Systems and methods for communicating with a vehicle utilizing a virtualized and logical communications network
Techniques are disclosed of forming communications links with a vehicle, where each of at least two communication links are formed through different virtual and logical communications networks operated on a physical communications network.
1. A method for communicating with a vehicle comprising command and control electronic circuitry and at least one other system, the method comprising:
communicating data of a first type of data in a first communications protocol between the command and control electronic circuitry, configured to at least one of: control navigation of the vehicle, control at least one state variable of the vehicle, provide data about status of at least one component of the vehicle, and receive data for controlling the at least one component of the vehicle, and a first virtual and logical communications network operated on a physical communications network, wherein the physical communications network comprises at least one of: a physical cellular communications network and a physical satellite communications network;
communicating data of a second type of data in a second communications protocol between the at least one other system of the vehicle, and a second virtual and logical communications network operated on the physical communications network or through the physical communications network; and
communicating data of a third type of data between a third virtual and logical communications network, operated on the physical communications network, and a traffic control radio on the vehicle and configured to communicate the data of the third type of data between a traffic control entity and a remote vehicle control entity.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first virtual and logical communications network has at least one of a lower latency, a lower packet loss, a higher certainty of data integrity, a higher continuity, a higher availability, and a higher level of confidentiality than the physical communications network when the physical communications network uses its' default quality of service.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a communications link, including the traffic control radio and the third virtual and logical communications network and formed between the remote vehicle control entity and the traffic control entity, has a latency less than a latency of the first virtual and logical communications network operated on the physical communications network.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the latency of the communications link, including the traffic control radio and the third virtual and logical communications network and formed between the remote vehicle control entity and the traffic control entity, is less than 155 milliseconds.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first virtual and logical communications network, has a quality of service including at least one of (a) a latency of less than one second, (b) for data integrity, use of a keyed-hash message authentication code with a message authentication code of at least 64 bits in length that is appended to a message, (c) a continuity greater than 99.999%, and (d) an availability of greater than 99.9%, wherein continuity means
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wherein the TET means a maximum time, defined by an operational requirement, to complete a transaction provided that a corresponding communications link over which the transaction is sent was available at commencement of the transaction, wherein transaction means sending data from a transmitter through a communications link and receiving all of the sent data at a receiver.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data of the second type of data in the second communications protocol is configured to be sent from the at least one other system, of the vehicle, comprising at least one of: a cellular repeater, a small cell, a wireless local area network, and at least one sensor.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first type of data comprises data about at least one of: the navigation of the vehicle, the at least one state variable of the vehicle, attitude of the vehicle, heading of the vehicle, a propulsion system of the vehicle, control of at least one system of the vehicle, and the status of the at least one system of the vehicle.
8. A communications network, comprising:
a first virtual and logical communications network configured to communicate data of a first type of data in a first communications protocol with command and control electronic circuitry, of a vehicle, configured to at least one of: control navigation of the vehicle, control at least one state variable of the vehicle, provide data about status of at least one component of the vehicle, and receive data for controlling the at least one component of the vehicle;
a physical communications network or a second virtual and logical communications network configured to communicate data of a second type of data in a second communications protocol with at least one other system of the vehicle, wherein the physical communications network comprises at least one of: a physical cellular communications network and a physical satellite communications network; and
a third virtual and logical communications network configured to communicate data of a third type of data between the third virtual and logical communications network and a traffic control radio on the vehicle and configured to communicate the data of the third type of data between a traffic control entity and a remote vehicle control entity;
wherein each of the first virtual and logical communications network, the second virtual and logical communications network, and the third virtual and logical communications network is operated on the physical communications network.
9. The communications network of claim 8 , wherein the first virtual and logical communications network has at least one of a lower latency, a lower packet loss, a higher certainty of data integrity, a higher continuity, a higher availability, and a higher level of confidentiality than the physical communications network when the physical communications network uses its' default quality of service.
