US 9,052,375 B2 · Method for validating aircraft traffic control data

Abstract

A method for group travel and group communications, wherein the group travel parameters and group communications are combined for verifying and validating ADS-B data on aircraft. The full connectivity within a navigating group of aircraft allows all the group members to communicate spatial/temporal observations and collaborate in group protocols, e.g., majority voting protocol, which can determine if a received ADS-B message is corrupted or from a false target aircraft. Well-established distributed protocols based on group communications and majority voting exist for (1) detecting compromised members, i.e., false target aircraft, and (2) verifying message integrity, i.e., ADS-B data, given a minority fraction of members are compromised/colluding. Such protocols can be based on IP multicast communications over the IP networking data links available on the aircraft. Also disclosed is a method for verification and validation of position indicator message data on aircraft.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An aircraft of a plurality of aircraft navigable as a group of aircraft, the aircraft comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a position indication message broadcast by a source aircraft to the aircraft and other aircraft of the group of aircraft, the position indication message including a claimed position of the source aircraft;
and
an in-aircraft control network configured to:
record a first time of arrival of the position indication message at the aircraft;
receive messages broadcast by the other aircraft and containing second times of arrival of the position indication message at the other aircraft;
perform a position estimation based on the first time of arrival and second times of arrival to produce an estimated actual position of the source aircraft;
and
verify the claimed position of the source aircraft based on the estimated actual position of the source aircraft, and
wherein the in-aircraft control network is further configured to:
compose a message including the first time of arrival of the position indication message at the aircraft;
and
cause broadcast of the message to at least some of the other aircraft to enable the at least some of the other aircraft to independently perform the position estimation and verify the claimed position of the source aircraft based thereon.

9 more elements

A method for verification a claimed position of a source aircraft by an aircraft of a plurality of aircraft navigable as a group of aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving a position indication message broadcast by the source aircraft to the aircraft and other aircraft of the group of aircraft, the position indication message including the claimed position of the source aircraft;
recording a first time of arrival of the position indication message at the aircraft;
receiving messages broadcast by the other aircraft and containing second times of arrival of the position indication message at the other aircraft;
performing a position estimation based on the first time of arrival and second times of arrival to produce an estimated actual position of the source aircraft;
and
verifying the claimed position of the source aircraft based on the estimated actual position of the source aircraft, and
wherein the method further comprises:
composing a message including the first time of arrival of the position indication message at the aircraft;
and
causing broadcast of the message to at least some of the other aircraft to enable the at least some of the other aircraft to independently perform the position estimation and verify the claimed position of the source aircraft based thereon.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for validating aircraft traffic control data

Life of this patent

Method for validating aircraft traffic control data

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18