Method and device for determining communication timing

• US 9,148,215 B1
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SOFTBANK Corporation (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bonawitz, Keith Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler
• Application Number:
  US14/097,621
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 701/445, 455/431
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

This disclosure relates to the use of a method for determining communication timing of an aerial vehicle, such as a balloon. The method includes determining a trajectory of an aerial vehicle. Additionally, the method includes, based on the trajectory, determining a transmission trigger for a location-report message such that a location-report message transmission that is responsive to the transmission trigger has at least a predefined probability of occurring before the aerial vehicle contacts the ground. Further, the method also includes, responsive to the transmission trigger, transmitting the location-report message, where the location-report message comprises location data from the aerial vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a trajectory of an aerial vehicle;

based on the trajectory, determining a transmission trigger for a location-report message such that a location-report message transmission that is responsive to the transmission trigger has at least a predefined probability of occurring before the aerial vehicle contacts the ground; and

responsive to the transmission trigger, transmitting the location-report message, wherein the location-report message comprises location data from the aerial vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the trajectory comprises determining at least one of an altitude, a descent speed, a drag coefficient of the aerial vehicle, an air temperature, an air pressure, and a descent mode of the aerial vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission trigger comprises a transmission time that corresponds to a time at which the aerial vehicle attempts to transmit the location-report message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting the location-report message comprises determining that the transmission time elapsed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission trigger comprises a transmission altitude that corresponds to an altitude at which the aerial vehicle attempts to transmit the location-report message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein transmitting the location-report message comprises determining that the aerial vehicle is at the transmission altitude.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the location report indicates at least one of GPS coordinates and barometric altitude data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined probability is a probability between about 85% and 100%.

9. An aerial vehicle comprising:

a sensor; and

a control system configured to;

determine a trajectory of the aerial vehicle;

based on the trajectory, determine a transmission trigger for a location-report message such that a location-report message transmission that is responsive to the transmission trigger has at least a predefined probability of occurring before the aerial vehicle contacts the ground; and

responsive to the transmission trigger, transmit the location-report message, wherein the location-report message comprises location data from the aerial vehicle.

10. The aerial vehicle of claim 9, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a GPS location, and wherein the location data indicates GPS coordinates.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 9, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a barometric altitude, and wherein the location data indicates barometric altitude data.

12. A method comprising:

determining a trajectory of an aerial vehicle;

based on the trajectory, determining a final transmission trigger for a final location-report message such that a location-report message transmission that is responsive to the final transmission trigger has at least a predefined probability of occurring before the aerial vehicle contacts the ground;

based on the final transmission trigger, determining a transmission schedule for location-report messages, wherein each location-report message comprises location data from the aerial vehicle;

transmitting the location-report messages according to the transmission schedule; and

responsive to the final transmission trigger, transmitting the final location-report message.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the transmission schedule comprises one or more transmission triggers.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the location-report messages according to the transmission schedule comprises determining that the one or more transmission triggers occurred.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the final transmission trigger comprises a final transmission time that corresponds to a time at which the aerial vehicle attempts to transmit the final location-report message.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein transmitting the final location-report message comprises determining that the final transmission time elapsed.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the final transmission trigger comprises a final transmission altitude that corresponds to an altitude at which the aerial vehicle attempts to transmit the final location-report message.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the transmission schedule comprises determining a cutoff altitude that corresponds to an altitude at which the aerial vehicle ceases to attempt to transmit the location-report messages, and wherein the cutoff altitude is higher than the final transmission altitude.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein transmitting the final location-report message comprises determining that the aerial vehicle is at the transmission altitude.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the location data indicates at least one of GPS coordinates and barometric altitude data.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the predefined probability is a probability between about 85% and 100%.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the transmission schedule is a second transmission schedule, the method further comprising:

before transmitting the final location-report message, transitioning from a first transmission schedule to the second transmission schedule.

23. An aerial vehicle comprising:

a sensor; and

a control system configured to;

based on the trajectory, determine a final transmission trigger for a final location-report message such that a location-report message transmission that is responsive to the final transmission trigger has at least a predefined probability of occurring before the aerial vehicle contacts the ground;

based on the final transmission trigger, determine a transmission schedule for location-report messages, wherein each location-report message comprises location data from the aerial vehicle;

transmit the location-report messages according to the transmission schedule; and

responsive to the final transmission trigger, transmit the final location-report message.

24. The aerial vehicle of claim 23, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a GPS location, and wherein the location data indicates GPS coordinates.

25. The aerial vehicle of claim 23, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a barometric altitude, and wherein the location data indicates barometric altitude data.