Portable air-traffic control system for drones

A method for generating an air traffic information signal using a control system, comprising a plurality of portable control towers, each portable control tower including:

• a first antenna configured for receiving a transponder signal and an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-13) signal;
• a second antenna configured for transmitting the transponder signal to one or a plurality of transponder air vehicles;
• the portable air-traffic control system further comprising an external computing unit configured for receiving the transponder signal and the ADS-B signal from each of the plurality of portable control towers;
• the external computing unit being further configured for running a conversion code to converted the received transponder signal, and an ADS-B decoder code for decoding the ADS-B signal, in order to determine positions of the one or the plurality of detected transponder air vehicles and one or a plurality of ADS-B air vehicles, respectively;
• the external computing unit being further configured for running a traffic information code to calculate a speed and direction for the one or the plurality of detected transponder air vehicles and ADS-B air vehicles, from the determined positions;
• the external computing unit being further configured for running a fencing calculation code for calculating a fencing information signal containing a GPS position, a speed and altitude for each of the detected transponder air vehicles and ADS-B air vehicles;
• the external computing unit being further configured for sending the fencing information signal to an external control device controlling the UAV, such that the UAV can be controlled to avoid the collision with the transponder air vehicles and ADS-B air vehicles;
• the method comprising:
• receiving the ADS-B signal and the transponder signal;
• and
• processing the received ADS-B signal and the received transponder signal, to generate the fencing information signal containing a global positioning system (GPS) position, a speed and altitude for each of the detected transponder air vehicles and ADS-B air vehicles.

A non-transitory computer medium comprising portions of code for a software application, including a conversion code, an ADS-B decoder code, a traffic information code, and a fencing calculation code, destined to be executed in an external computing unit in order to perform a method for generating an air traffic information signal using a control system, comprising a plurality of portable control towers, each portable control tower including:

• a first antenna configured for receiving a transponder signal and an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) signal;
• a second antenna configured for transmitting the transponder signal to the transponder air vehicles;
• the portable air-traffic control system further comprising the external computing unit configured for receiving the transponder signal and the ADS-B signal from each of the plurality of portable control towers;
• the external computing unit being further configured for running the conversion code to convert the received transponder signal, and the ADS-B decoder code for decoding the ADS-B signal, in order to determine positions of the detected transponder air vehicles and ADS-B air vehicles, respectively;
• the external computing unit being further configured for running the traffic information code to calculate a speed and direction for the detected transponder air vehicles and ADS-B air vehicles, from the determined positions;
• the external computing unit being further configured for running the fencing calculation code for calculating a fencing information signal containing a GPS position, a speed and altitude for each of the detected transponder air vehicles and ADS-B air vehicles;
• the external computing unit being further configured for sending the fencing information signal to an external control device controlling the UAV, such that the UAV can be controlled to avoid the collision with the transponder air vehicles and ADS-B air vehicles;
• the method comprising:
• receiving the ADS-B signal and the transponder signal;
• and
• processing the received ADS-B signal and the received transponder signal, to generate the fencing information signal containing a global positioning system (GPS) position, a speed and altitude for each of the detected transponder air vehicles and ADS-B air vehicles.