公开(公告)号：US20180334236A1

公开(公告)日：2018-11-22

申请号：US15986078

申请日：2018-05-22

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： Eric Teller ,  Richard Wayne Devaul ,  Joshua Weaver ,  Clifford L. Biffle ,  Bradley Rhodes ,  Anton Valdemar Staaf

IPC: B64B1/40 ,  G05D1/10 ,  B64B1/62 ,  H04B10/112 ,  B64D1/02 ,  H04W84/02

CPC classification number: B64B1/40 ,  B64B1/62 ,  B64D1/02 ,  G05D1/105 ,  H04B10/1129 ,  H04W84/02

Abstract: A balloon includes a cut-down device, a payload, and an envelope. A control system could be configured to determine a position of the balloon with respect to a predetermined zone. The cut-down device could be operable to cause at least the payload to land in response to determining that the position of the balloon is within the predetermined zone. The predetermined zone includes an exclusion zone and a shadow zone. The shadow zone could include locations from which the balloon would be likely to drift into the exclusion zone based on, e.g., historic weather patterns or expected environmental conditions. Boundaries of the shadow zone could be determined based on, for example, a probability of the balloon entering the exclusion zone.

公开(公告)号：US09829561B2

公开(公告)日：2017-11-28

申请号：US14018153

申请日：2013-09-04

Applicant: X Development LLC

Inventor： Keith Bonawitz ,  Richard Wayne Devaul ,  Eric Teller ,  Joshua Weaver

IPC: G01S5/10 ,  G01S5/02 ,  G01S1/02 ,  G01S5/16

CPC classification number: G01S5/0289 ,  G01S1/022 ,  G01S5/16

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of a balloon-based positioning system and method. In one example embodiment, a system includes a group of at least three balloons deployed in the stratosphere and a control system configured for: determining a first set of spatial relationships relating to the group; determining a second set of spatial relationships relating to at least a portion of the group and to a reference point; determining a position of the reference point relative to the earth; using the determined first set, the determined second set, and the determined position of the reference point relative to the earth as a basis for determining a position of a target balloon in the group relative to the earth; and transmitting the determined position of the target balloon relative to the earth.