SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING IRIDIUM SATELLITE SIGNALS FOR METEOROLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS
First Claim
1. A method for obtaining weather related information for a portion of the Earth'"'"'s atmosphere between a mobile platform traversing over a surface portion of the Earth, and at least one Iridium satellite from the Iridium satellite constellation, the method comprising:
- modifying at least one Iridium satellite from a constellation of Iridium satellites to include time and location information in wireless signals that are transmitted in real time by said one satellite;
using said mobile platform to receive said wireless signals from said one Iridium satellite; and
using an occultation system carried on said mobile platform to analyze said time and position information to derive real time atmospheric weather related information for a geographic area between said airborne mobile platform and said one Iridium satellite.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for obtaining weather related information for a portion of the Earth'"'"'s atmosphere between a mobile platform traversing over a predetermined surface portion of the Earth, and at least one Iridium satellite from the Iridium satellite constellation. The method involves modifying at least one Iridium satellite from a constellation of Iridium satellites to include time and location information in wireless signals that are transmitted in real time by the one satellite. The mobile platform receives the wireless signals from the one Iridium satellite. An occultation system carried on the mobile platform analyzes the time and position information, in addition to location information pertaining to a real time location of the mobile platform, and to derive real time atmospheric weather related information for a geographic area between the mobile platform and the one Iridium satellite.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for obtaining weather related information for a portion of the Earth'"'"'s atmosphere between a mobile platform traversing over a surface portion of the Earth, and at least one Iridium satellite from the Iridium satellite constellation, the method comprising:
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modifying at least one Iridium satellite from a constellation of Iridium satellites to include time and location information in wireless signals that are transmitted in real time by said one satellite; using said mobile platform to receive said wireless signals from said one Iridium satellite; and using an occultation system carried on said mobile platform to analyze said time and position information to derive real time atmospheric weather related information for a geographic area between said airborne mobile platform and said one Iridium satellite. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for obtaining weather related information for a portion of the Earth'"'"'s atmosphere between an airborne mobile platform traversing over a body of water on the Earth, and at least one Iridium satellite from the Iridium satellite constellation, the method comprising:
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modifying a plurality of Iridium satellites from a constellation of orbiting Iridium satellites to include time and location information in wireless signals that are transmitted in real time by said plurality of Iridium satellites; transmitting said wireless signals from said plurality of Iridium satellites; using said airborne mobile platform to receive said wireless signals from said plurality of Iridium satellites; using an occultation system carried on said airborne mobile platform to analyze said time and position information, in addition to location information pertaining to a real time location of said airborne mobile platform, and to derive real time atmospheric weather related information for a geographic area between said airborne mobile platform and a given one of said plurality of Iridium satellites. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for determining atmospheric weather related information using at least one Iridium satellite of an Iridium satellite constellation, the system including:
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at least one Iridium satellite modified to transmit time and location data; a mobile platform having an antenna tuned to receive wireless signals transmitted by said one Iridium satellite, said wireless signals including said time and location data; an occultation system carried by said mobile platform including; a receiver adapted to receive said wireless signals transmitted from said one Iridium satellite and for using said time and location data to determine time delay information relating to a time of travel of said wireless signals from said one Iridium satellite to said mobile platform, and location information concerning said one Iridium satellite; and a processor adapted to perform occultation calculations using said location information and said time delay information, and to generate therefrom atmospheric weather related information. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification