Unmanned air vehicle with autonomous air traffic control communications capability

摘要

An exemplary method is implemented by an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) for providing voice communications to an air traffic control (ATC) station. Two-way first voice communications are supported with a human operator at a control station that is in control of the UAV over a digital radio frequency (RF) link. Two-way second voice communications are supported with a controller at the ATC station over an analog RF link. The first and second voice communications are coupled to each other so that two-way voice communications are provided between the human operator and the controller. A determination is made that the first communications with the human operator is not operative. Based on this determination, autonomous voice announcements of flight parameters of the UAV are generated, and transmitted via the analog radio frequency link to the ATC station.

主权项

1. A method implemented by an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) for providing voice communications to an air traffic control (ATC) station comprising the steps of:
supporting two-way first voice communications with a human operator at a control station that is in control of the UAV over a digital radio frequency (RF) link and two-way second voice communications with a controller at the ATC station over an analog RF link; coupling the first and second voice communications to each other so that two-way voice communications are provided between the human operator and the controller; determining that the first communications with the human operator is not operative; based on said determination, generating autonomous voice announcements of flight parameters of the UAV, and transmitting the autonomous voice announcements via the analog radio frequency link to the ATC station; determining that the first communications with the human operator, which was not operative, has now become operative; and ceasing the generation of autonomous voice announcements of flight parameters of the UAV based on the first communications with the human operator now being operative.