JP2024011836A - altitude determination device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To determine an altitude of an air vehicle for ensuring good communication quality, in a communication system in which a relay device mounted on the air vehicle receives radio signals in the air and transmits the radio signals to the ground.

SOLUTION: An altitude determination device 10 includes: a first acquisition unit 111 that acquires a first index value indicating a degree of communication quality of a first radio signal received by a relay device 51 during a measurement period for determining an altitude of an air vehicle 50; a second acquisition unit 112 that acquires a second index value indicating a degree of communication quality of a second radio signal during the measurement period; a third acquisition unit 113 that acquires the altitude of the air vehicle 50 at a time point of acquiring the first index value and the altitude of the air vehicle 50 at a time point of acquiring the second index value; and a determination unit 114 that determines the altitude of the air vehicle 50 for performing wireless communication via the relay device 51 on the basis of a relationship between the altitude of the air vehicle 50 and the first index value and a relationship between the altitude of the air vehicle 50 and the second index value.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an altitude determining device. In particular, the present invention provides a method for receiving a first wireless signal according to a first communication method, converting the received first wireless signal into a second wireless signal according to a second communication method, and transmitting the converted second wireless signal to the ground. The present invention relates to an altitude determination device that determines the altitude of an aircraft equipped with a relay device for determining the altitude of an aircraft.

When a communication failure occurs, there is a method to resolve the communication failure by mounting a relay device on a balloon, raising the balloon while it is moored to the ground, and using the relay device instead of a base station. Conventionally known.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses, as a method for resolving communication failures, a technique related to a balloon that maintains a stable posture even when exposed to strong winds when using a balloon equipped with a relay device. In the technology related to Patent Document 1, a relay station is mounted on the balloon. The relay station has a relay antenna and a mobile station antenna, and forms a communication network between the base station and the mobile terminal.

Patent No. 6359052

However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not take into account the appropriate altitude at which a flying object such as a balloon should be positioned in order to ensure good communication quality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the present invention provides a communication system in which a relay device mounted on a flying object receives a wireless signal in the air and transmits the wireless signal to the ground. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an altitude determination device capable of determining the altitude.

An altitude determination device according to a preferred aspect of the present invention receives a first wireless signal according to a first communication method, converts the received first wireless signal into a second wireless signal according to a second communication method, and converts the received first wireless signal into a second wireless signal according to a second communication method. an altitude determination device for determining the altitude of a flying object, the second wireless signal being received by the relay device during a measurement period for determining the altitude of the flying object; a first acquisition unit that acquires a first index value indicating the degree of communication quality of the first wireless signal; and a second acquisition unit that acquires a second index value indicating the degree of communication quality of the second wireless signal during the measurement period. a third acquisition unit that acquires the altitude of the aircraft at the time when the first index value is acquired and the altitude of the aircraft at the time when the second index value is acquired, and the aircraft Determining the altitude of the flying object for performing wireless communication via the relay device based on the relationship between the altitude of the flying object and the first index value and the relationship between the altitude of the flying object and the first index value. This is an altitude determining device, comprising: a determining unit for determining an altitude.

According to the present invention, in a communication system in which a relay device mounted on a flight object receives a radio signal in the air and transmits the radio signal to the ground, the altitude of the flight object is adjusted to ensure good communication quality. It becomes possible to determine.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a relay system 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a first relay device 20. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an altitude determining device 10. FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a first method in which the third acquisition unit 113 acquires the altitude of the flying object 50; FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a second method in which the third acquisition unit 113 acquires the altitude of the flying object 50; A graph showing how to determine the optimal altitude for an aircraft. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the altitude determining device 10.

1: First Embodiment Hereinafter, the configuration of a relay system 1 including an altitude determination device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

1-1: Configuration of First Embodiment 1-1-1: Overall Configuration FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a relay system 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the relay system 1 includes an altitude determination device 10, a first relay device 20, a second relay device 30, a third relay device 40, a flying object 50, and a wire 60. In addition, in the relay system 1, as an example, the first relay device 20 is mounted on the aircraft 50, while the altitude determination device 10, the second relay device 30, and the third relay device 40 are installed on the ground. .

