US 12,333,948 B2
System for managing remote calls to an air traffic control facility or other ground station via an uncrewed aircraft
Chadwick Healy, Mountain View, CA (US); Michael Westenhaver, Mountain View, CA (US); John Folliard, Mountain View, CA (US); James Conrad, Mountain View, CA (US); Lewis Catton, Mountain View, CA (US); and Casey Klebba, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to RELIABLE ROBOTICS CORPORATION, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Reliable Robotics Corporation, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/948,154.
Prior Publication US 2024/0096222 A1, Mar. 21, 2024
Int. Cl. G08G 5/26 (2025.01); G08G 5/55 (2025.01); G08G 5/57 (2025.01)
CPC G08G 5/26 (2025.01) [G08G 5/55 (2025.01); G08G 5/57 (2025.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method for managing communications between a remote pilot at a terminal device operating an uncrewed aircraft and a controller at an air traffic control facility, the method comprising:
receiving a voice communication packet from a satellite communication system at a first transceiver located at the uncrewed aircraft, the voice communication packet generated at the terminal device located remote from the uncrewed aircraft and transmitted to the satellite communication system;
in response to receiving the voice communication packet, storing an aircraft-based communication message based on the voice communication packet, the aircraft-based communication message stored in computer memory in the uncrewed aircraft;
monitoring a voice-communication feed on a radio-frequency (RF) communication channel, the RF-communication channel configured to conduct voice communications between a second transceiver of the uncrewed aircraft, the air traffic control facility, and at least one additional aircraft;
subsequent to receiving the voice communication packet and in response to detecting an open-channel condition on the RF-communication channel, broadcast an RF transmission on the RF-communication channel using the second transceiver, the RF transmission generated in accordance with the aircraft-based communication message;
subsequent to receiving the voice communication packet and in response to detecting a current voice communication on the RF-communication channel, suppress transmission of the aircraft-based communication message over the RF-communication channel; and
subsequent to receiving the voice communication packet and in response to detecting a completion of the current voice communication on the RF-communication channel, broadcast the RF transmission on the RF-communication channel using the second transceiver, the RF transmission generated in accordance with the aircraft-based communication message.