Observation system

Abstract

An observation system 1 comprises: a ground device 10 installed on the ground; and a balloon 20 moving to a stratosphere P. The balloon 20 includes a weather sensor N for observing the atmosphere to obtain an observation result, and a control device 30 for communicating with the ground device 10 and controlling the weather sensor. The ground device 10 transmits a control signal for the weather sensor N to the control device 30. The control device 30 controls the weather sensor in accordance with the control signal received from the ground device 10.

Description

Observation System

[0001] The present disclosure relates to observation systems.

[0002] One method for understanding marine weather conditions is to drop meteorological sensors at observation points in order to improve the accuracy of extreme weather forecasts (Non-Patent Document 1). This method involves dropping meteorological sensors from aircraft to observe the vertical distribution of the atmosphere in the range of 0 km to 10 km above sea level with high resolution and precision.

[0003] HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station) is an aircraft equipped with communication equipment that flies in the stratosphere at an altitude of 10-20 km above the ground, providing a communications infrastructure in areas where communications from ground stations cannot reach, such as disaster sites and ocean areas. HAPS aircraft types include balloons (Non-Patent Document 2), stratospheric aircraft, solar planes, and airships.

[0004] Satellite communications can provide communications in areas where terrestrial communications such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) cannot reach. Satellite communications are typified by Iridium and Starlink. Iridium requires a large amount of power for communication, consuming an average of 600 mW, which limits the operating time of sensor nodes (Non-Patent Document 3).

[0005] Ichihara, Daisuke, "Direct Observation of Typhoons by Dropsondes Dropped from an Aircraft - T-PARC II Project -," [online], October 29, 2018, [Retrieved July 3, 2024], Internet <URL: https: / / www.mae.nagoya-u.ac.jp / flight / typhoon2018.pdf> Jeger, Simon L. et al., "Reinforcement Learning for Outdoor Balloon Navigation: A Successful Controller for an Autonomous Balloon," IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, 2023 "Iridium 9603N SBD Transceiver (9603N)," [online], BEAM, [Retrieved July 3, 2024], Internet <URL: https: / / www.beamcommunications.com / satellite / 16-iridium-9603n-sbd-transceiver#specifications>

[0006] However, in Non-Patent Document 1, an aircraft is used to realize measurements at the target point, which is costly.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that enables measurements to be taken at a target location using a weather sensor at low cost.

[0008] An observation system of one aspect of the present disclosure includes a ground device installed on the ground and a balloon moving into the stratosphere, the balloon including a weather sensor that observes the atmosphere and obtains observation results, and a control device that communicates with the ground device and controls the weather sensor, the ground device transmitting a control signal for the weather sensor to the control device, and the control device controlling the weather sensor in accordance with the control signal received from the ground device.

[0009] An observation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a ground device installed on the ground, a balloon moving into the stratosphere, and a weather sensor floating in the atmosphere or on the sea to obtain observation results, the balloon comprising a control device that communicates with the ground device and controls the weather sensor, the ground device transmitting a control signal for the weather sensor to the control device, and the control device controlling the weather sensor in accordance with the control signal received from the ground device.

[0010] An observation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a ground device installed on the ground, a balloon moving into the stratosphere, and a drive device that operates in the atmosphere or on the sea, the balloon comprising a control device that communicates with the ground device and controls the drive device, the ground device transmitting a control signal for the drive device to the control device, and the control device controlling the drive device in accordance with the control signal received from the ground device.

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technology that enables measurements to be taken at a target location using a weather sensor at low cost.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the system configuration of an observation system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the functions of an observation system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the trajectories of a balloon and a dropsonde. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between altitude, air pressure, and wind speed. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the observation results of a weather sensor during ascent and descent. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the system configuration of an observation system according to a modified example. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the functions of an observation system according to a modified example. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a computer used in ground equipment.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0014] (Observation System) An observation system 1 according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The observation system 1 includes a balloon 20 carrying a weather sensor N, and a ground device 10.

[0015] The ground device 10 is installed on the ground E. The ground device 10 transmits and receives control signals to and from the control device 30 of the balloon 20 for controlling the weather sensor N. The ground device 10 also collects the observation results of the weather sensor N.

[0016] The balloon 20 is a floating object that moves from a position on the ground E into the stratosphere P. The balloon 20 is, for example, a rubber balloon. The balloon 20 is sometimes called a light balloon, in contrast to a large balloon that can carry people and the like.

[0017] 2, the balloon 20 carries the control device 30 and the weather sensor N into the stratosphere P. The weather sensor N observes the atmosphere, obtains observation results, and transmits the observation results to the ground device 10.

[0018] The control device 30 communicates with the ground device 10 and controls the weather sensor N. The control device 30 controls the weather sensor N in accordance with control signals received from the ground device 10. The weather sensor N is located in a wide area such as the ocean A or the atmosphere, and can make observations at a desired position in accordance with control from the ground device 10. The control device 30 also transmits the status of the weather sensor N, etc. to the ground device 10 using the control signals.

[0019] The weather sensors N include a drop-type weather sensor ND and a non-drop-type weather sensor NR. The balloon 20 is only required to be equipped with a weather sensor N, and may be equipped with either a drop-type weather sensor ND or a non-drop-type weather sensor NR, or both. The number and type of weather sensors N equipped on the balloon 20 are not important.

[0020] The drop-type weather sensor ND is, for example, a dropsonde that can be dropped from the balloon 20. The drop-type weather sensor ND is dropped (discharged) from the balloon 20 and measures the atmosphere while dropping. The non-drop-type weather sensor NR is mounted on the balloon 20 and measures the atmosphere inside the balloon 20.

[0021] In the present disclosure, the ground device 10 and the control device 30 communicate bidirectionally using LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) technology. The ground device 10 and the control device 30 may also use LoRa communication, which is a type of LPWA technology. The ground device 10 controls the weather sensor N in the balloon 20 via LPWA communication.

[0022] When the balloon 20 reaches the target location, the ground device 10 sends an instruction to start measurement by the weather sensor N or to drop the drop-type weather sensor ND. The observation system 1 can realize measurement by the weather sensor at the target location at low cost.

[0023] (Ground Device) The ground device 10 includes a control unit 11 and a collection unit 12 .

[0024] The control unit 11 communicates bidirectionally via LPWA with the control device 30 mounted on the balloon 20. The control unit 11 transmits control signals for the weather sensor N to the control device 30 mounted on the balloon 20, and receives information from the weather sensor N from the control device 30. The control unit 11 may record the control signals transmitted to the control device 30 and the information received from the control device 30 as log data.

[0025] The control signals sent by the control unit 11 to the balloon 20 include, for example, specification of the duty cycle of the weather sensor N, an instruction to drop the drop-type weather sensor ND, interrogation of the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) of the control device 30, and an inquiry about the status of the weather sensor N. The status of the weather sensor N is status information inquired about by the control device 30, such as a drop status indicating whether the drop-type weather sensor ND has been dropped.

[0026] The control signals received by the control unit 11 from the balloon 20 include the completion of the duty cycle specification, the completion of the drop of the drop-type weather sensor ND, the RSSI of the control device 30, the state of the weather sensor N, and the like.

[0027] The collection unit 12 collects and records observation results from the weather sensor N via wireless communication. The collection unit 12 collects values ​​observed by the drop-type weather sensor ND during a drop, and collects values ​​observed by the non-drop-type weather sensor NR.

[0028] The wireless communication used by the collection unit 12 is, for example, Meteor Data Link, which is a communication using a frequency used for general meteorological assistance, such as transmitting observation results by radiosondes.

[0029] (Balloon) The balloon 20 is equipped with a control device 30, a drop-type weather sensor ND, and a non-drop-type weather sensor NR.

[0030] (Control Device) The control device 30 includes a control unit 31, a first communication unit 32, a second communication unit 33, and a drop unit .

