Atmospheric pressure sensor
AssigneeUnited Kingdom Research and Innovation
InventorEmal Rumi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There are disclosed methods and apparatus for remotely measuring atmospheric pressure using a satellite (10). Measurements of reflections of a plurality of different frequencies of radio waves received back at the satellite are made, following transmission from the satellite into the atmosphere of radio waves at each of the different frequencies. Atmospheric pressure is then estimated by comparing the measurements of reflections of each of the different frequencies.
Claims21
A method for remotely measuring atmospheric pressure using a satellite, comprising:
- receiving measurements, of reflections received back at the satellite at each of a plurality of different frequencies of radio waves, following transmission from the satellite into the atmosphere of radio waves at each of the different frequencies;
- and
- estimating atmospheric pressure by comparing the measurements of reflections of each of the different frequencies;
- wherein one or more of the plurality of different frequencies lie in a first frequency band, the one or more remaining ones of the plurality of different frequencies lie in a second frequency band which is spaced from said first frequency band, and estimating atmospheric pressure comprises comparing, for each of one or more pairs of said plurality of different frequencies, between measurements of reflections of the frequencies of the pair, where each pair comprises a frequency in both of the frequency bands,
- wherein the first band is further limited to the range of frequencies from 65.8 GHz to 66.0 GHz, and
- wherein the second frequency band is limited to the range of frequencies from 78.0 to 79.0 GHz.
The method of 1 wherein the plurality different frequencies of radio waves comprise at least three different frequencies of radio waves.
The method of 1 wherein all of the plurality of different frequencies are between 60 and 80 GHz, or between 60 and 90 GHz.
One or more non-transitory computer readable media comprising computer program code which, when executed on a computer system, estimates a remotely measured atmospheric pressure, by:
- receiving measurements, of reflections received back at a satellite at each of a plurality of different frequencies of radio waves, following transmission from the satellite into the atmosphere of radio waves at each of the different frequencies;
- and
- estimating the remotely measured atmospheric pressure by comparing the measurements of reflections of each of the different frequencies
- wherein one or more of the plurality of different frequencies lie in a first frequency band, the one or more remaining ones of the plurality of different frequencies lie in a second frequency band which is spaced from said first frequency band, and estimating atmospheric pressure comprises comparing, for each of one or more pairs of said plurality of different frequencies, between measurements of reflections of the frequencies of the pair, where each pair comprises a frequency in both of the frequency bands,
- wherein the first band is further limited to the range of frequencies from 65.8 GHz to 66.0 GHz, and
- wherein the second frequency band is limited to the range of frequencies from 78.0 to 79.0 GHz.
Apparatus arranged to receive measurements, of reflections received back at the satellite at each of a plurality of different frequencies of radio waves, following transmission from the satellite into the atmosphere of radio waves at each of the different frequencies, and to estimate atmospheric pressure by comparing between the measurements of reflections of each of the different frequencies,
- wherein one or more of the plurality of different frequencies lie in a first frequency band, the one or more remaining different frequencies lie in a second frequency band which is spaced from said first frequency band, and estimating atmospheric pressure comprises, for each of one or more pairs of frequencies, comparing between measurements of reflections of the frequencies of the pair, where each pair comprises a frequency in both of the frequency bands,
- wherein the first band is limited to the range of frequencies from 65.8 to 66.0 GHz, and
- wherein the second frequency band is limited to the range of frequencies from 78.0 to 79.0 GHz.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.