Waveguide system with redundancy
AssigneeRaytheon Technologies Corporation
InventorsBradley C. Schafer, Coy Bruce Wood
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system of a machine includes a first node and a second node configured to establish a first communication path through a waveguide system to guide a radio frequency transmission between the first node and the second node in the machine. The system also includes a third node and a fourth node configured to establish a second communication path in the machine. The first node is grouped with the third node as a first node group, and the second node is grouped with the fourth node as a second node group such that the second communication path provides a redundant communication path with respect to the first communication path for communication between the first node group and the second node group.
Claims20
A system of a machine, the system comprising:
- a first node and a second node configured to establish a first communication path through a waveguide system to guide a radio frequency transmission between the first node and the second node in the machine;
- a third node and a fourth node configured to establish a second communication path in the machine, wherein the first node is grouped with the third node as a first node group, and the second node is grouped with the fourth node as a second node group such that the second communication path provides a redundant communication path with respect to the first communication path for communication between the first node group and the second node group, wherein the first communication path comprises a first waveguide and the second communication path comprises a second waveguide physically separated from the first waveguide;
- and
- a shared communication path is configured to merge at least one portion of the first communication path and the second communication path between the first node group and the second node group, wherein the shared communication path is coupled to both the first waveguide and the second waveguide.
A system for a gas turbine engine, the system comprising:
- a first node and a second node configured to establish a first communication path through a waveguide system to guide a radio frequency transmission between the first node and the second node of the gas turbine engine;
- a third node and a fourth node configured to establish a second communication path in the gas turbine engine, wherein the first node is grouped with the third node as a first node group, and the second node is grouped with the fourth node as a second node group such that the second communication path provides a redundant communication path with respect to the first communication path for communication between the first node group and the second node group associated with at least one sensor and/or actuator of the gas turbine engine, wherein the first communication path comprises a first waveguide and the second communication path comprises a second waveguide physically separated from the first waveguide;
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- a shared communication path is configured to merge at least one portion of the first communication path and the second communication path between the first node group and the second node group, wherein the shared communication path is coupled to both the first waveguide and the second waveguide.
A method of providing redundancy for a waveguide system of a machine, the method comprising:
- establishing a first communication path through the waveguide system configured to guide a radio frequency transmission between a first node and a second node in the machine;
- establishing a second communication path between a third node and a fourth node in the machine;
- grouping the first node with the third node as a first node group;
- grouping the second node with the fourth node as a second node group, such that the second communication path provides a redundant communication path with respect to the first communication path for communication between the first node group and the second node group wherein the first communication path comprises a first waveguide and the second communication path comprises a second waveguide physically separated from the first waveguide;
- and
- establishing a shared communication path that merges at least one portion of the first communication path and the second communication path between the first node group and the second node group, wherein the shared communication path is coupled to both the first waveguide and the second waveguide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.