[0031] The control unit 31 controls the control device 30, the drop-type weather sensor ND, and the non-drop-type weather sensor NR. The control unit 31 controls the weather sensor N and transmits information from the weather sensor N to the ground device 10 in accordance with a control signal received from the ground device 10. When the control unit 31 receives an instruction to drop the drop-type weather sensor ND from the ground device 10, it notifies the dropping unit 34 of this.

[0032] The first communication unit 32 is an interface for communicating with the ground device 10 outside the balloon 20. In the present disclosure, the first communication unit 32 communicates bidirectionally with the ground device 10 using LPWA communication.

[0033] The second communication unit 33 is an interface for communicating with the weather sensor N inside the balloon 20. In the present disclosure, the second communication unit 33 may communicate wirelessly, such as via LPWA communication, or may communicate via a wired connection. The second communication unit 33 may communicate via a wired connection with the non-drop-type weather sensor NR and may communicate wirelessly, such as via LPWA, with the drop-type weather sensor ND. Even after the drop-type weather sensor ND drops from the balloon 20, the control device 30 may obtain the status of the drop-type weather sensor ND or send a control signal to the drop-type weather sensor ND via wireless communication via the second communication unit 33.

[0034] The dropping unit 34 drops a drop-type weather sensor (dropsonde) from the balloon 20 in accordance with a drop command from the ground device 10. When a drop command is input from the ground device 10 to the control device 30 and a drop command is input from the control unit 31 of the control device 30 to the dropping unit 34, the dropping unit 34 drops the drop-type weather sensor ND. The drop-type weather sensor ND is fixed to the balloon 20 with a jig that can be separated from the balloon 20. When the dropping unit 34 receives a command to drop the drop-type weather sensor ND from the control unit 31, it separates the jig that secures the drop-type weather sensor ND from the balloon 20. The drop-type weather sensor ND, separated from the balloon 20, falls into the atmosphere and performs vertical observation of the atmosphere.

[0035] The case where the drop unit 34 separates the jig that secures the drop-type weather sensor ND from the balloon 20, causing the drop-type weather sensor ND to fall into the atmosphere will be described, but this is not limiting. The drop unit 34 may be any means that can release the drop-type weather sensor ND into the atmosphere at the timing instructed by the ground device 10.

[0036] (Weather Sensor) In this disclosure, a drop-type weather sensor ND and a non-drop-type weather sensor NR are disclosed as weather sensors N, but since they have similar configurations, the drop-type weather sensor ND will be described as an example.

[0037] The drop-type weather sensor ND includes a control unit NT, a sensor NS, a GPS NG, a first communication unit NC1, and a second communication unit NC2.

[0038] The control unit NT controls the drop-type weather sensor ND. The control unit NT transmits the observed values ​​measured by the sensor NS and the position information acquired by the GPS NG to the ground device 10 via the first communication unit NC1.

[0039] The control unit NT also controls the drop-type weather sensor ND in accordance with instructions input from the control unit 30 via the second communication unit NC2. For example, the control unit NT controls the measurement of the sensor NS in accordance with the duty cycle input from the control unit 30.

[0040] The sensor NS observes atmospheric conditions. The GPSNG is a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver that receives signals from multiple satellites and identifies the position of the drop-type weather sensor ND. The observed values ​​by the sensor NS and the position identified by the GPSNG are transmitted to the collection unit 12 of the ground device 10 via the first communication unit NC1.

[0041] The first communication unit NC1 is an interface that communicates with the ground device 10. The first communication unit NC1 wirelessly communicates with the ground device 10 using, for example, Meteor Data Link. The first communication unit NC1 sequentially transmits the observation values ​​obtained by the sensor NS and the position identified by GPSNG to the ground device 10.

