Communications Management for Mobile Nodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication management systems for moving platforms, such as UAVs, struggle to dynamically adapt to unplanned events like link degradation or interference, failing to maintain optimal communication links and prioritize mission objectives effectively.
Innovation Solution
An intelligent communications management system that includes a node manoeuvre planning module and a dynamic route planner, which identifies suboptimal communication links, determines necessary attitude and position adjustments, and generates a node manoeuvre plan to optimize wireless data communication while complying with emissions control restrictions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the platform maintains a fixed attitude and position, then the communication system structure is simple, but the communication link quality degrades when environmental conditions change or interference occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic attitude and position adjustment of the mobile platform to optimize communication link quality. The system continuously monitors link conditions and automatically manoeuvres the platform to maintain optimal orientation toward other nodes, transforming a static communication system into a dynamic one that adapts to changing environmental conditions and interference patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication management system performs self-assessment of link quality and autonomously generates and executes manoeuvre plans without requiring external intervention. The system monitors its own communication status, identifies degradation, and automatically corrects it through platform repositioning, enabling self-service maintenance of communication reliability.
2Reliability
If the platform performs node manoeuvres to optimize communication links, then communication reliability improves, but the mission execution may be delayed or disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of communication link quality and predicts future degradation before it occurs. By anticipating link failures and proactively executing manoeuvres to prevent degradation, the system avoids reactive corrections that would disrupt mission flow, thereby maintaining both reliability and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The manoeuvre planning dynamically balances communication optimization needs with mission objectives. The system adjusts the timing and aggressiveness of manoeuvres based on real-time mission context, executing subtle adjustments when possible and reserving more significant manoeuvres for critical situations, thus minimizing impact on mission execution while maintaining link stability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system continuously monitors and adjusts communication links, then adaptability to environmental changes improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements selective monitoring and adjustment rather than continuous full-scale operation. It monitors key link quality parameters at optimized intervals and only executes manoeuvres when degradation thresholds are exceeded, performing partial actions sufficient to maintain reliability without the excessive energy consumption of continuous adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication management operates periodically rather than continuously, with monitoring cycles and adjustment intervals optimized to detect environmental changes while conserving energy. The system performs assessments at strategic intervals and executes manoeuvres only when necessary, balancing adaptability with energy efficiency through rhythmic, periodic operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Apparatus for on-board management of communications in a mobile node comprising a communications system configured to effect wireless data communication between said mobile node and another node by means of at least one supported wireless communications link, wherein said apparatus comprises a node manoeuvre planning module (150) and a dynamic route planner (11); said node manoeuvre planning module (150) being configured to: -identify that a wireless communications link associated with said mobile node (i) has been lost, degraded or is otherwise not optimal, and/or (ii) would violate an emissions control restriction; -define a desired wireless communications link between said mobile node and said other node to (i) support wireless communications therebetween, and/or (ii) comply with said emissions control restriction; -determine an attitude and/or position of said mobile node with respect to said other node required to support said desired wireless communications link; -derive a node manoeuvre plan including data representative of said determined attitude and/or position of said mobile node and generate a plan metric in respect of said node manoeuvre plan; and -transmit nodemanoeuvre plan data to said dynamic route planner (11), wherein said node manoeuvre plan data is configured to cause said dynamic route planner (11) to derive a route plan designed to manoeuvre said mobile node to said determined attitude and/or position;said dynamic route planner (11) being configured to: -in response to receipt of said node manoeuvre plan data, generate a route plan designed to manoeuvre said mobile node to said determined attitude and/or position and generate corresponding route plan data; and -provide said route plan data and data representative of said plan metric to a node authority (154) with a request for authorisation.