Universal Translator for Vehicle Sensor Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of advanced communication, navigation, surveillance, and sensor systems in vehicles, particularly aerial vehicles, is hindered by incompatibility between legacy and new systems due to differing data protocols, leading to inefficient upgrades and increased costs, with existing solutions often requiring custom, single-purpose translators that restrict future modifications and enhance system complexity and weight.
Innovation Solution
A universal translator system, integrated into a mission computer or as a separate unit, provides seamless data exchange and communication across various systems using a gateway network, supporting multiple data protocols like MIL-STD-1553, RS-232, and Ethernet, without requiring hardware or software upgrades to legacy systems, enabling flexible integration and future-proof upgrades.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If custom single-purpose translators are used to integrate legacy and new systems, then compatibility between systems is improved, but device complexity and system weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal translator system that can handle multiple data protocols (MIL-STD-1553, RS-232, Ethernet, ARINC 429) through a single multi-functional device. This eliminates the need for separate single-purpose translators for each protocol pair, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining compatibility across diverse legacy and modern systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The universal translator acts as an intermediary device that mediates communication between legacy systems and modern systems with incompatible data protocols. It receives data from one system, translates it to the appropriate protocol, and forwards it to the target system, enabling seamless integration without requiring custom translators for each system pair.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple single-purpose translators are installed to support different data protocols, then system integration capability is improved, but system weight and payload capacity are adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple single-purpose translator functions into a single integrated universal translator unit. This consolidation reduces the total weight by eliminating redundant hardware components, power supplies, and mounting structures while maintaining support for all required data protocols through software-based translation capabilities.
3Productivity
If legacy systems are upgraded with new components, then system capabilities are improved, but incompatibility with existing systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
The universal translator serves as an intermediary that allows legacy systems to communicate with upgraded modern systems without requiring the legacy systems themselves to be upgraded. The translator handles protocol conversion, enabling newer components with advanced capabilities to integrate seamlessly with older systems that maintain their original architecture and protocols.
4Manufacturing precision
If custom translators are designed for specific system pairs, then integration precision is improved, but ease of manufacture and future modifications are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The universal translator employs dynamic, software-based protocol translation capabilities rather than fixed hardware configurations. This allows the translation behavior to be reconfigured through software updates to accommodate new protocols or systems, providing both precise integration for current systems and adaptability for future modifications without requiring custom hardware design.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are provided for facilitating substantially seamless interface between individual component systems for sensor fusion, data exchange, and communication across a broad spectrum of component systems in a vehicle without implicating hardware or software upgrade within individual legacy systems and/or sensors. A universal translator is provided to interface between individual system components that exchange data in a seamless manner between legacy data formats and specific data formats advantageously employed by newly-developed, procured and installed individual component systems. One or more of an analog, digital or serial communications gateway network between one or more of vehicle control components and installed communication, navigation, surveillance and/or sensor sub-components and/or systems provides substantially seamless integration between such systems regardless of the individual data format and exchange capabilities to which the individual systems or sub-components may be designed.