LOON LLC

The present disclosure provides methods operable in a balloon network. The method can include determining that a balloon is at a location associated with a legally-defined geographic area. An area profile of the legally-defined geographic area may identify geographically-restricted data that must not be removed from the legally-defined geographic area. The method can also include determining that the balloon contains at least some of the geographically-restricted data. The method can also include determining that the balloon is likely to move out of the legally-defined geographic area. The method can also include removing the geographically-restricted data from the memory of the balloon.

Determining a location of a user equipment includes transmitting, by one or more processors from a network node, a first beam having a first frequency range in a first area and a second beam having a second frequency range in a second area. The first area is larger than and encompasses the second area. A request for determining the location of the user equipment is received. The one or more processors may then cause the second beam to sweep within the first area, receive a second signal from the user equipment indicating when the second beam is swept over the location of the user equipment and data related to signal measurements of the second beam at the user equipment, and determine the location of the user equipment based on a pointing direction of the second beam relative to a position of the node of the network and the received data.

Aspects of the technology relate to an environmental sensor system that uses different types of detector units as part of an onboard lightning detection and evaluation system for a high altitude platform (HAP) operating in the stratosphere. These sensor suites may be employed with balloons and other high altitude platforms during operation in the stratosphere. Onboard data processing and analysis may be done either in real time or on stored data sets. The processing system can use the gathered sensor information to mitigate issues related to lightning-related transients. The information can also be used in route planning and real-time navigation of HAPs when hazardous conditions are detected. It can also be employed in a back-end control system for long-term route planning and fleet management.

This disclosure provides systems and methods for routing and topology management of computer networks with steerable beam antennas. A network controller can generate an input graph for a first time period. The input graph can have a plurality of vertices each representing a respective moving node and a plurality of edges each representing a possible link between a pair of moving nodes. The input graph also can include corresponding location information for each of the moving nodes during the first time period. A solver module can receive information corresponding to the input graph, a maximum degree for each vertex in the input graph, and a set of provisioned network flows. The solver module can determine a subgraph representing a network topology based on the input graph, the maximum degree for each vertex in the input graph, and the set of provisioned network flows, such that a number of edges associated with each vertex in the subgraph does not exceed the maximum degree for each vertex.

Methods and systems for controlling a group of aerial vehicles to meet a connectivity service objective are provided. A method may include causing aerial vehicles in the group to arrive at a target service area during a given arrival time window associated with the connectivity service objective, which may indicate a desired probability of service coverage of the target service area. The method further includes calculating a probability of service coverage of the target service area for the vehicles for a time period after the vehicles are expected to arrive at the target service area, determining whether the probability of service coverage meets a threshold, and causing the vehicles to operate according to a station seeking flight policy during the time period.

Determining a location of a user equipment includes transmitting, by one or more processors from a network node, a first beam having a first frequency range in a first area and a second beam having a second frequency range in a second area. The first area is larger than and encompasses the second area. A request for determining the location of the user equipment is received. The one or more processors may then cause the second beam to sweep within the first area, receive a second signal from the user equipment indicating when the second beam is swept over the location of the user equipment and data related to signal measurements of the second beam at the user equipment, and determine the location of the user equipment based on a pointing direction of the second beam relative to a position of the node of the network and the received data.

Aspects of the disclosure provide for determining a network configuration. For instance, a system may include a controller including one or more processors. The one or more processors may be configured to receive information from each of a plurality of available nodes within a network, the plurality of available nodes including at least one aerial vehicle; determine a plurality of constraints for a future point in time, each one of the plurality of constraints including one or more minimum service requirements for a geographic area; attempt to determine a first network configuration for each of the plurality of available nodes that satisfies all of the constraints; when unable to determine the first network configuration, determine a second network configuration for the plurality of available nodes and at least one additional ground-based node that satisfies all of the constraints; and send instructions in order to affect the second network configuration.

The technology relates to controllers for lighter-than-air vehicles using deep reinforcement learning. A method for generating an objective-directed controller for an aerial vehicle includes defining an action space for an objective-directed controller, providing a set of feature vectors and the action space as input to a simulation module, training, by a learning module, the objective-directed controller according to a reward function correlated with the desired objective, evaluating the trained objective-directed controller, and storing high performing trained objective-directed controller.

The technology provides a launch rig structure capable of filling a very large balloon envelope while the balloon is arranged vertically. The filled balloon is capable of staying aloft in the stratosphere with its payload for months or longer. The launch rig structure is configured to rotate up to 360° in response to current wind conditions. It includes an integrated lifting boom and gas handling system to fill the envelope. A payload release assembly is configured to couple with a rigid connection member of the balloon, enabling the envelope to be filled while in a vertical orientation. The payload release assembly is part of a launch cart that is positioned within the interior space of the launch rig. A gripper assembly engages with the rigid connection member. Once the envelope is filled, the gripper assembly disengages from the connection member so that the balloon floats away from the launch rig.

The technology provides a launch rig structure capable of filling a very large balloon envelope while the balloon is arranged vertically. The filled balloon is capable of staying aloft in the stratosphere with its payload for months or longer. The launch rig structure is configured to rotate up to 360° in response to current wind conditions. It includes an integrated lifting boom and gas handling system to fill the envelope. A payload release assembly is configured to couple with a rigid connection member of the balloon, enabling the envelope to be filled while in a vertical orientation. The payload release assembly is part of a launch cart that is positioned within the interior space of the launch rig. A gripper assembly engages with the rigid connection member. Once the envelope is filled, the gripper assembly disengages from the connection member so that the balloon floats away from the launch rig.