[0042] The second communication unit NC2 is an interface that communicates with the second communication unit 33 of the control device 30. If the drop-type weather sensor ND communicates while being dropped in the atmosphere and after being dropped, the second communication unit NC2 communicates with the control device 30 via wireless communication such as LPWA communication. If the drop-type weather sensor ND communicates with the control device 30 only while it is fixed to the balloon 20, or if it is mounted on a non-drop-type weather sensor NR, the second communication unit NC2 is connected to the control device 30 by wire or wirelessly.

[0043] The second communication unit NC2 inputs control signals from the control device 30 to the control unit NT, and transmits control signals from the control unit NT to the control device 30. The control device 30 communicates with the ground device 10 via LPWA, so the drop-type weather sensor ND can send and receive control signals to and from the ground device 10 via the control device 30. Even after being dropped from the balloon, the drop-type weather sensor ND can continue to make observations in accordance with instructions from the control device 30 of the balloon 20.

[0044] 3-4, observation results of the observation system 1 according to the present disclosure are shown.

[0045] 3 shows the trajectory of the balloon 20 and the trajectory of the dropsonde. As shown in FIG. 3, the dropsonde fell at a point 100 km horizontally from the ground device 10, and vertical observation of the atmosphere was performed.

[0046] Fig. 4 shows the altitude distribution of humidity and temperature measured by the weather sensor N. From Fig. 4, it can be seen that the atmospheric conditions are observed and the ground equipment 10 is able to collect the observed values.

[0047] Fig. 5 shows the observation values ​​obtained by the drop-type weather sensor ND. From Fig. 5, it can be seen that the drop-type weather sensor ND reaches the stratosphere P from the ground and then observes the atmosphere while falling.

[0048] By utilizing the property of the balloon 20 that it moves significantly horizontally due to the wind, the observation system 1 allows the meteorological sensor N mounted on the balloon 20 to perform vertical observations of the atmosphere at a location far away from the launch point on the ground. Furthermore, because there is good visibility and a good radio wave environment between the balloon 20 located in the sky and the ground device 10, the observation system 1 can control the meteorological sensor N on the balloon 20 from the ground device 10 using long-distance wireless communication.

[0049] Furthermore, it is possible to control the weather sensor using satellite communications such as Iridium for communication between the ground equipment and the balloon. However, using satellite communications increases the power consumption of the entire device, including the communication device and the weather sensor, resulting in high costs. In contrast, the observation system 1 according to the present disclosure can reduce the overall system cost by using LPWA communication for communication between the ground equipment 10 and the balloon 20. The LPWA communication method enables long-distance communication with low power consumption. The ground equipment 10 can transmit control signals for the weather sensor N, such as a command to drop the drop-type weather sensor ND, to the balloon 20 located far away.

[0050] The observation system 1 according to the present disclosure can dynamically place the weather sensor N at any position and dynamically control the settings such as the duty cycle of the weather sensor N. Furthermore, since the control device 30 of the balloon 20 and the ground device 10 communicate via a low-power wireless network such as LPWA, the observation system 1 can be constructed at low cost.

[0051] The observation system 1 according to the present disclosure can observe the vertical distribution of the ocean atmosphere at low cost. The observation system 1 can increase the number of meteorological observations that can be performed at limited cost, thereby achieving higher accuracy in weather forecasts.

[0052] The observation system 1 according to the present disclosure can perform measurements using meteorological sensors at target locations at low cost.

[0053] (Modification) The observation system 1 according to the present disclosure will be described as a case in which a control device 30 mounted on a balloon 20 controls a non-drop-type weather sensor NR mounted on the balloon, or a drop-type weather sensor ND detached from the balloon 20. In contrast, the observation system 1a according to a modification will be described as a case in which a control device 30 mounted on a balloon 20 controls a weather sensor N floating on the sea, or a drive device D that operates on the sea, or the like.

[0054] 6 and 7, a modified observation system 1a will be described. The observation system 1a includes a balloon 20, a ground device 10, a meteorological sensor N, and a drive device D.

