# US 11,451,290 B2 · Communication management unit with configurable interface > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,451,290 B2 - Document ID: US11451290B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/116,359 - Filed: 2018-08-29 - Published: 2020-03-05 - Granted: 2022-09-20 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-29 - Assignees: Honeywell International Inc. - Applicants: Honeywell International Inc. - Inventors: Thomas F. McGuffin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451290B2 ## CPC - H04B 7/18506: {Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service} - H04B 7/18508: {with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service} - G08G 5/26: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations - H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play - H04L 41/0813: characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings - H04B: TRANSMISSION - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A vehicle communication management unit is provided that includes at least one configurable communication interface, at least one memory and a communication controller. Each configuration communication interface is configured to interface signals between a communication link and the vehicle communication management unit using a select communication protocol. The memory is used to store operating instructions of the communication management unit including an interface configuration table. The interface configuration table includes communication operating parameters for select communication protocols. The communication controller is used to control communication operations of the communication management unit. The communication controller is configured to determine a type of communication protocol used in a communication link coupled to the at least one configurable communication interface. The communication controller is further configured to configure the at least one configurable communication interface with communication operating parameters stored in the configuration table associated with the determined type of communication protocol. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle communication management unit comprising: at least one configurable communication interface, each configuration communication interface configured to interface signals between a communication link and the vehicle communication management unit using a select communication protocol; at least one memory to store operating instructions of the communication management unit including an interface configuration table, the interface configuration table including communication operating parameters for select communication protocols; and a communication controller to control communication operations of the communication management unit, the communication controller configured to determine a type of communication protocol used in a communication link coupled to the at least one configurable communication interface, the communication controller further configured to configure the at least one configurable communication interface with communication operating parameters stored in the configuration table associated with the determined type of communication protocol, wherein the same at least one configurable interface is selectively configured to communicate using different communication protocols. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle communication management unit of claim 1, wherein communication operating parameters of select communication protocols allow for a communication of critical safety information signals. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle communication management unit of claim 1, wherein the communication controller is further configured to set the at least one configurable communication interface into a master/backup relationship with another one of the at least one configurable communication interface of the communication management unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle communication management unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one configurable communication interface is a satellite data unit interface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle communication management unit of claim 1, wherein the communication controller is configured to configure the at least one configurable communication interface using the communication operating parameters stored in the configuration table associated upon startup of the vehicle communication management unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle communication management unit of claim 1, further comprising: at least one protocol timer used by the communication controller for select communication protocols. ### Claim 7 A communication system comprising: at least one memory to store an interface configuration table, the interface configuration table including communication operating parameters for select communication protocols; a plurality of communication links; and a communication management unit including: a plurality of configuration communication interfaces, each configuration communication interface configured to interface signals between an associated communication link of the plurality of communication links and the communication management unit using a select communication protocol, and a communication controller to control communication operations of the communication management unit, the communication controller configured to determine a type of communication protocol used in a communication link coupled to the at least one configurable communication interface, the communication controller further configured to configure each configurable communication interface with communication operating parameters stored in the configuration table associated with the determined type of communication protocol, wherein the same at least one configurable interface is selectively configured to communicate using different communication protocols. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The communication system of claim 7, wherein the at least one memory is within the communication management unit. ### Claim 9 The communication system of claim7, wherein the at least one memory is located external to the communication unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The communication system of claim 9, further comprising: an aircraft personality module, the at least one memory located within the aircraft personality module. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The communication system of claim 7, further comprising: a communication link for each configuration communication interface, each communication link including at least one transceiver and at least one antenna. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The communication system of claim 7, further comprising: an input/output in communication with the communication controller. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The communication system of claim 12, wherein the input/output includes a human machine interface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The communication system of claim 7, wherein the communication controller is further configured to set at least two of the configuration communication interfaces of the plurality of configuration communication interfaces into a master/backup relationship with one another. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The communication system of claim 7, wherein communication controller is further configured to identify which of the plurality of configuration communication interfaces are allowed to send and receive critical information and only using those identified configuration communication interfaces to send and receive the critical information. ### Claim 16 A method of operating a vehicle communication management unit with a plurality of configurable communication interfaces, the method comprising: identifying a communication type associated with a message; retrieving configuration information associated with the communication type from a configuration interface table; configuring a configurable communication interface of the plurality of configurable communication interfaces based on the retrieved configuration information, wherein the configurable interface is a generic interface that is selectively configured to communicate using different communication protocols; and interfacing communications through the configurable communication interface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: assigning master/backup relationship with at least one pair of the plurality of configurable communication interfaces. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: determining if a message to be communicated is a critical message; determining if the configuration of the configurable communication interface allows the interface of critical messages; and using the communication interface when it is has been determined that the message is a critical message and the configuration communication interface is allowed to interface critical messages. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: using a different configurable communication interface of the plurality of configurable communication interfaces when the it has been determined that the configurable communication interface has not been configured to interface critical messages. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: configuring configurable communication interfaces in communication with associated communication links upon power up of the vehicle communication management unit.