# US 11,299,269 B2 · High altitude, long endurance, unmanned aircraft and methods of operation thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,299,269 B2 - Document ID: US11299269B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/829,741 - Filed: 2017-12-01 - Published: 2018-03-29 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2009-12-18 - Assignees: AeroVironment, Inc. - Applicants: Aerovironment, Inc. - Inventors: Edward Oscar Rios - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299269B2 ## CPC - G01S 19/11: wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters - B64D 43/00: Arrangements or adaptations of instruments - B64D 47/00: Equipment not otherwise provided for - G01S 19/21: Interference related issues {; Issues related to cross-correlation, spoofing or other methods of denial of service} - G05D 1/0022: {characterised by the communication link (data switching networks in general H04L12/00)} - G05D 1/0027: {involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00)} - G05D 1/104: {involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying (traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00)} - H04B 7/18504: {Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform} - B64U 10/25: Fixed-wing aircraft (VTOL aircraft B64U10/20) - B64U 2101/20: for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms - B64U 2201/104: using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - H04B: TRANSMISSION - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR ## Abstract Embodiments include one or more high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft capable of persistent station-keeping having one or more electromagnetic (IR/Visual/RF) sensor elements or suites for purposes of survey and/or signal gathering. Embodiments include one or more high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft capable of persistent station-keeping having a directable laser. Embodiments include a group of four or more high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft configured as GPS repeaters. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of global positioning system (GPS) signal augmentation comprising: deploying a group of two or more high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft, each unmanned aircraft comprising a GPS antenna, GPS receiver, and a GPS repeater; receiving, by at least two of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft, a GPS signal from a respective GPS satellite; forming, by each of the at least two of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft respectively, a repeatable received GPS signal for transmission; determining communication interdiction by positioning the two or more HALE unmanned aircraft, wherein a second HALE unmanned aircraft transmits an interdiction assessment to a first HALE unmanned aircraft; and transmitting, by each of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft respectively, a translated GPS signal in an auxiliary frequency band for transmission based on the received GPS signal and the determined communication interdiction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: transmitting, by each of the at least two of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft, the respective, repeatable received GPS signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising: receiving, by a terrestrial GPS receiver, the transmitted GPS signal, wherein a terrestrial radio frequency (RF) emitter is jamming the GPS signal to the terrestrial GPS receiver from the respective GPS satellite. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: transmitting within a defined geographic boundary, by each of the at least two of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft, the repeatable received GPS signal associated with the HALE unmanned aircraft. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: flying, by each of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft, in one or more station-keeping patterns in a stratospheric layer above a first defined terrestrial region. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 further comprising: relocating, by the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft, to fly in one or more station-keeping patterns in a stratospheric layer above a second defined terrestrial region. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: deploying at least one of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft within a beam width of a terrestrial radio frequency (RF) transmitter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising: receiving, by at least one of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft deployed within the beam width of the terrestrial RF transmitter, an RF signal from the terrestrial RF transmitter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 further comprising: transmitting, by at least one of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft that received the RF signal, the RF signal to another HALE unmanned aircraft of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft; and transmitting, by the another HALE unmanned aircraft of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft, the RF signal to a terrestrial RF receiver. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: transmitting within a defined geographic boundary, by each of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft, the translated GPS signal in the auxiliary frequency band associated with the HALE unmanned aircraft. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising: receiving, by a terrestrial RF receiver, the transmitted GPS signal in the auxiliary frequency band. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 further comprising: translating, by the terrestrial RF receiver, the received GPS signal in the auxiliary frequency band to a GPS signal for a terrestrial GPS receiver in communication with the terrestrial RF receiver. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein a terrestrial RF emitter is jamming the GPS signal to the terrestrial GPS receiver from the respective GPS satellite. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary frequency band is a Ku band. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the deployed group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft are above a first defined terrestrial region, wherein the first defined terrestrial region comprises a terrestrial radio frequency (RF) emitter, and wherein the terrestrial RF emitter is jamming the GPS signal to the terrestrial GPS receiver from the respective GPS satellite within the first defined terrestrial region. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising: transmitting, by each of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft, the respective, repeatable received GPS signal, wherein the transmitted GPS signal overcomes jamming from the terrestrial RF emitter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising: receiving, by a terrestrial GPS receiver, the transmitted GPS signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising: forming, by each of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft respectively, a translated GPS signal in an auxiliary frequency band for transmission based on the received GPS signal; transmitting within the first defined terrestrial region, by each of the group of two or more HALE unmanned aircraft, the translated GPS signal in the auxiliary frequency band associated with the HALE unmanned aircraft, wherein the transmitted translated GPS signal overcomes jamming from the terrestrial RF emitter; receiving, by a terrestrial RF receiver, the transmitted GPS signal in the auxiliary frequency band; and translating, by the terrestrial RF receiver, the received GPS signal in the auxiliary frequency band to a GPS signal for a terrestrial GPS receiver in communication with the terrestrial RF receiver. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the communication interdiction corresponds to a satellite other than the two or more HALE unmanned aircraft. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 further comprising: jamming communication reception of the satellite based on positioning of the two or more HALE unmanned aircraft.