The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 30, 2017
Filed:
Dec. 09, 2015
X Development Llc, Mountain View, CA (US);
Keith Allen Bonawitz, Watchung, NJ (US);
Johan Mathe, San Francisco, CA (US);
X Development LLC, Mountain View, CA (US);
Abstract
An example computer-implemented method involves determining that an aerostat is located within a first atmospheric layer. A first wind-velocity measure is indicative of wind velocity in the first atmospheric layer. The method also involves determining an altitude of an atmospheric layer boundary between the first atmospheric layer and a second atmospheric layer. A second wind-velocity measure is indicative of wind velocity in the second atmospheric layer, and the second wind-velocity measure differs from the first wind-velocity measure by at least a threshold amount. The method further involves determining a desired location for the aerostat, and during at least a portion of a flight towards the desired location, causing the aerostat to traverse back and forth across the atmospheric layer boundary while remaining within a predetermined vertical distance from the atmospheric layer boundary in order to achieve a desired horizontal trajectory.