Balloon-Based Positioning System and Method

• US 20140085135A1
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SOFTBANK Corporation (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Edward Allen Keyes, Eric Teller, Richard Wayne Devaul
• Inventors: DEVAUL, Richard Wayne, KADOUS, Waleed, TELLER, Eric, Biffle, Cliff, KEYES, Edward Allen
• Granted Patent: US 9,285,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.4
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/042 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/20 using a comparison of transit time of synchronised signals transmitted from non-directional antennas or antenna systems spaced apart, i.e. path-difference systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/24 Acquisition or tracking or demodulation of signals transmitted by the system synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0045 Transmission from base station to mobile station G01S5/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a balloon-based positioning system and method. In one example embodiment, a system includes at least three balloons, with each balloon including a position-determining module (PDM) and a position-broadcasting module (PBM). Each PDM is configured for determining a position of the respective balloon and each PBM is configured for broadcasting a balloon signal containing balloon-positioning data of the respective balloon. The balloon-positioning data includes the determined position of the respective balloon and a corresponding time of broadcast.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least three balloons, wherein each balloon comprises a position-determining module (PDM) and a position-broadcasting module (PBM);

wherein each PDM is configured for determining a position of the respective balloon;

wherein one balloon of the at least three balloons is a first balloon, and the PDM of the first balloon is a first PDM, the first PDM being configured for determining a position of the first balloon based on a ground-station and a celestial object; and

wherein each PBM is configured for broadcasting a balloon signal containing balloon-positioning data of the respective balloon, the balloon-positioning data comprising (i) the determined position of the respective balloon and (2) a corresponding time of broadcast.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the position of the first balloon based on the ground-based station and the celestial object comprises:

identifying the ground-based station;

determining a measurement between the first balloon and the identified ground-based station;

identifying the celestial object; and

determining an orientation of the first balloon based on the identified celestial object,

wherein the determining the position of the first balloon based on the ground-based station and the celestial object comprises determining a position of the first balloon based on the determined measurement and the determined orientation.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein broadcasting the balloon signal comprises broadcasting the balloon signal on a single channel frequency.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein one balloon of the at least three balloons is a second balloon, and the PDM of the second balloon is a second PDM, the second PDM being configured for determining a position of the second balloon, wherein determining a position of the second balloon comprises:

determining a relative position of the second balloon with respect to the first balloon; and

determining a position of the second balloon based on the position of the first balloon and the determined relative position of the second balloon.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein determining the relative position of the second balloon with respect to the first balloon comprises:

determining the relative position of the second balloon with respect to the first balloon using an optical communication link between the first and second balloons.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein one balloon of the at least three balloons is a third balloon, and the PDM of the third balloon is a third PDM, the third PDM being configured for determining a position of the third balloon, wherein determining a position of the third balloon comprises:

receiving at least three satellite signals, each satellite signal from a respective one of at least three satellites, wherein each satellite signal includes satellite-positioning data, and

determining a position of the third balloon based on the satellite-positioning data of the at least three satellite signals.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein broadcasting the balloon signal comprises broadcasting the balloon signal on a single channel frequency.

8. A system comprising:

at least three balloons, wherein each balloon comprises a position-determining module (PDM) and a position-broadcasting module (PBM);

wherein each PDM comprises a GPS receiver, each PDM being configured for (i) receiving at least three satellite signals, each satellite signal from a respective one of at least three satellites, wherein each satellite signal includes satellite-positioning data of the respective satellite, and (ii) determining a position of the respective balloon based on the satellite-positioning data of the at least three satellites,

wherein each PBM is configured for broadcasting a balloon signal containing balloon-positioning data of the respective balloon, the balloon-positioning data comprising (i) the determined position of the respective balloon and (2) a corresponding time of broadcast.

9. The system of claim 8, where receiving at least three satellite signals comprises, receiving each of the at least three satellite signals on at least two channel frequencies.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein broadcasting the balloon signal comprises broadcasting the balloon signal on a single channel frequency A, wherein the at least two channel frequencies are channel frequencies B and C, and wherein the channel frequency A is different from both channel frequencies B and C.

11. A system comprising:

at least three balloons, wherein each balloon comprises a position-determining module (PDM) and a position-broadcasting module (PBM);

wherein each PDM is configured for determining a position of the respective balloon;

wherein each PBM is configured for broadcasting a balloon signal containing balloon-positioning data of the respective balloon, the balloon-positioning data comprising (i) the determined position of the respective balloon and (2) a corresponding time of broadcast.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein broadcasting the balloon signal comprises broadcasting the balloon signal on a single channel frequency.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein each PDM comprises a GPS receiver, and wherein determining the position of the respective balloon comprises:

(i) the respective GPS receiver receiving at least three satellite signals, each satellite signal from a respective one of at least three satellites, wherein each satellite signal includes satellite-positioning data, and (ii) determining the position of the respective balloon based on the satellite-positioning data.

14. The system of claim 13, where receiving at least three satellite signals comprises, receiving each of the at least three satellite signals on at least two channel frequencies.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein broadcasting the balloon signal comprises broadcasting the balloon signal on a single channel frequency A, wherein the at least two channel frequencies are channel frequencies B and C, and wherein the channel frequency A is different from both channel frequencies B and C.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein one balloon of the at least three balloons is a first balloon, and the PDM of the first balloon is a first PDM, the first PDM being configured for determining a position of the first balloon based on a ground-station and a celestial object.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the determining the position of the first balloon based on the ground-based station and the celestial object comprises:

identifying the ground-based station;

determining a measurement between the first balloon and the identified ground-based station;

identifying the celestial object; and

determining an orientation of the first balloon based on the identified celestial object,

wherein the determining the position of the first balloon based on the ground-based station and the celestial object comprises determining a position of the first balloon based on the determined measurement and the determined orientation.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein one balloon of the at least three balloons is a second balloon, and the PDM of the second balloon is a second PDM, the second PDM being configured for determining a position of the second balloon, wherein determining a position of the second balloon comprises:

determining a relative position of the second balloon with respect to the first balloon; and

determining a position of the second balloon based on the position of the first balloon and the determined relative position of the second balloon.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein determining the relative position of the second balloon with respect to the first balloon comprises:

determining the relative position of the second balloon with respect to the first balloon using an optical communication link between the first and second balloons.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein one balloon of the at least three balloons is a first balloon, and the PDM of the first balloon is a first PDM, the first PDM being configured for determining a position of the first balloon based on at least three ground-based stations.

21. A method comprising:

determining a first position of a first balloon in a balloon network;

determining a second position of a second balloon in the balloon network;

determining a third position of a third balloon in the balloon network;

broadcasting a first balloon signal, the first balloon signal including the determined first position and a corresponding time of broadcast;

broadcasting a second balloon signal, the second balloon signal including the determined second position and a corresponding time of broadcast; and

broadcasting a third balloon signal, the third balloon signal including the determined third position and a corresponding time of broadcast.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the determining the first position of the first balloon comprises determining the first position of the first balloon based on at least three satellite signals, each satellite signal from a respective one of at least three satellites.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the determining the first position of the first balloon comprises determining the first position of the first balloon based on ground-station and a celestial object.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a relative position of the second balloon with respect to the first balloon;

wherein the determining the second position of the second balloon comprises determining the second position of the second balloon based on the determined position of the first balloon and the determined relative position of the second balloon.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein broadcasting the first balloon signal comprises broadcasting the first balloon signal on a single channel frequency, broadcasting the second balloon signal comprises broadcasting the second balloon signal on a single channel frequency, and broadcasting the third balloon signal comprises broadcasting the third balloon signal on a single channel frequency.