Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Rockwell International Corporation

Other

Scott J Zogg

James P Mitchell

Kevin J Delaney

Kevin Michael Kronfeld

Robert J Frank

Dana J Jensen

Richard S Haendel

Robert L Lentz

Fraser R Chisholm

Timothy E Snodgrass

Geoffrey A Shapiro

Carlos J Chavez

Rolf Stefani

Gary A McGraw

Don L Landt

Mark A Bortz

Jaclyn A Hoke

Bernard A Schnaufer

Stephen M Clark

Carlen R Welty

Allen W Jones

Bruce S Kloster

Brian L Aanderud

Jennifer A Davis

James A Minnick

Diane D McClatchy

David J Weiler

Ronald R Meyer

Steven D Acheson

Ricky D Wash

James P Hubert

Robert D Dodge

A mobile local delivery server (MLDS) may include a system controller configured to determine an anticipated location of an aircraft based on information received from one or more flight information sources and a data loading processor communicably coupled with the system controller and configured to execute one or more software applications. The one or more software applications may configure the MLDS to exchange data with the aircraft. The MLDS may further include a mass storage device communicably coupled with the data loading processor and configured to store data exchanged between the MLDS and the aircraft.

Mobile local delivery server

A system for determining a flight plan based on internet connectivity includes at least one processor coupled with a non-transitory processor-readable medium storing processor-executable code for causing the at least one processor to receive internet connectivity data for a plurality of airspace regions, where the internet connectivity data is indicative of an internet connectivity characteristic; and determine a flight plan for an aircraft through at least one region of the plurality of airspace regions based on the internet connectivity characteristic.

Flight plan optimization for maintaining internet connectivity

A distributed system for flight and route management (FARM) of one or more aircraft of the system may include onboard processing devices for combining sensor data local to an aircraft with cloud-based data received through the system from other aircraft or from ground-based processing devices, thereby generating situation models of each aircraft relative to its flight path and in the context of current and predictive conditions (weather, traffic, terrain, threats, etc.). The FARM system may evaluate situation models against prioritized constraint sets of business rules or policies associated with each aircraft's flight plan to determine, crosscheck, and implement possible modifications to the flight plan. Localized aircraft data and flight plan modifications may be propagated through the system via a variety of communications networks to provide synchronized, holistic airspace data portraits to aircraft and ground control alike.

System and method for holistic flight and route management

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

Disclosed are a system and method for controlling transmit power of a mobile node in air-to-ground communications to a fixed node. Power is controlled by taking into consideration the position of the mobile node, the ground position of a plurality of fixed nodes, and the RF pattern of an antenna. Preferably, a power level is selected that will excite the fewest number of the plurality of fixed nodes while still maintaining a stable connection with at least one of the fixed nodes. The system may also utilize a repeater to receive communication signals from one or more mobile phones. This repeater then pre-amplifies the signal with a gain control signal received from one of the plurality of fixed nodes. The repeater would then pass the pre-amplified signal to the power amplifier for further amplification as controlled by the power controller.

Aviation cellular communications system and method

A method of receiving a plurality of simultaneously transmitted data streams is disclosed. Each data stream is divided into portions and transmitted at predetermined frequencies and times according to a frequency-hopping pattern. The portions are received using a plurality of receivers. Each receiver is configured to receive portions transmitted on one of the predetermined frequencies. The received portions are temporarily stored in a memory such that the received portions are stored as a function of receiver and time. The stored portions are compared to the frequency-hopping pattern. It is determined if any combination of the stored portions corresponds to the predetermined frequencies and times of the frequency-hopping pattern.

Architecture for receiving data from a multiplicity of frequency hopping emitters

The present invention is directed to accurate GPS (global positioning system)-free relative navigation between an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a tanker aircraft. The UAV transmits a signal which is received by an antenna array at the tanker aircraft. Horizontal relative position of the UAV is determined by calculating range and bearing based on time and phase differences in the received signal. Vertical relative position of the UAV is determined by comparing the altitude of the UAV with the altitude of the tanker aircraft. The tanker aircraft then transmits a navigation solution based on the relative position of the UAV which is received by the UAV. The UAV may utilize the navigation solution transmitted by the tanker aircraft as a backup to a GPS determined navigation solution, in a GPS denied scenario, or in combination with an INS (inertial navigation system) determined navigation solution.