In the relay system 1, in order to mainly eliminate communication failures, a first relay device 20 mounted on an aircraft 50 receives a first wireless signal in the sky according to a first communication method, and transmits the received first wireless signal. into a second radio signal according to a second communication method different from the first communication method. Further, the first relay device 20 transmits the converted second radio signal to the second relay device 30 installed on the ground. The second relay device 30 serves as a parent device and transmits the second wireless signal received from the first relay device 20 to the third relay device 40, which is also a slave device and is also installed on the ground. Here, the "first communication method" is, for example, a communication method according to the LTE (Long Term Evolution) standard. Furthermore, the "second communication method" is, for example, a communication method based on the Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) standard. Further, the first relay device 20 is, for example, a Wi-Fi router. Note that the first relay device 20 may be a smartphone or a tablet.

By using the relay system 1, users of the relay system 1 can perform wireless communication even in areas where there are many obstructions, such as forests, and where it is difficult for wireless signals from the sky to reach the ground.

Here, the flying object 50 floats in the air by, for example, including a balloon filled with helium gas. Further, the flying object 50 is moored to the ground with a wire 60. By maintaining the length of the wire 60 from the ground to the flying object 50 at a constant length, the flying object 50 floats in the air while maintaining a constant altitude. On the other hand, as the length of the wire 60 changes, the altitude of the flying object 50 also changes.

The altitude determining device 10 determines the altitude of the flying object 50. Specifically, the altitude determination device 10 determines the altitude of the aircraft 50 to ensure good communication quality when a user of the relay system 1 performs wireless communication using the first radio signal and the second radio signal. to determine the optimal altitude.

As described above, the first relay device 20 converts the first wireless signal into a second wireless signal, transmits the converted second wireless signal to the second relay device 30, and also communicates the first wireless signal. The quality and the communication quality of the second radio signal are measured.

Here, "communication quality" is, for example, the communication speed of wireless communication using the first wireless signal or the second wireless signal. Alternatively, "communication quality" may be, for example, the strength of radio waves that transmit the first wireless signal or the second wireless signal, that is, the electric field strength or RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator). Alternatively, "communication quality" may be, for example, the S/N ratio (Signal-noise ratio) of the first radio signal or the second radio signal. Alternatively, the "communication quality" may be, for example, the error rate of the first wireless signal or the second wireless signal. Alternatively, especially when the first relay device 20 is a smartphone or a tablet, the "communication quality" may be the degree of communication quality indicated by a normal antenna pictogram.

The altitude determining device 10 determines a first index value indicating the degree of communication quality of the first radio signal acquired from the first relay device 20, an altitude of the flying object 50 at the time of acquiring the first index value, and a second radio signal. Determine the altitude of the aircraft 50 to ensure good communication quality using the second index value indicating the degree of communication quality of the signal and the altitude of the aircraft 50 at the time of acquiring the second index value. do. The altitude determining device 10 is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet.

1-1-2: Configuration of first relay device FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the first relay device 20. The first relay device 20 includes a processing device 21, a storage device 22, a communication device 23, a display 24, and an input device 25. Each element included in the first relay device 20 is interconnected by a single bus or multiple buses for communicating information.

The processing device 21 is a processor that controls the entire first relay device 20 . Further, the processing device 21 is configured using, for example, a single chip or a plurality of chips. The processing device 21 is configured using, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) that includes an interface with peripheral devices, an arithmetic unit, registers, and the like. Note that some or all of the functions of the processing device 21 may be realized by hardware such as a DSP, ASIC, PLD, or FPGA. The processing device 21 executes various processes in parallel or sequentially.

The storage device 22 is a recording medium that can be read and written by the processing device 21 . Furthermore, the storage device 22 stores a plurality of programs including the control program PR2 executed by the processing device 21.

The communication device 23 is hardware as a transmitting/receiving device for communicating with other devices. The communication device 23 is also called, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, a communication module, or the like. The communication device 23 may include a connector for wired connection and an interface circuit corresponding to the connector. Furthermore, the communication device 23 may include a wireless communication interface. Examples of connectors and interface circuits for wired connections include products compliant with wired LAN, IEEE1394, and USB. Furthermore, examples of the wireless communication interface include products compliant with wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), and the like.

Further, in the present embodiment, the communication device 23 receives a first wireless signal in the sky according to a first communication method, and transfers the received first wireless signal to a second communication method different from the first communication method. into a second radio signal according to Furthermore, the communication device 23 transmits the converted second radio signal to the second relay device 30 installed on the ground. Further, the communication device 23 outputs the first radio signal and the second radio signal to the processing device 21.

The display 24 is a device that displays images and text information. The display 24 displays various images under the control of the processing device 21. For example, various display panels such as a liquid crystal display panel and an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display panel are suitably used as the display 24.

The input device 25 receives operations from the user of the first relay device 20 . For example, the input device 25 includes a keyboard, a touch pad, a touch panel, or a pointing device such as a mouse. Here, when the input device 25 includes a touch panel, it may also serve as the display 24.