[0055] The weather sensor N floats in the atmosphere or on the sea to obtain observation results. The weather sensor N may be a drop-type weather sensor ND dropped from a balloon 20, or a sensor dropped from a ship or the like. The weather sensor N may also be mounted on the drive unit D.

[0056] The driving device D is driven in the atmosphere or on the sea. The driving device D is, for example, an air drone or a sea drone.

[0057] (Ground Device) The ground device 10 includes a control unit 11 and a collection unit 12 .

[0058] The control unit 11 transmits a control signal for the weather sensor N or the drive unit D to the control device 30 .

[0059] In a modified example, the collection unit 12 receives the observation results of the weather sensor N through LPWA communication via the control device 30. In the present disclosure, the collection unit 12 receives the observation results from the weather sensor N through wireless communication.

[0060] (Control Device) The balloon 20 is equipped with a control device 30. The control device 30 communicates with the ground device 10 and controls the weather sensor N or the drive device D. The control device 30 is equipped with a control unit 31, a first communication unit 32, and a second communication unit 33.

[0061] The control unit 31 controls the control device 30, the weather sensor N, and the drive unit D. The control unit 31 transmits control signals received from the ground device 10 to the weather sensor N, and receives observation results from the weather sensor N and transmits them to the ground device 10. The control signals include, for example, the measurement timing of the weather sensor N.

[0062] The control unit 31 transmits a control signal received from the ground device 10 to the drive device D. The control signal is, for example, a route control signal.

[0063] The first communication unit 32 is an interface for communicating with the ground device 10. The first communication unit 32 communicates bidirectionally with the ground device 10 via LPWA communication. The first communication unit 32 receives control signals for the weather sensor N or the drive device D from the ground device 10. The first communication unit 32 transmits the observation results of the weather sensor N to the ground device 10 via LPWA communication. The observation results of the weather sensor N are received from the weather sensor N by the second communication unit 33 via LPWA communication.

[0064] The second communication unit 33 is an interface that communicates with the weather sensor N or the drive unit D. The second communication unit 33 communicates bidirectionally with each of the weather sensor N and the drive unit D via LPWA communication. The second communication unit 33 transmits a control signal to the weather sensor N or the drive unit D. The control signal is received from the ground device 10 via LPWA communication by the first communication unit 32. The second communication unit 33 receives the observation results of the weather sensor N from the weather sensor N via LPWA communication.

[0065] (Weather Sensor) The weather sensor N includes a control unit NT, a sensor NS, a GPS NG, and a communication unit NC. The control unit NT, the sensor NS, and the GPS NG are as described above.

[0066] The communication unit NC communicates bidirectionally with the second communication unit 33 of the control device 30 via LPWA communication. The communication unit NC receives control signals via LPWA communication from the control device 30. The communication unit NC transmits observation results to the control device 30 via LPWA communication.

[0067] The control unit NT obtains the observation results of the weather sensor N in accordance with the control signal received from the control device 30. When the measurement timing is specified as the control signal, the control unit NT observes the sensor NS at the specified timing and collects the observation results.

[0068] (Driver) The driver D includes a controller NT, a driver M, and a communication unit NC.

[0069] The communication unit NC communicates bidirectionally with the second communication unit 33 of the control device 30 via LPWA communication. The communication unit NC receives control signals from the control device 30. The control unit NT controls the drive unit D in accordance with the control signals received from the control device 30. The drive unit M is a mechanism, such as a motor, that drives the drive unit D. The drive unit M drives in accordance with the control signal input from the control unit NT. When a navigation route is specified as a control signal, the drive unit M travels in accordance with the specified navigation route.

[0070] In a typical observation system, satellite communications or aircraft such as a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) are used to remotely control marine sensors, but the remote control of marine sensors in a typical observation system requires high costs.

[0071] In contrast, in the observation system 1a of the modified example, the ground device 10 uses LPWA communication to control the weather sensor N or the drive unit D via the control unit 30 mounted on the balloon. The observation system 1a enables low-cost and power-saving remote control of the weather sensor N or the drive unit D.

