Dual-technology onboard air traffic tracking system for autonomous aerial vehicles

A flight-tracking communication device configured for operation in an aerial vehicle (AV), the flight-tracking communication device comprising:

• a dual-technology transponder configured to transmit real-time tracking data of the AV in outbound tracking messages using both a first transmission technology and a second, different transmission technology, wherein the first and second technologies are specified for operation within a common flight tracking system;
• one or more processors;
• and
• memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the flight-tracking communication device to carry out operations including:
• receiving real-time tracking data of the AV based on measurements from a global positioning satellite (GPS) navigation system, the real-time tracking data including real-time geographic location of the AV at each of a sequence of tracking times;
• and
• alternating between broadcasting outbound tracking messages on the first and second transmission technologies, wherein each outbound tracking message includes the determined real-time tracking data at one of the tracking times,
• wherein alternating between broadcasting the outbound tracking messages on the first and second transmission technologies, wherein each outbound tracking message includes the determined real-time tracking data at one of the tracking times comprises:
• broadcasting repeating cycles of outbound tracking messages, wherein each cycle comprises N≥1 consecutive broadcasts of the determined real-time tracking data on one of the first or second transmission the technologies, followed by M≥1 consecutive broadcasts of the determined real-time tracking data on the other of first or second transmission technologies, and wherein M and N are integers and either M=N or M≠N.

A method comprising:

• in an aerial vehicle (AV), determining real-time tracking data of the AV from a navigation system onboard the AV, the tracking data including geographic location of the AV at each of a sequence of tracking times;
• and
• using a dual-technology transponder onboard the AV, alternating between broadcasting outbound tracking messages on a first transmission technology and a second, different transmission technology, wherein each outbound tracking message includes the determined real-time tracking data at one of the tracking times, and wherein the first and second transmission technologies are specified for operation within a common flight tracking system,
• wherein alternating between broadcasting the outbound tracking messages on the first and second transmission technologies, wherein each outbound tracking message includes the determined real-time tracking data at one of the tracking times comprises:
• broadcasting repeating cycles of outbound tracking messages, wherein each cycle comprises N≥1 consecutive broadcasts of the determined real-time tracking data on one of the first or second transmission the technologies, followed by M≥1 consecutive broadcasts of the determined real-time tracking data on the other of first or second transmission technologies, and wherein M and N are integers and either M=N or M≠N.

A flight-tracking communication device configured for operation in an aerial vehicle (AV), the flight-tracking communication device comprising:

• a dual-technology transponder configured to transmit real-time tracking data of the AV in outbound tracking messages using both a first transmission technology and a second, different transmission technology, wherein the first and second technologies are specified for operation within a common flight tracking system;
• one or more processors;
• and
• memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the flight-tracking communication device to carry out operations including:
• receiving one or more incoming tracking messages on at least one of the first or second transmission technologies, each incoming tracking message including real-time tracking data and identifier information of a flight vehicle other than the AV, wherein the real-time tracking data include real-time geographic location and heading of the flight vehicle;
• decoding each of the received one or more incoming tracking messages to determine the included real-time tracking data of the flight vehicle other than the AV;
• and
• determining that a first incoming tracking message received on the first transmission technology and a second incoming tracking message received on the second transmission technology both contain concurrent real-time tracking data for the same flight vehicle other than the AAV,
• wherein the common flight tracking system is Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), the first transmission technology is Universal Access Transmitter (UAT), and the second transmission technology is 1090 MHz Extended Squitter (1090ES).