Meteorological sensing systems and methods

• US 9,784,887 B1
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellisense Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
• Inventors: Ulmer, Christopher, Starodubov, Dmitry, Peng, Gregory, Tikhoplav, Rodion, Miller, David, Kostrzewski, Andrew, Minakata, Koyiro, Kaplan, Gabriel, Jannson, Tomasz, Patton, Edward, Ro, Sookwang, Berezhnyy, Ihor
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Brian
• Application Number:
  US14/457,511
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 102382, 102385, 102400, 102401, 102404, 102411, 244 324- 327, 2441731-1733, 702 2, 702 3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/08 the articles being load-carrying devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/95 for meteorological use
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/02 Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed G01W1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/08 Adaptations of balloons, missiles, or aircraft for meteorological purposes; Radiosondes transmission of measurements G01D; transmitting circuits H04B; balloons in general B64B; aeroplanes in general B64D; missiles in general F42B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/005 for forest fires, e.g. detecting fires spread over a large or outdoors area fire fighting forest fires A62C3/02
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• 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

A portable weather station, including an lower body portion; an upper body portion disposed on the lower body portion in a spaced apart relationship thereby forming an open channel between the upper body portion and the lower body portion; and a plurality of weather condition sensors wherein a first set of one or more of the plurality of weather condition sensors is mounted on the upper body portion of the portable weather station and a second set of one or more of the plurality of weather condition sensors is mounted on the lower body portion of the portable weather station.

Claims

1. An apparatus for air-drop deployment of a payload comprising instrumentation or equipment, the apparatus comprising:

an elongate body member having a first end and a second end;

a mounting ring disposed on and at least partially surrounding a portion of the body member at the first end;

a fin assembly comprising a plurality of fins attached to the mounting ring;

a weighted tip at the second end of the body member; and

a connector at the first end configured to engage the payload;

wherein the mounting ring comprises a release mechanism and is slidably mounted to the body member, and wherein the release mechanism is configured to maintain the mounting ring at the first end during flight and to release the mounting ring upon impact of the apparatus with a deployment surface, allowing the mounting ring to move from the first end toward the second end upon impact.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a ratcheting mechanism connecting the fin assembly to the mounting ring, wherein the ratcheting mechanism allows the fin assembly to pivot from an in-flight position to a deployment position.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body member comprises

a plurality of coaxially arranged sections slidably disposed in an end-to-end arrangement,

a locking mechanism configured to retain the plurality of coaxially arranged sections in a retracted position;

and

and a spring mechanism applying pressure against the coaxially arranged sections.

4. An apparatus for air-drop deployment of a payload comprising instrumentation or equipment, the apparatus comprising:

an elongate body member having a first end and a second end;

a mounting ring disposed on and at least partially surrounding a portion of the body member at the first end;

a fin assembly comprising a plurality of fins attached to the mounting ring;

a weighted tip at the second end of the body member; and

a connector at the first end configured to engage the payload;

wherein the body member comprises;

a plurality of coaxially arranged sections slidably disposed in an end-to-end arrangement,

a locking mechanism configured to retain the plurality of coaxially arranged sections in a retracted position; and

and a spring mechanism applying pressure against the coaxially arranged sections.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the mounting ring comprises a release mechanism and is slidably mounted to the body member, and wherein the release mechanism is configured to maintain the mounting ring at the first end during flight and to release the mounting ring upon impact of the apparatus with a deployment surface, allowing the mounting ring to move from the first end toward the second end upon impact.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a ratcheting mechanism connecting the fin assembly to the mounting ring, wherein the ratcheting mechanism allows the fin assembly to pivot from an in-flight position to a deployment position.