[0072] In the observation system 1a, the weather sensor N transmits its observation results to the control device 30 using LPWA communication, and the control device 30 then transmits the observation results to the ground device 10 using LPWA communication. The control device 30 mounted on the balloon 20 relays the observation results, allowing the observation results to be collected at a lower cost than when the weather sensor and the ground device communicate directly. The observation system 1a simplifies the data collection process of the weather sensor N, significantly reducing the power consumption and communication costs of the entire system.

[0073] Furthermore, the observation system 1a of the modified example enables remote control of the weather sensor N or the drive unit D at low cost and with low power consumption, thereby increasing the number of ocean observations at limited cost. The observation system 1a realizes high accuracy in weather and ocean forecasts.

[0074] The ground equipment 10 according to the present disclosure described above uses, for example, a general-purpose computer system including a CPU (Central Processing Unit, processor) 901, a memory 902, a storage 903 (HDD: Hard Disk Drive, SSD: Solid State Drive), a communication device 904, an input device 905, and an output device 906. In this computer system, the CPU 901 executes a program loaded on the memory 902, thereby realizing each function of the ground equipment 10.

[0075] The ground equipment 10 may be implemented by one computer or by multiple computers, or may be a virtual machine implemented on a computer.

[0076] The program of the ground device 10 can be stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a HDD, an SSD, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory, a Compact Disc (CD), or a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), or can be distributed via a network. The computer-readable recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory recording medium.

[0077] In addition, the control device 30 and weather sensor N mounted on the balloon 20 may also be a general-purpose computer system, similar to the ground device 10.

[0078] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0079] 1 Observation system 10 Ground device 11 Control unit 12 Collection unit 20 Balloon 30 Control device 31, NT Control unit 32, NC1 First communication unit 33, NC2 Second communication unit 34 Drop unit 901 CPU 902 Memory 903 Storage 904 Communication device 905 Input device 906 Output device A Ocean E Ground N Weather sensor NG GPS NR Non-drop type weather sensor ND Drop type weather sensor NS Sensor P Stratosphere

Claims

1. An observation system comprising: a ground device installed on the ground; and a balloon traveling into the stratosphere, the balloon comprising: a meteorological sensor that observes the atmosphere and obtains observation results; and a control device that communicates with the ground device and controls the meteorological sensor; the ground device transmits a control signal for the meteorological sensor to the control device; and the control device controls the meteorological sensor in accordance with the control signal received from the ground device.

2. The observation system according to claim 1, wherein the ground device and the control device communicate using LPWA (Low Power Wide Area).

3. The observation system according to claim 1, wherein the weather sensor is a dropsonde that can be dropped from the balloon, and the control device drops the dropsonde from the balloon in accordance with a drop command from the ground device.

4. The observation system according to claim 3, wherein the dropsonde is equipped with a communication device for communicating with the control device, and the dropsonde, after being dropped from the balloon, performs observations in accordance with instructions from the balloon's control device.

5. The observation system according to claim 3, wherein the control device communicates with the communication device of the dropsonde via LPWA.

6. An observation system comprising: a ground device installed on the ground; a balloon that moves into the stratosphere; and a weather sensor that floats in the atmosphere or on the sea and obtains observation results, wherein the balloon is equipped with a control device that communicates with the ground device and controls the weather sensor, the ground device transmits a control signal for the weather sensor to the control device, and the control device controls the weather sensor in accordance with the control signal received from the ground device.

7. The observation system according to claim 6, wherein the meteorological sensor transmits the observation results to a control device via LPWA communication, and the control device transmits the observation results to a ground device via LPWA communication.

8. An observation system comprising: a ground device installed on the ground; a balloon that moves into the stratosphere; and a drive device that operates in the atmosphere or on the sea, wherein the balloon is equipped with a control device that communicates with the ground device and controls the drive device, the ground device transmits a control signal for the drive device to the control device, and the control device controls the drive device in accordance with the control signal received from the ground device.

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