operational or surveillance control of a particular area of operations, as appropriate as an integrated situational awareness map display picture.

Employing local, opportunistic automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) information processed by an unmanned aerial vehicle ground control station to augment other source 'knowledge' of local aircraft position information for improving situational awareness

A system and method are provided for integrating user-worn display components and communication technologies into image capture and individual verification security systems. User-worn input/output (I/O) devices are employed to streamline the security screening procedures that continue to require human interaction for visual identification of participating individuals entering secure areas, particularly in large numbers. Individual access credentials and/or permissions are verified for individuals initially upon entry within the facility, and discernible physical feature recognition information, including facial recognition information, to be associated with the access verification for the individuals is collected. The user-worn I/O devices are used by security and screening personnel to observe discernible physical features of individuals presenting themselves at one or more internal security or limited access checkpoints and to initiate comparison analysis of the observed discernible physical features with stored discernible physical feature recognition information to expedite clearance and/or verification procedures.

Image capture and individual verification security system integrating user-worn display components and communication technologies

A method and apparatus for tracking passengers at a travel facility and may include receiving captured facial recognition features of a passenger using a first facial recognition camera at a first known location, determining if the captured facial recognition features of the passenger are stored in a database, wherein if the captured facial recognition features of the passenger are not stored in the database, starting a timer, receiving captured facial recognition features of the passenger using a second facial recognition camera at a second known location, stopping the timer, determining the amount of elapsed time between the received captured facial recognition features of the passenger using the first facial recognition camera at the first known location and the receiving captured facial recognition features of the passenger using the second facial recognition camera at the second known location, outputting the determined amount of elapsed time to at least one or more.

Method and apparatus for facial recognition based queue time tracking

A system and method are provided to support safe integration of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUASs) into the National Airspace Structure in the United States. Substantially real-time data communication provides interested parties with an ability to communicate directly with an operator of the sUAS during system operations. Individual interactive user interfaces are used to implement two way text-like messaging directly with the sUAS control console to enhance safety and reduce conflicts with operations of the sUAS. When an instance arises in which an air traffic controller needs to advise an sUAS operator regarding an unauthorized sUAS mission or a requirement to keep an sUAS clear of a specific block of airspace or specific geographic location due to an immediate, emergent and/or unforeseen event, a means is provided by which to more effectively and more quickly communicate directly with the sUAS operator.

Systems and methods for real-time data communications and messaging with operators of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS)

A system and method are provided to support accommodating safe integration of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUASs) into the National Airspace Structure in the United States. A specifically-tailored service is provided to address a change of paradigm from aircraft-based avionics/capabilities to a ground-based solution centered on the sUAS control station that is typically employed to manage an sUAS mission and/or flight. Appropriate software, server and system components are integrated into an interactive, easy-to-use, web-based tool that provides interested parties with real-time, graphical flight-following information to acquire position information regarding an sUAS platform from the control console for the sUAS platform. The acquired position information is forwarded to a separate server that can augment and provide graphical display of the sUAS intended route of flight (flight planned route). The acquired position information for the sUAS is converted to a format commonly used by aviation and air traffic control systems.

Systems and methods for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) tactical tracking and mission data acquisition

A low-cost display unit that displays wayfinding information to a traveler in a public travel-related area is disclosed and may include a communication interface that facilitates receiving of travel-related information, a machine-readable marking reader that determines the presence of a travel document having one or more machine readable markings, scans the one or more machine-readable markings, and decodes the scanned one or more machine-readable markings, wherein the one or more machine-readable markings contain encoded traveled-related information pertaining to the traveler; and a display control unit that receives the decoded one or more machine-readable marking, determines the traveler's destination in the public travel-related area from the decoded one or more machine-readable markings, determines the path that the traveler should travel to reach the destination, and displays the determined path to the traveler on the low-cost display unit.

Method and apparatus for customer/passenger wayfinding using boarding pass barcode scanning capabilities on low-cost display devices

A display data management unit that receives and formats data and sends the formatted data to one or more low-cost display units for display to at least one of passengers and customers is disclosed and may include a communication interface that facilitates the sending and receiving of travel data, and a display content management unit that receives travel data through the communication interface that contains travel-related content from one or more data sources, determines which travel-related content is to be displayed on each particular low-cost display unit, determines in what format the travel-related content is to be displayed on each particular low-cost display unit, formats the travel-related content for display, and sends the formatted travel-related content to one or more low-cost display units through the communication interface for display to one of passengers and customers.

Method and apparatus for the collection, formatting, dissemination, and diplay of information on low-cost display devices

A low-cost display bank that displays travel-related information in a public travel-related area and includes one or more slave low-cost display units, and a master low-cost display unit that includes a communication interface that receives travel-related information, a display bank control unit that sends identification information to a display bank data management unit through the communication interface, receives a display bank unit profile containing display parameters based on the identification information through the communication interface, receives travel-related information from the display bank data management unit in accordance with the received display parameters through the communication interface, sends the received travel-related information intended to be displayed on the one or more slave low-cost display units to the one or more slave low-cost display units, and displays the received travel-related information on the master low-cost display unit and the one or more slave low-cost display units based on the received display parameters.

Growing community of inventors

West River, MD, United States of America

Rolf Stefani