Network Manager for Air-Ground Radio Assignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of a digital network in air-ground communication systems poses challenges in tracking legacy analog users and efficiently assigning radio and channel assets to manage network loading and prevent congestion, particularly due to the elimination of specific radio equipment and frequency assignments per airspace sector, leading to limitations in infrastructure utilization.
Innovation Solution
The use of air traffic control (ATC) management information, such as aircraft location, intention, and capability, to optimize the assignment of radios and channels between ground and airborne users, enabling efficient digital network utilization and minimizing deployed assets through a network manager that processes ATC data for efficient workload management and asset allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If specific radio equipment and frequencies are assigned to each airspace sector, then controller workload is managed through sectorization, but infrastructure utilization is limited and redundant radios are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal radio pool where ground radios are not dedicated to specific sectors but can serve multiple sectors dynamically. The network manager allocates radios from the pool to sectors based on real-time workload conditions, allowing the same radio infrastructure to handle varying traffic demands across different sectors without requiring redundant dedicated radios per sector.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts radio assignments based on changing airspace conditions and workload demands. The network manager continuously monitors sector workload and reassigns radios from the pool as needed, transitioning from static sector-based radio assignment to dynamic demand-based allocation, thereby improving infrastructure utilization while maintaining controller workload management.
2Productivity
If a digital network is introduced to eliminate specific radio assignments per sector, then infrastructure utilization improves, but tracking of legacy analog users and network loading management becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a network manager as an intermediary system that handles the complexity of tracking analog users and managing network loading in the digital network. The network manager monitors the status of analog users, manages radio channel assignments, and coordinates between legacy analog systems and the digital network infrastructure, thereby enabling improved infrastructure utilization without directly exposing the complexity to operators.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the network manager continuously monitors network loading conditions, radio utilization, and analog user status. Based on this feedback, the network manager dynamically adjusts radio assignments and channel allocations to optimize infrastructure utilization while maintaining compatibility with legacy analog users and preventing network congestion.
3Quantity of substance
If radios are reduced by eliminating sector-specific assignments, then asset deployment is minimized, but radio coverage and capacity become limiting factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service radio allocation system where the network manager automatically monitors sector workload demands and allocates radios from the shared pool as needed. This eliminates the need for manual radio deployment planning and ensures that radio coverage and capacity are dynamically matched to actual demand, maintaining reliability while minimizing the total number of radios deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary assessment of radio pool capacity and coverage characteristics before making allocation decisions. The network manager evaluates whether the available radio pool can adequately cover and capacity-support all sectors under various workload scenarios, ensuring that reducing the number of deployed radios does not compromise overall system reliability and coverage requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods that coordinate assignments of aircraft operating within a controlled airspace to ground radios are provided. In one embodiment, such a system includes an air traffic control (ATC) facility (12), a plurality of ground radios (16A-16C), and a network manager (20) communicatively coupled to the air traffic control facility (12) and the ground radios (16A-16C). The air traffic control facility is responsible for controlling aircraft (14A-14I) operating within the airspace (10) and providing ATC information to the network manager (20). The ground radios (16A-16C) are operable to provide communications between the air traffic control facility (12) and the aircraft (14A-14I). The network manager (20) is operable to assign each aircraft (14A-14I) to one of the ground radios (16A-16C) based on network management considerations using the ATC information.