Enhanced LDACS that uses doppler shifts in carrier signals for positioning and navigation
AssigneeSkystream LLC
InventorsIvica Kostanic, Edward Paulsen, Daniel Schwinn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An enhanced L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System (LDACS) includes a plurality of LDACS ground stations, each transmitting a respective carrier signal. An LDACS airborne station may be configured to communicate with the plurality of LDACS ground stations and determine position information based upon respective Doppler shifts in the plurality of carrier signals.
Claims29
An enhanced L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System (LDACS) comprising:
- a plurality of LDACS ground stations, each transmitting a respective different carrier signal having communications data and each transmitting synch words having no data serving as beacons;
- and
- an LDACS airborne station configured to
- communicate with the plurality of LDACS ground stations, receive the respective different carrier signals having the communications data and receive the synch words as beacons from the plurality of LDACS ground stations, and
- determine Alternative Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (A-PNT) information that includes the location of the LDACS airborne stations based upon respective Doppler shifts in the plurality of respective different carrier signals having the communications data and the synch words to augment any position determined from the LDACS ground stations.
An L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System (LDACS) airborne station for an enhanced LDACS comprising a plurality of LDACS ground stations, each transmitting a respective different carrier signal having communications data and each transmitting synch words having no data serving as beacons;
- the LDACS airborne station comprising:
- radio frequency (RF) circuitry;
- and
- a controller coupled to the RF circuitry and configured to stations,
- communicate with the plurality of LDACS ground stations receive the respective different carrier signals having the communications data and receive the synch words as beacons from the plurality of LDACS ground stations, and
- determine Alternative Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (A-PNT) information that includes the location of the LDACS airborne stations based upon respective Doppler shifts in the plurality of respective different carrier signals having the communications data and the synch words to augment any position determined from the LDACS ground stations.
A method of operating an L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System (LDACS) airborne station for an enhanced LDACS to determine position of the airborne station comprising a plurality of LDACS ground stations, each transmitting a respective different carrier signal having communications data and each transmitting a synch word having no data serving as beacons;
- the method comprising:
- operating radio frequency (RF) circuitry located within the LDACS airborne station;
- and
- operating a controller coupled to the RF circuitry to communicate with the plurality of LDACS ground stations,
- receive the respective different carrier signals having the communications data and receive the synch words as beacons from the plurality of LDACS ground stations, and
- determine Alternative Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (A-PNT) information that includes the location of the LDACS airborne station based upon respective Doppler shifts in the plurality of respective different carrier signals having the communications data and the synch words as received at the LDACS airborne station to augment any position determined from the LDACS ground stations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.