Methods and systems for wind detection
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorRoger David Bernhardt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for detecting wind patterns in association with a cargo package airdrop. The method includes dispersing media into the atmosphere, tracking the dispersed media, wherein tracking includes at least one of using Sodar, Lidar, Radar, and optical imaging, determining a wind pattern proximate an airdrop landing using the tracked media, and determining an airdrop location position using the determined wind pattern.
Claims18
A method for detecting atmospheric wind patterns in association with a cargo package airdrop location, the method comprising:
- dispersing media into the atmosphere by at least one of projecting the media using a projectile launching apparatus and releasing the media from an aircraft;
- tracking the dispersed media, wherein tracking includes at least one of using Sodar, Lidar, Radar, and optical imaging;
- determining a wind pattern proximate an airdrop landing using the tracked media;
- and
- determining an airdrop location position based on a configuration of a cargo package to be dropped at the airdrop location and the determined wind pattern.
A wind pattern detection system for detecting wind patterns in association with a cargo package airdrop location, the system comprising:
- an emitter configured to disperse media into the atmosphere by at least one of projecting the media from the ground and releasing the media from an aircraft;
- a first monitoring device configured to track the dispersed media;
- and
- a data processing system communicatively coupled to the monitoring device, the data processing system configured to:
- determine a wind pattern proximate an airdrop landing using the tracked media;
- and
- determine a drop location based on a configuration of a cargo package to be dropped at the drop location and the determined wind pattern.
One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
- disperse media into the atmosphere using an emitter that at least one of projects the media using a projectile launching apparatus and releases the media from an aircraft;
- track the dispersed media using a first monitoring device;
- determine a wind pattern proximate a predetermined airdrop landing using the tracked media;
- and
- determine a drop location based on a configuration of a cargo package to be dropped at the drop location and the determined wind pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.