Aerial Vehicle Location Reporting Trigger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aerial vehicles, such as high-altitude balloons, face challenges in reliably transmitting their location before landing, especially when they land in areas that damage communication systems or cause disruptions, making it difficult to predict and manage their descent and recovery.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for determining a transmission trigger for a location-report message based on the aerial vehicle's trajectory, ensuring a predefined probability of successful transmission before contact with the ground, using sensors and a control system to transmit location data at an optimal time or altitude.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the aerial vehicle transmits location data immediately before landing, then the accuracy of landing location prediction is improved, but the reliability of transmission is worsened due to potential damage to communication systems upon landing
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by determining a transmission trigger based on the aerial vehicle's trajectory that ensures transmission occurs with a predefined probability before ground contact. This proactive timing mechanism schedules the location-report message transmission in advance, based on predicted descent timing, thereby capturing accurate location data while avoiding the risk of communication system damage that would occur if transmission happened immediately at landing.
2Reliability
If the aerial vehicle transmits location data earlier during descent, then the reliability of transmission is improved, but the accuracy of landing location prediction is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the transmission timing based on the aerial vehicle's trajectory parameters. Instead of using a fixed early transmission time, the system calculates an optimal transmission trigger that adapts to the vehicle's descent rate, altitude, and predicted landing time, thereby achieving both high transmission reliability and accurate landing location prediction.
3Reliability
If multiple location-report messages are transmitted during descent, then the reliability of having at least one successful transmission is improved, but the use of energy is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by transmitting only the necessary number of location-report messages during descent. Rather than continuously transmitting or using excessive redundancy, the system determines an optimal transmission schedule based on trajectory analysis, sending messages at calculated intervals that provide sufficient reliability while minimizing energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to the use of a method for determining communication timing of an aerial vehicle, such as a balloon. The method includes determining a trajectory of an aerial vehicle. Additionally, the method includes, based on the trajectory, determining a transmission trigger for a location-report message such that a location-report message transmission that is responsive to the transmission trigger has at least a predefined probability of occurring before the aerial vehicle contacts the ground. Further, the method also includes, responsive to the transmission trigger, transmitting the location-report message, where the location-report message comprises location data from the aerial vehicle.