Determination of a change in atmospheric pressure based on radio frequency return signal

• US 10,586,465 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2016
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Berge, Layne A., Dangler, John R., Doyle, Matthew S., Liang, Thomas W., Orozco, Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Diallo, Mamadou L
• Application Number:
  US15/378,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20180164425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/50 Systems of measurement based on relative movement of target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/781 Secondary Surveillance Radar [SSR] in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/91 for traffic control G01S13/93 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/92 for velocity measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/951 ground based
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/415 Identification of targets based on measurements of movement associated with the target
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Apparatus and methods to determine a change in atmospheric pressure between a forward portion of a flying object and a rear portion of the flying object based on at least one radio frequency (RF) return signal, and to determine a password using the determined change in atmospheric pressure.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of atmospheric pressure readings; and

a processor in communication with the memory, the processor configured to;

determine a change in atmospheric pressure between a forward portion of a flying object and a rear portion of the flying object based on at least one radio frequency (RF) return signal; and

decode a pressure differential password, based on the determined change.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine data corresponding to at least one of a magnitude and a phase of the RF return signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine the change in atmospheric pressure based on data corresponding to at least one of a magnitude or a phase of the RF return signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the pressure differential password with an authorization code.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to send a signal upon a determination that the pressure differential password does not match the authorization code.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a receiver configured to receive the RF return signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a transmit RF signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory is further configured to store at least one of:

data corresponding to the change in the atmospheric pressure of the volume of air surrounding the front and the rear of the flying object,

an authorization code to enter airspace, and

data corresponding to at least one of a magnitude or a phase of the RF return signal.

9. A method of decoding a pressure differential password, the method comprising:

transmitting a transmit radio frequency (RF) signal;

determining a change in atmospheric pressure between a forward portion of a flying object and a rear portion of the flying object based on at least one RF return signal; and

using the determined change to decode a pressure differential password.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining data corresponding to at least one of a magnitude or a phase of the RF return signal.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining the change in atmospheric pressure based on data corresponding to at least one of a magnitude or a phase of the RF return signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising comparing the pressure differential password with an authorization code.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a signal upon a determination that the pressure differential password does not match the authorization code.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving the RF return signal.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing data corresponding to the change in the atmospheric pressure of the volume of air surrounding the front and the rear of the flying object.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing at least one of:

an authorization code to enter airspace, and

data corresponding to at least one of a magnitude or a phase of the RF return signal.

17. A computer program product for decoding a pressure differential password, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a device to cause the device to determine a change in atmospheric pressure of volume of air surrounding front and rear of a flying object based on radio frequency (RF) return signal, wherein the RF return signal corresponds to the RF return signal reflected from the volume of air surrounding the front and the rear of the flying object, and to use the determined change to decode the pressure differential password.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the program instructions executable by the device further cause the device to determine the change in atmospheric pressure based on data corresponding to at least one of a magnitude or a phase of the RF return signal.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions executable by the device further cause the device to compare the pressure differential password with an authorization code.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the program instructions executable by the device further cause the device to send a signal upon a determination that the pressure differential password does not match the authorization code.