Frequency hopping data link approach to autonomous GPS denied relative navigation determination

The present invention is directed to a small size and light weight small form factor user system suitable for having TTNT connectivity which consumes minimum power to operate. The small form factor user system having TTNT connectivity may be capable of interacting in a low latency real time manner with airborne networks. The small form factor user system having TTNT connectivity may have significantly reduced radio power consumption and form factor size through maintaining core capabilities of the full size TTNT terminal while relaxing other capabilities. An encapsulated message structure may be utilized to simplify communication between the TTNT small form factor user system and the full size TTNT nodes.

Tactical targeting network technology small form factor user system

A power amplifier architecture includes a plurality of non-linear optically driven power amplifier modules. The plurality of non-linear optically driven power amplifier modules are selectively connectable utilizing a programmable algorithm for combining at least two modules of the plurality of non-linear optically driven power amplifier modules in a time sequence yielding a piecewise approximation of a continuous waveform. The power amplifier architecture further includes at least one RF drive selectively connected to at least one of the plurality of non-linear optically driven power amplifier modules via an optical signal link generating a separate drive signal for each of the plurality of non-linear optically driven power amplifier modules.

High power DAC power amplifier

A radio is disclosed. The radio system includes radio system nodes that are configured with a transceiver to transmit and receive information over more than one frequency. Each radio system node also includes a processor, the processor being any of a variety of processing elements, including but not limited to general purpose processors, coders, decoders, and the like. The processor is configured to gather a block of information and configured to format the block of information into a plurality of sub blocks. Each sub block of information includes message synchronization information. The sub blocks are dispersed in time and over the more than one frequency and substantially simultaneous transmission and reception of multiple transmissions in the same frequency band is enabled.

Waveform for virtually simultaneous transmission and multiple receptions system and method

A system and method of enabling digital beamforming (DBF) for use with RF receiver systems with a multi-element array antenna having short repetitive synchronizaton sequences in a noise and/or jamming environment. The method includes the following steps: a) receiving repetitive synchronization RF signals utilizing a multi-element array antenna, each of the repetitive synchronization RF signals includes an ideal known synchronization sequence, the ideal known synchronization sequence is denoted as yand a length of the ideal known synchronization sequence is denoted as N; b) calculating a sequence of magnitudes and phases for each element of the multi-element array antenna corresponding to each of the ideal known synchronization sequences in the received synchronization RF signals, the sequence of the magnitudes and the phases comprises an array of N elements and is denoted as x, wherein the phases are also referred to as absolute phases; c) calculating a relative phase for each element in the sequence of the magnitudes and the absolute phases by referencing the absolute phases of all elements in the array x of N elements to a phase of a single element in the array x of N elements; d) converting the array x of N elements with the magnitudes and the absolute phases into an array of N elements with the magnitudes and the relative phases by replacing each of the absolute phases in the array x of N elements with the calculated relative phase for each element, the array of N elements with the magnitudes and the relative phases is denoted as x; e) calculating a relative cross correlation vector for each element of the multi-element array antenna utilizing xand y, the relative cross correlation vector is denoted as r, where r=E{xy*} and * is a complex conjugate; and, f) generating a relative cross correlation vector estimate by filtering r, for use with DBF techniques.

Enabling digital beamforming techniques for RF systems having short repetitive synchronization sequences

A system for adaptively determining a bitwise weighting factor for coded binary data comprising a correction unit that provides an overall weighting factor representative of the sum of the products of the individual symbol probability factor times the bit value.

Bitwise soft decision symbol decoder

A method for real-time data exchange between an RF modem of a mobile data terminal and a base station host computer of a mobile radio-frequency data communications network is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the data exchange timing architecture of the present invention reduces message error rates by accurately predicting signal presence by using a modem hosted by the central processing unit of a mobile data terminal. RF network signal synchronization is improved through precise prediction of the likelihood of message presence, a method that significantly reduces message errors triggered by inadvertent synchronization on signal noise.

Method for reducing message error rate within real-time exchange

A system for receiving, correlating and interpreting secured wireless transmissions, periodic or otherwise, including multiplexed receivers, robust correlator design, a state machine device for controlling the receivers and correlation function, and the ability to determine signal spatial diversity via switched antenna signal processing. The correlator is constructed to include a synchronization scheme adaptive to any variety of input signals from the coupled receiver tuned frequencies.

Growing community of inventors

Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America

Scott J Zogg