Wireless communication between an operator of a remotely operated aircraft and a controlling entity
The present invention extends to methods, systems, devices, apparatus, and computer program products for wireless communication between an operator of a remotely operated aircraft and a controlling entity. A communication converter at a remotely operated aircraft converts between radio communication (e.g., VHF airband) and communication over another wireless network (e.g., over a cellular network). Thus, aspects of the invention can be used to facilitate (e.g., more localized) radio communication between an operator (e.g., pilot) of a remotely operated aircraft and a controlling entity (e.g., a control center) when the operator (e.g., pilot) is physically located outside of (e.g., VHF) radio range from the controlling entity. Accordingly, a two-way voice communication link can be established between the operator and personnel at a control center.
1. A Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) comprising:
a processor; and
system memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions configured to cause the processor to:
receive Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication from an aircraft control center via a radio network;
receive a request for a transponder code;
relay the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication through the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), including:
convert the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication to a cellular format, including converting the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication into one or more data packets representing the content of the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication, the one or more data packets including a data packet containing air traffic control (ATC) radio communication, each data packet included in one or more data packets having a data type label inserted into the packet header that is indicative of a type of data included in the data packet; and
prioritize routing of the data packet containing the air traffic control (ATC) radio communication over a data packet containing another type of data through one or more communication devices at the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) in accordance with a data prioritization scheme, wherein the packet containing the air traffic control (ATC) radio communication is assigned a higher priority than the data packet containing the other type of data based on the association with the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication, wherein the prioritized routing of the data packet containing the air traffic control (ATC) radio communication is through at least one bonded cellular modem at the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA); and
send the one or more data packets via a cellular network to a control station used to control the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA).
2. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) of claim 1 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to convert the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication into one or more data packets comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to convert the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication into a 4G cellular network format.
3. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) of claim 1 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to send the one or more packets via a cellular network to a control station comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to send the one or more packets via a 4G cellular network.
4. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) of claim 1 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to receive Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to receive radio voice communication via the radio network;
wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to convert the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication into one or more data packets comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to convert the radio voice communication into the cellular format; and
wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to send the one or more packets via the cellular network comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to send the radio voice communication via the cellular network in the cellular format.
5. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) of claim 1 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to receive Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to receive Very High Frequency (VHF) airband radio communication.
6. A Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) comprising:
a processor; and
system memory coupled to the processor storing instructions configured to cause the processor to:
receive one or more cellularly formatted data packets from a control station used to control the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) via a wireless communication network, the one or more data packets representing the content of Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication directed to an aircraft control center, the one or more data packets including a data packet containing air traffic control (ATC) radio communication, wherein each data packet included in the one or more data packets has a data type label inserted into a packet header indicative of a type of data included in the data packet; receive a request for a transponder code;
relay the one or more data packets through the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), including: prioritize routing of the data packet containing air traffic control (ATC) radio communication over a data packet containing another type of data through one or more communication devices at the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) in accordance with a data prioritization scheme, wherein the packet contained the air traffic control (ATC) radio communication is assigned a higher priority that the data packet containing the other type of data based on association with the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication, wherein the prioritized routing of the data packet containing the air traffic control (ATC) radio communication is through at least one bonded cellular modem at the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA); and
convert the one or more data packets into the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication; and
transmit the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication via a radio network within reception range of the aircraft control center.
7. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) of claim 6 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to receive one or more data packets via the wireless communication network comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to receive the one or more data packets via a cellular network or to receive the one or more data packets via a satellite network.
8. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) of claim 6 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to receive one or more data packets representing the content of Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to receive one or more data packets representing the content of Very High Frequency (VHF) airband radio communication.
9. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) of claim 6 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to receive one or more data packets comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to receive one or more data packets in a cellular format via a cellular communication network; and
wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to convert the one or more data packets to the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to convert the one or more data packets in the cellular format into the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication.
10. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) of claim 6 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to receive one or more data packets comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to receive data representative of a transponder code.
11. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) of claim 6 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to convert the one or more data packets into the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to convert one or more of: cellular communication or satellite communication into the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication.
12. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) of claim 11 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication comprise instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit Very High Frequency (VHF) airband radio communication.
13. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) of claim 6 , wherein the packet containing the containing air traffic control (ATC) radio communication includes a data type label representative of video or audio communication.
14. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) of claim 6 , wherein prioritizing routing of the data packet containing the air traffic control (ATC) radio communication comprises prioritizing the data packet containing the air traffic control (ATC) radio communication based on a priority list, the priority list including, in decreasing levels of priority, telemetry navigation data, air traffic control (ATC) radio communication, other communication, and sensor or peripheral data including video or audio communication.
15. A method comprising:
receiving radio communication in a Very High Frequency (VHF) radio format from an aircraft control center via a radio network;
receive a request for a transponder code;
relaying the radio communication through a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), including:
converting the radio communication from the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio format into a cellular format, including converting the radio communication into one or more data packets representing the content of the radio communication, the one or more data packets compatible with transmission over a cellular network, the one or more packets including a data packet containing air traffic control (ATC) radio communication, each data packet included in one or more data packets having a data type label inserted into the packet header that is indicative of a type of data included in the data packet; and
prioritizing routing of the data packet containing the air traffic control (ATC) radio communication over a data packet containing another type of data through one or more communication devices at the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) in accordance with a data prioritization scheme, wherein the packet containing the air traffic control (ATC) radio communication is assigned a higher priority than the data packet containing the other type of data based on the association with the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio format, wherein the prioritized routing of the data packet containing the air traffic control (ATC) radio communication is through at least one bonded cellular modem at the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA); and
sending the one or more data packets over the cellular network to a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) control station.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein converting the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication into one or more data packets comprises converting the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication into a 4G cellular network format.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein sending the one or more packets over a cellular network to a control station comprises sending the one or more packets via a 4G cellular network.