Balloon-Based Positioning System and Method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016154085-A1
Application number	US-201615019772-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 9, 2016
Priority date	Sep 27, 2012
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

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.

First claim

1 . A system comprising:
at least three balloons, each balloon comprising a position-determining module (PDM) and a position-broadcasting module (PBM), each PDM being configured for determining a position of the respective balloon, each PBM being configured for transmitting to a receiver, a balloon signal containing balloon-positioning data of the respective balloon to facilitate the receiver determining a position of the receiver, the balloon-positioning data comprising (i) the determined position of the respective balloon and (ii) a corresponding time of broadcast of the balloon signal.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the balloon signal to the receiver comprises transmitting the balloon signal to the receiver on a single channel frequency.

3 . The system of claim 1 , 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.

4 . The system of claim 3 , where receiving at least three satellite signals comprises receiving each of the at least three satellite signals on at least two channel frequencies.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein transmitting the balloon signal to the receiver comprises transmitting the balloon signal to the receiver 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.

6 . The system of claim 1 , 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-based station and a celestial object.

7 . The system of claim 6 , 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.

8 . The system of claim 6 , 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.

9 . The system of claim 8 , 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.

10 . The system of claim 1 , 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.

11 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising the receiver, wherein the receiver is configured for (i) receiving each of the transmitted balloon signals; and (ii) using the received balloon signals to determine the position of the receiver.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the receiver comprises a ground-based receiver.

13 . A method comprising:
determining, based on at least three satellite signals, a first position of a first balloon in a balloon network, wherein each of the at least three satellite signals is received from a respective one of at least three satellites; determining a second position of a second balloon in the balloon network; determining a third position of a third balloon in the balloon network; transmitting a first balloon signal to a receiver to facilitate the receiver determining a position of the receiver, the first balloon signal including the determined first position and a corresponding time of broadcast of the first balloon signal; transmitting a second balloon signal to the receiver to facilitate the receiver determining a position of the receiver, the second balloon signal including the determined second position and a corresponding time of broadcast of the second balloon signal; and transmitting a third balloon signal to the receiver to facilitate the receiver determining a position of the receiver, the third balloon signal including the determined third position and a corresponding time of broadcast of the third balloon signal.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein transmitting the balloon signal to the receiver comprises transmitting the balloon signal to the receiver on a single channel frequency.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving each of the transmitted balloon signals; and using the received balloon signals to determine the position of the receiver.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the receiver comprises a ground-based receiver.

17 . A method comprising:
determining, based on a ground-station and a celestial object, 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; transmitting a first balloon signal to a receiver to facilitate the receiver determining a position of the receiver, the first balloon signal including the determined first position and a corresponding time of broadcast of the first balloon signal; transmitting a second balloon signal to a receiver to facilitate the receiver determining a position of the receiver, the second balloon signal including the determined second position and a corresponding time of broadcast of the second balloon signal; and transmitting a third balloon signal to a receiver to facilitate the receiver determining a position of the receiver, the third balloon signal including the determined third position and a corresponding time of broadcast of the third balloon signal.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein transmitting the balloon signal to the receiver comprises transmitting the balloon signal to the receiver on a single channel frequency.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving each of the transmitted balloon signals; and using the received balloon signals to determine the position of the receiver.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the receiver comprises a ground-based receiver.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Devaul Richard Wayne
• Kadous Waleed
• Teller Eric
• Biffle Cliff
• Keyes Edward Allen

Classifications

• G01S5/0284

  Relative positioning · CPC title

• G01S19/24

  Acquisition or tracking {or demodulation} of signals transmitted by the system {(synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073)} · CPC title

• G01S5/04 Primary

  Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders · CPC title

• G01S19/03

  Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers · CPC title

• G01S1/042 Primary

  Transmitters · CPC title