10. The communications network of claim 8 , wherein a communications link, including the traffic control radio and the third virtual and logical communications network and formed between the remote vehicle control entity and the traffic control entity, has a latency less than a latency of the first virtual and logical communications network operated on the physical communications network.
11. The communications network of claim 8 , wherein the first virtual and logical communications network, has a quality of service including at least one of (a) a latency of less than one second, (b) for data integrity, use of a keyed-hash message authentication code with a message authentication code of at least 64 bits in length that is appended to a message, (c) a continuity greater than 99.999%, and (d) an availability of greater than 99.9%, wherein continuity means
Number
of
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Completed
within
a
Transaction
Expiration
Time
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T
E
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)
Number
of
All
Initiated
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wherein the TET means a maximum time, defined by an operational requirement, to complete a transaction provided that a corresponding communications link over which the transaction is sent was available at commencement of the transaction, wherein transaction means sending data from a transmitter through a communications link and receiving all of the sent data at a receiver.
12. The communications network of claim 8 , wherein the first type of data comprises data about at least one of: the navigation of the vehicle, the at least one state variable of the vehicle, attitude of the vehicle, heading of the vehicle, a propulsion system of the vehicle, control of at least one system of the vehicle, and the status of the at least one system of the vehicle.
13. A system configured to be mounted in a vehicle comprising (a) command and control electronic circuitry, configured to at least one of: control travel of the vehicle and provide data about status of at least one component of the vehicle, and (b) at least one other system, the system comprises:
front end circuitry configured to translate a frequency band of first and second data between a higher band and a lower band;
backend circuitry, communicatively coupled to the front end circuitry, configured to at least one of demodulate and decode data received from the front end circuitry, and at least one of modulate and code data provided to the front end circuitry;
wherein the backend circuitry is configured to be communicatively coupled to the command and control electronic circuitry and the at least one other system of the vehicle; and
wherein the front end circuitry and the backend circuitry are further configured to communicate data of a first data type in a first communications protocol between the command and control electronic circuitry and a first virtual and logical communications network operated on a physical communications network, wherein the physical communications network comprises at least one of: a physical cellular communications network and a physical satellite communications network;
wherein the front end circuitry and the backend circuitry are further configured to communicate data of a second data type in a second communications protocol between the at least one other system, and a second virtual and logical operated on the physical communications network or the physical communications network;
wherein the front end circuitry and the backend circuitry are further configured to communicate data of a third type of data between a third virtual and logical communications network and a traffic control radio on the vehicle and configured to communicate the data of the third type of data between a traffic control entity and a remote vehicle control entity.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first virtual and logical communications network has at least one of a lower latency, a lower packet loss, a higher certainty of data integrity, a higher continuity, a higher availability, and a higher level of confidentiality than the physical communications network when the physical communications network uses its' default quality of service.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein a communications link, including the traffic control radio and the third virtual and logical communications network and formed between the remote vehicle control entity and the traffic control entity, has a latency less than a latency of the first virtual and logical communications network operated on the physical communications network.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first virtual and logical communications network, has a quality of service including at least one of (a) a latency of less than one second, (b) for data integrity, use of a keyed-hash message authentication code with a message authentication code of at least 64 bits in length that is appended to a message, (c) a continuity greater than 99.999%, and (d) an availability 99.999%, and (d) an availability of greater than 99.9%, wherein continuity means
Number
of
Transactions
Completed
within
a
Transaction
Expiration
Time
(
T
E
T
)
Number
of
All
Initiated
Transactions
,
wherein the TET means a maximum time, defined by an operational requirement, to complete a transaction provided that a corresponding communications link over which the transaction is sent was available at commencement of the transaction, wherein transaction means sending data from a transmitter through a communications link and receiving all of the sent data at a receiver.
17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the data of the second data type in the second communications protocol is configured to be sent from the at least one other system, of the vehicle, comprising at least one of: a cellular repeater, a small cell, a wireless local area network, and at least one sensor.