Drone Communication TDMA Frame Segmentation for Latency and Reliability

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Unmanned mobile device systems face challenges in ensuring reliable wireless communications over long distances, managing multiple devices, and maintaining low latency for conversational audio signals while transmitting various data types, including radar traces, images, and video streams, within specific frequency bands.

Innovation Solution

A communication system utilizing time division multiple access (TDMA) with frame-based communication, sector antennas, and advanced channel coding techniques, including LDPC and BCH coding, along with minimum displacement continuous phase modulation, to ensure reliable and efficient data exchange between command stations and unmanned mobile devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If wireless communication is used for remote control and data transmission, then the unmanned mobile device can operate remotely, but communication reliability deteriorates over long distances

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveremote control capabilityVSAvoidcommunication reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The communication frame is segmented into multiple time intervals with different functions (synchronization interval, data transmission interval, acknowledgment interval). This segmentation allows optimized handling of different communication aspects, improving overall reliability while maintaining remote operation capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Synchronization signals and timing references are transmitted in advance at the beginning of each frame. This preliminary action ensures that devices are properly synchronized before actual data transmission begins, preventing communication errors over long distances

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple unmanned mobile devices are controlled simultaneously, then system versatility improves, but communication management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-device control capabilityVSAvoidcommunication management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Time intervals within each frame are segmented and assigned to specific devices or functions. Each device has dedicated time slots for transmission and reception, allowing multiple devices to operate simultaneously without interference while simplifying the management of each individual device's communication schedule

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Communication follows a periodic frame structure that repeats with fixed intervals. This periodicity allows devices to anticipate when they will transmit or receive data, reducing the complexity of real-time communication management while supporting multiple devices in a systematic manner

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Loss of time

If frame duration is shortened to reduce latency, then audio conversation quality improves, but data transmission completeness may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication latencyVSAvoiddata transmission reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Data transmission is segmented across multiple time intervals within the frame rather than attempting to transmit all data in a single continuous stream. This allows the frame duration to be kept short for low latency while ensuring complete data transmission through structured segmentation of synchronization, data, and acknowledgment phases

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The frame structure ensures continuous useful action by immediately following synchronization with data transmission and then acknowledgment, without idle gaps. This continuous progression maintains low latency while ensuring reliable completion of each communication phase

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentEP3516793B1System for communication in a system of drones
Publication Date: 2020.05.27 SAFRAN ELECTRONICS & DEFENSE (FR)
  • EP3516793B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3516793B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4B
  • EP3516793B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Communication system, used in a system of drones, based on a communication technique of TDMA type in which the time is divided into a plurality of levels of hierarchy of temporal decomposition. The set of the hierarchy levels is adapted to comply with a plurality of constraints related to the system of drones comprising a first constraint implying that each communication between a drone and a control station for the system of drones must be compatible with a transmission of audio conversation data, a second constraint implying that the control station must be capable of controlling a predefined number of drones simultaneously and a third constraint implying that, the system of drones using transmissions based on data blocks, each data block must be transmitted on a stationary channel.