Systems and methods for providing ADS-B mode control through data overlay

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of data inputs for transmission through a provided ADS-B transponder;

receiving one or more control inputs;

analyzing the control inputs and the data inputs to determine a transmission priority for the plurality of data inputs;

selecting a first input of the plurality of data inputs based upon the transmission priority and encoding the selected first input to produce a modulated Air Traffic Control (ATC) signal;

selecting a second input of the plurality of data inputs based upon the transmission priority and encoding the second input as an overlay message; and

modulating the modulated ATC signal with the overlay message using an overlay modulation protocol.

2. The method as disclosed in claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the overlay-modulated ATC signal from at least one of a TCAS transponder; an ADS-B transponder; a ATC radar; and a ground station.

3. The method as disclosed in claim 1 , wherein the overlay modulation protocol is phase shift keying modulation.

4. The method as disclosed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of data inputs comprise two or more of: a radar altitude; a pressure altitude; an ownship heading; an ownship airspeed; a vertical climb rate; a vertical descent rate; a GPS location of ownship; a GPS antenna offset; a location of a second aircraft other than ownship; an ADS-B reply message; a desired flight level; an aircraft sensor value; a message for transmission to another aircraft; a message for transmission to a ground station; a transponder reply signal; a squitter signal; a 1030 MHz interrogation signal; a 1030 MHz TCAS signal; at least one of a signal within a voice band or a data band operating within an ATC HF, VHF, and UHF band; a VDL Mode 4 ADS-B modulated signal; a DME signal; a SATCOM signal; a signal originating from any avionics equipment that radiates a modulated RF signal; a baseband signal for transmitting data; and a pilot input, and combinations thereof.

5. The method as disclosed in claim 1 , wherein the overlay modulation protocol is selected from the group consisting of:

binary phase shift keying modulation (BPSK);

quadrature phase shift keying modulation (QPSK);

8-phase shift keying modulation (8-PSK);

differential phase-shift keying (DPSK);

DNPSK modulation, where N is an even integer and a multiple of 2;

frequency shift keying (FSK);

amplitude shift keying (ASK);

quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM);

orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM);

minimum-shift keying (MSK);

asymmetric phase-shift keying, (APSK);

pulse position modulation (PPM);

amplitude modulation (AM);

frequency modulation (FM); and

combinations thereof.

6. The method as disclosed in claim 1 wherein the one or more control inputs comprise at least one of: an Application Input File (AIF); a list of ADS-B applications currently active on ownship; location information regarding a second aircraft; velocity information regarding the second aircraft; bearing information regarding the second aircraft; an input from a TX 429 bus; a pilot input; and an input received from a Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI).

7. The method as disclosed in claim 6 , wherein the applications comprise one or more of: a closely spaced parallel approach, an In-Trail Procedure (ITP); a Flight Deck Interval Management (FIM); and Surface Indicating & Alerting (SURF IA)).

8. The method as disclosed in claim 1 further comprising encrypting the overlay message.

9. The method as disclosed in claim 1 further comprising applying a second overlay modulation protocol to the overlay-modulated signal.

10. The method as disclosed in claim 9 , wherein the second overlay modulation protocol is selected from the group consisting of:

binary phase shift keying modulation (BPSK);

quadrature phase shift keying modulation (QPSK);

8-phase shift keying modulation (8-PSK);

differential phase-shift keying (DPSK);

DNPSK modulation, where N is an even integer and a multiple of 2;

frequency shift keying (FSK);

amplitude shift keying (ASK);

quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM);

orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM);

minimum-shift keying (MSK);

asymmetric phase-shift keying, (APSK);

pulse position modulation (PPM);

amplitude modulation (AM);

frequency modulation (FM); and

combinations thereof.

11. The method as disclosed in claim 1 wherein:

analyzing the control inputs and the data inputs to determine a transmission priority for the plurality of data inputs further comprises determining that a closely spaced parallel approach application is active; and

selecting a first input of the plurality of data inputs further comprises selecting a GPS antenna offset data value.

12. The method as disclosed in claim 1 wherein:

analyzing the control inputs and the data inputs to determine a transmission priority for the plurality of data inputs further comprises determining that a closely spaced parallel approach application is active; and

selecting a second input of the plurality of data inputs further comprises selecting a GPS antenna offset data value.

13. The method as disclosed in claim 1 wherein:

analyzing the control inputs and the data inputs to determine a transmission priority for the plurality of data inputs further comprises determining that an In-Trail Procedure (ITP) application is active; and

selecting a first input of the plurality of data inputs further comprises selecting a desired flight level input.

14. The method as disclosed in claim 1 wherein:

analyzing the control inputs and the data inputs to determine a transmission priority for the plurality of data inputs further comprises determining that an In-Trail Procedure (ITP) application is active; and

selecting a second input of the plurality of data inputs further comprises selecting a desired flight level input.