# US 10,710,695 B2 · Systems and applications of lighter-than-air (LTA) platforms > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,710,695 B2 - Document ID: US10710695B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/912,599 - Filed: 2018-03-06 - Published: 2018-07-12 - Granted: 2020-07-14 - Earliest claimed: 2001-04-18 - Assignees: Space Data Corporation - Applicants: Space Data Corporation - Inventors: Gerald M. Knoblach; Eric A. Frische; Bruce Alan Barkley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10710695B2 ## CPC - B64B 1/40: Balloons (B64B1/58 takes precedence; toy balloons A63H27/10) - B64B 1/44: adapted to maintain predetermined altitude - B64B 1/64: Gas valve operating mechanisms - B64B 1/70: Ballasting arrangements - G01S 5/06: Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements (G01S5/12 takes precedence) - G01S 5/12: by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial - G01S 19/24: Acquisition or tracking {or demodulation} of signals transmitted by the system {(synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073)} - G01S 19/42: Determining position - G05D 1/042: {specially adapted for aircraft} - H04B 7/18502: {Airborne stations} - H04B 7/18504: {Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform} - H04B 7/18576: {Satellite systems for providing narrowband data service to fixed or mobile stations, e.g. using a minisatellite, a microsatellite (for selecting H04W)} - H04Q 9/02: Automatically-operated arrangements - H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds} - H04W 4/027: {using movement velocity, acceleration information} - G01S 19/39: the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO - B64B: LIGHTER-THAN AIR AIRCRAFT - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Innovative new systems and method of operating the systems, wherein the system comprises an airborne platform comprising an unmanned balloon comprising a gas enclosure; a geographic locator or tracking system configured to determine geographical coordinates of the unmanned balloon; a payload comprising a transceiver, wherein the transceiver is capable of communicating with communication devices that are separate from the unmanned balloon; first and second flight-termination devices each configured to cause termination of a flight of the unmanned balloon; and at least two power sources each configured to provide power to at least one of the first and second flight-termination devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: an airborne platform comprising a balloon comprising a gas enclosure, wherein the balloon is an unmanned balloon; a GPS unit configured to determine geographic coordinates and velocities of the airborne platform; a pressure sensor configured to determine an altitude of the airborne platform; a processor, wherein the processor comprises an algorithm to determine whether to release a ballast based on a set of termination criteria; a ballast release mechanism configured to release the ballast; and a neck release mechanism configured to release a payload, wherein the system comprises a first flight termination device and a second flight termination device, wherein each of the first flight termination device and the second flight termination device is configured to cause termination of a flight of the airborne platform and has at least two power sources each configured to provide power to at least one of the first flight termination device and the second flight termination device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the set of termination criteria are: platform outside geographic boundaries; platform outside recovery boundaries; altitude outside of legal range; lateral velocity such that Doppler is greater than acceptable limits; falling velocity above limits indicating the balloon burst; climbing velocity below limits indicating under filled or leaking or loitering balloon; command and control link with a ground station is lost for greater than allowable time; processor failure; and a power loss. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processor checks the set of termination criteria by comparing current position, velocity, and operating conditions to stored, programmed or calculated criteria. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1, 3) The system of claim 1, wherein the algorithm checks for all of the criteria listed as the set of termination criteria in claim 3 and if any one criterion is satisfied causes the ballast to be preferably released first followed by the payload release through the neck release mechanism. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the release mechanism is configured to release one or more components from the payload and a released component descends under gravity or on a recovery system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the recovery system for recovering the airborne platform is a parachute. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the recovery system for recovering the airborne platform is a maple-leaf recovery system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the recovery system for recovering the airborne platform houses an antenna configured to send a last recorded position of the airborne platform to another airborne platform. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the ballast release mechanism comprising: two chambers to hold two different reactants; a metering pump; a reaction chamber; an electrically actuated valve; and a venting tube incorporated with a one-way valve. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein size of the two chambers that are configured hold the reactants is determined based on a molar ratio of a reaction between the two different reactants. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the metering pump is a dual peristalsis pump. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the two different reactants react to produce hydrogen in the reaction chamber. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the electrically actuated valve is actuated to release the by-products produced in the reaction chamber as the ballast. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the one-way valve of the venting tube is configured to vent the hydrogen to the balloon of the airborne platform. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the neck release mechanism comprising: two concentric tubes forming a neck connection wherein a top tube is attached to the airborne platform with a strap or a rubber band and fits within a bottom tube attached to the payload; a restraining mechanism for the top tube to prevent from sliding out of the bottom tube by a monofilament line; a flexible seal to prevent gas from leaking at a junction formed from the top tube and the bottom tube. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, where in each end of the monofilament line is threaded through a small hole in flange and tied off and is threaded around two knobs and also through and in contact with an electrically resistive coil. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, where in the monofilament line is configured to melt when the electrically resistive coil is heated up and thus releasing the bottom tube attached to the payload from the top tube attached to the airborne platform or a balloon. ### Claim 18 A device comprising: two chambers to hold two different reactants; a metering pump; a reaction chamber; an electrically actuated valve; and a venting tube incorporated with a one-way valve, wherein the device is configured to release a ballast. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The device of claim 18, wherein size of the two chambers that are configured to hold reactants is determined based on a molar ratio of a reaction between the two different reactants. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The device of claim 18, wherein the metering pump is a dual peristalsis pump. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The device of claim 18, wherein the two different reactants react to produce hydrogen in the reaction chamber. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The device of claim 18, wherein the one-way valve of the venting tube is configured to vent the hydrogen to the balloon of the airborne platform. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The device of claim 18, wherein the electrically actuated valve is actuated to release the by-products produced in the reaction chamber as the ballast. ### Claim 24 A device comprising: two concentric tubes forming a neck connection wherein a top tube is attached to an airborne platform with a strap or a rubber band and fits within a bottom tube attached to a payload; a restraining mechanism for top tube to prevent from sliding out of the bottom tube by a monofilament line; a flexible seal to prevent gas from leaking at a junction formed from the top tube and the bottom tube, wherein the device is configured to release the payload from a balloon neck. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The device of claim 24, where in each end of the monofilament line is threaded through a small hole in flange and tied off and is threaded around two knobs and also through and in contact with an electrically resistive coil. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The device of claim 25, where in the monofilament line is configured to melt when the electrically resistive coil is heated up and thus releasing the bottom tube attached to the payload from the top tube attached to the airborne platform or the balloon. ### Claim 27 A system comprising an airborne platform comprising an unmanned balloon comprising a gas enclosure; a geographic locator or tracking system configured to determine geographical coordinates of the unmanned balloon; a payload comprising a transceiver, wherein the transceiver is capable of communicating with communication devices that are separate from the unmanned balloon; first and second flight-termination devices each configured to cause termination of a flight of the unmanned balloon; at least two power sources each configured to provide power to at least one of the first and second flight-termination devices; a payload release mechanism; and a recovery mechanism.