# US 9,519,045 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 9,519,045 B2 - Document ID: US9519045B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/473,691 - Filed: 2014-08-29 - Published: 2015-10-29 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 1999-06-29 - Assignees: Space Data Corporation - Applicants: Space Data Corporation - Inventors: Gerald M. Knoblach; Eric A. Frische; Bruce Alan Barkley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519045B2 ## CPC - C01B 3/065: by reaction of inorganic compounds with hydrides - G01S 5/06: Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements (G01S5/12 takes precedence) - B64B 1/40: Balloons (B64B1/58 takes precedence; toy balloons A63H27/10) - B64B 1/44: adapted to maintain predetermined altitude - B64B 1/62: Controlling gas pressure, heating, cooling, or discharging gas - B64B 1/64: Gas valve operating mechanisms - B64B 1/70: Ballasting arrangements - B64C 19/00: Aircraft control not otherwise provided for - G01S 5/12: by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial - G01S 19/42: Determining position - G01W 1/08: Adaptations of balloons, missiles, or aircraft for meteorological purposes; Radiosondes (transmission of measurements G01D; transmitting circuits H04B; {balloons in general B64B; aeroplanes in general B64D; missiles in general F42B15/00}) - 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)} - 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} - Y02E 60/36: Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis - Y02P 20/133: Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - 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 - B64B: LIGHTER-THAN AIR AIRCRAFT - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - G01W: METEOROLOGY (radar, sonar, lidar or analogous systems, designed for meteorological use G01S13/95, G01S15/88, G01S17/95) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract Innovative new methods in connection with lighter-than-air (LTA) free floating platforms, of facilitating legal transmitter operation, platform flight termination when appropriate, environmentally acceptable landing, and recovery of these devices are provided. The new systems and methods relate to rise rate control, geo-location from a LTA platform including landed payload and ground-based vehicle locations, and steerable recovery systems. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method to determine a location of a device transmitting wireless signals to a plurality of lighter-than-air (LTA) platforms, the method comprising: taking, at a processor configured to determine the location, signal path delay measurements from the plurality of LTA platforms, wherein the signal path delay measurements are determined at the plurality of LTA platforms based on wireless signals received at the plurality of LTA platforms from the device; determining, at the processor, the location of the device transmitting wireless signals based on the signal path delay measurements; and communicating, by the processor, the location of the device transmitting wireless signals to an LTA platform. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of the LTA platforms float at an altitude of about 60,000-140,000 feet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of the LTA platforms have a speed relative to the surface of the earth of less than 100 miles per hour. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the signal path delay measurements are performed by measuring a difference between a time of arrival of a wireless signal of the device transmitting wireless signals and a standard time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the location of the device transmitting wireless signals is based on the signal path delay measurements from at least three independent LTA platforms. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the device transmitting wireless signals is located (a) on an LTA platform that has landed on the earth, or (b) on a ground-based vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the device transmitting wireless signals includes a radiosonde. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the device transmitting wireless signals includes a landed payload. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the device transmitting wireless signals includes a payload that has landed on the earth. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the determining that the device transmitting wireless signals has landed on the earth comprises checking for no shifting of the location of the device transmitting wireless signals. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the location of the device transmitting wireless signals based on the signal path delay measurements comprises: determining distances from the device to the plurality of LTA platforms; tracing out approximate circles on the earth based on the distances; and determining a point of intersection of the circles, wherein the point of intersection is substantially the location of the device transmitting wireless signals. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the taking signal path delay measurements is taking only two signal path delay measurements. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the taking signal path delay measurements is performed using sectored or directional antennas. ### Claim 14 A method to determine a location of a device transmitting wireless signals to one or more (LTA) platforms, the method comprising: taking, at a processor configured to determine the location, signal path delay measurements from an LTA platform, wherein each of the signal path delay measurements is determined at the LTA platform based on a wireless signal received at the LTA platform from the device at a different interval of time; determining, at the processor, the location of the device transmitting wireless signals based on the signal path delay measurements; and communicating, by the processor, the location of the device transmitting wireless signals to the LTA platform. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the signal path delay measurements at different intervals of time from only one LTA platform. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the device transmitting wireless signals includes a radiosonde. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the device transmitting wireless signals includes a landed payload. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the device transmitting wireless signals includes a payload that has landed on the earth. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the determining that the device transmitting wireless signals has landed on the earth comprises checking for no shifting of the location of the device transmitting wireless signals. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the signal path delay measurements are performed by measuring a difference between a time of arrival of a wireless signal of the device transmitting wireless signals and a standard time. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the device transmitting wireless signals is located (a) on an LTA platform that has landed on the earth, or (b) on a ground-based vehicle. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the determining the location of the device transmitting wireless signals based on the signal path delay measurements comprises: determining a first distance from the device to the LTA platform at a first time instance; tracing out a first approximate circle on the earth based on the first distance; determining a second distance from the device to the LTA platform at a second time instance; tracing out a second approximate circle on the earth based on the second distance; and determining a point of intersection of the first and second approximate circles, wherein the point of intersection is substantially the location of the device transmitting wireless signals. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the taking signal path delay measurements is performed using sectored or directional antennas. ### Claim 24 An apparatus to determine a location of a device transmitting wireless signals to a plurality of lighter-than-air (LTA) platforms, the apparatus comprising: a communication transceiver to receive signal path delay measurements from the plurality of LTA platforms, wherein the signal path delay measurements are determined based on wireless signals received at the plurality of LTA platforms from the device; and a processor to determine the location of the device transmitting wireless signals based on the signal path delay measurements, wherein the communication transceiver is to communicate the location of the device transmitting wireless signals to an LTA platform. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, wherein one or more of the plurality of the LTA platforms float at an altitude of about 60,000-140,000 feet. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the signal path delay measurements are performed by measuring a difference between a time of arrival of a wireless signal of the device transmitting wireless signals and a standard time. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the device transmitting wireless signals is located (a) on an LTA platform that has landed on the earth, or (b) on a ground-based vehicle. ### Claim 28 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the device transmitting wireless signals includes a radiosonde. ### Claim 29 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the device transmitting wireless signals includes a landed payload. ### Claim 30 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, wherein, to determine the location of the device transmitting wireless signals based on the signal path delay measurements, the processor is configured to: determine distances from the device to the plurality of LTA platforms; trace out approximate circles on the earth based on the distances; and determine a point of intersection of the circles, wherein the point of intersection is substantially the location of the device transmitting wireless signals.