System and method for high-resolution radio occultation measurement through the atmosphere

• US 9,971,062 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spire Global Subsidiary, Inc. (Spire Global, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Spire Global, Inc.
• Inventors: Platzer, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, An
• Application Number:
  US13/961,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20150192696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 702 2, 702 3, 342 26 A
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/955 mounted on satellite
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system

Abstract

A constellation of individual satellites are employed to concurrently collect occultation data from multiple GPSS originating signals that pass through atmospheric sections of interest. By coordinating the collection and processing of the data using state of the art receivers on a constellation of low earth orbit satellites and networked processing, highly accurate calculation of atmospheric conditions and related future weather events are possible.

Claims

1. A system for determining atmospheric conditions, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive data indicative of a radio occultation measurement from at least one of a constellation of small low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, where the at least one small LEO satellite obtains the radio occultation measurement based on a radio wave signal from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and the radio occultation measurement includes determination of a degree of refraction of the radio wave signal through an atmospheric region of interest from the GNSS to the at least one small LEO satellite; and

a processor in communication with the receiver, the processor configured to analyze the radio occultation measurement obtained by the least one small LEO satellite and ascertain an atmospheric condition of the atmospheric region of interest based on the radio occultation measurement.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the constellation includes at least 50 satellites in low earth orbit.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the constellation communicates with a network of ground stations.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the ground stations communicate with said computer linked database to provide recently collected occultation data.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display system to deliver details regarding atmospheric conditions to one or more users by network communications.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the display system further comprises graphical representation of atmospheric trends or conditions.

7. The system for claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to receive data indicative of a radio occultation measurement from a small out-of-range LEO satellite which sends the data to at least one of the constellation of small LEO satellites for transmission to the receiver.

8. The system for claim 1, wherein the processor compiles the atmospheric condition into a data map.

9. The system for claim 1, wherein the at least one small LEO satellite sends a data package to a ground station, wherein the data package includes geolocation data, satellite identification and satellite status of the at least one small LEO satellite, and time and date of the radio occultation measurement.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one small LEO satellite collects image data for the atmospheric region of interest, and the processor processes the data indicative of the radio occultation measurement with the image data to ascertain the atmospheric condition of the atmospheric region of interest.

11. A method for assessing atmospheric conditions comprising:

receiving by a receiver, data indicative of radio occultation measurements from a constellation of small low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, where the constellation of small LEO satellites obtain the radio occultation measurements based on radio wave signals from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and the radio occultation measurements include determination of degrees of refraction of the radio wave signals through the earth '"'"'s atmosphere from the GNSS to a the constellation of small LEO satellites;

receiving, by the receiver, image data captured by the constellation of satellites regarding a region of atmosphere of interest;

storing in computer memory the data indicative of radio occultation measurements and the image data; and

processing , by a processor, the data indicative of radio occultation measurements and the image data to ascertain atmospheric properties about the region.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said constellation of satellites include at least 50 satellites placed in low earth orbit.

13. The method of claim 11, where said data indicative of radio occultation measurements is received through multiple paths through a common region of atmosphere.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said data indicative of radio occultation measurements is collection using a plurality of low priced, short life expectancy satellites equipped with receivers for multiple GNSS signals.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the collection satellites form a constellation linked to internet communications by plural ground stations.

16. A database and associated processor platform in communication with a plurality of small low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, said platform comprises:

a receiver configured to receive data indicative of radio occultation measurements from the small LEO satellites, where the small LEO satellites obtain the radio occultation measurements based on radio wave signals from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and the radio occultation measurements include determination of degrees of refraction of the radio wave signals through the earth'"'"'s atmosphere form the GNSS to the small LEO satellites;

a database storing said data indicative of radio occultation measurement with time, GNSS and location information regarding each radio wave signal;

a processor in communication with the receiver, the processor configured to analyze the radio occultation measurements obtained by the small LEO satellites and ascertain an atmospheric condition based on the radio occultation measurements; and

a system output link to deliver the atmospheric condition to one or more network affiliate platform.

17. The platform of claim 16 further comprising an inter-satellite communication link to pass data without instructions between small LEO satellites during flight.

18. The platform of claim 16 further comprising creating image data generated by satellite based cameras and receiving said image data at said platform for analysis in conjunction with said data indicative of radio occultation measurements.

19. The platform of claim 16 when said image data is generated by USER communication.