The processing device 21 functions as a first measurement section 211, a second measurement section 212, and an output section 213 by reading out and executing the control program PR2 from the storage device 22.

The first measurement unit 211 acquires a first wireless signal from the communication device 23. Further, the first measuring unit 211 measures the communication quality of the acquired first wireless signal. Further, the first measurement unit 211 outputs the measurement result as a first index value. As mentioned above, the "communication quality" is, for example, any one of communication speed, electric field strength, RSSI, and S/N ratio. Alternatively, the "communication quality" may be calculated using any two or more of the communication speed, electric field strength, RSSI, and S/N ratio. As an example, when the first relay device 20 is a smartphone or a tablet, the first measuring unit 211 is of the same type as an electric field strength measuring device used for displaying an antenna pictogram on the display 24 of the smartphone or tablet. It may be a measuring device.

The second measurement unit 212 acquires the second wireless signal from the communication device 23. Further, the second measurement unit 212 measures the communication quality of the second wireless signal. Further, the second measurement unit 212 outputs the measurement result as a second index value. As an example, when the first relay device 20 is a smartphone or a tablet, the second measurement unit 212, like the first measurement unit 211, is used to display an antenna pictogram on the display 24 of the smartphone or tablet. It may be the same type of measuring device as the electric field strength measuring device.

The output unit 213 outputs the first index value output from the first measurement unit 211 and the second index value output from the second measurement unit 212 to the altitude determination device 10 via the communication device 23. . The communication device 23 transmits the first index value and the second index value to the altitude determining device 10 according to the second communication method.

1-1-3: Configuration of altitude determination device FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the altitude determination device 10. The altitude determining device 10 includes a processing device 11, a storage device 12, a communication device 13, a display 14, and an input device 15. Each element included in the altitude determining device 10 is interconnected by one or more buses for communicating information.

The processing device 11 is a processor that controls the entire altitude determining device 10. Further, the processing device 11 is configured using, for example, a single chip or a plurality of chips. The processing device 11 is configured using, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) that includes an interface with peripheral devices, an arithmetic unit, registers, and the like. Note that some or all of the functions of the processing device 11 may be realized by hardware such as a DSP, ASIC, PLD, or FPGA. The processing device 11 executes various processes in parallel or sequentially.

The storage device 12 is a recording medium that can be read and written by the processing device 11 . Furthermore, the storage device 12 stores a plurality of programs including the control program PR1 executed by the processing device 11.

The communication device 13 is hardware as a transmitting/receiving device for communicating with other devices. The communication device 13 is also called, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, a communication module, or the like. The communication device 13 may include a connector for wired connection and an interface circuit corresponding to the connector. Furthermore, the communication device 13 may include a wireless communication interface. Examples of connectors and interface circuits for wired connections include products compliant with wired LAN, IEEE1394, and USB. Furthermore, examples of the wireless communication interface include products compliant with wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), and the like.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the communication device 13 receives the first index value and the second index value from the first relay device 20 according to the second communication method.

The display 14 is a device that displays images and text information. The display 14 displays various images under the control of the processing device 11. For example, various display panels such as a liquid crystal display panel and an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display panel are suitably used as the display 14.

The input device 15 receives operations from the user of the altitude determination device 10. For example, the input device 15 includes a keyboard, a touch pad, a touch panel, or a pointing device such as a mouse. Here, when the input device 15 includes a touch panel, it may also serve as the display 14.

The processing device 11 functions as a first acquisition section 111, a second acquisition section 112, a third acquisition section 113, and a determination section 114 by reading out and executing the control program PR1 from the storage device 12.

The first acquisition unit 111 receives a first index value indicating the degree of communication quality of the first wireless signal from the first relay device 20 during a measurement period for determining the altitude of the flying object 50 via the communication device 13. get.

The second acquisition unit 112 receives, via the communication device 13, a second index value indicating the degree of communication quality of the second wireless signal from the first relay device 20 during the measurement period for determining the altitude of the flying object 50. get.

The third acquisition unit 113 acquires the altitude of the aircraft 50 at the time when the first acquisition unit 111 acquired the first index value. Further, the third acquisition unit 113 acquires the altitude of the aircraft 50 at the time when the second acquisition unit 112 acquired the second index value.

FIG. 4A is an explanatory diagram of a first method in which the third acquisition unit 113 acquires the altitude of the flying object 50. In the first method, the processing device 11 reads the control program PR1 from the storage device 12 and executes it, so that in addition to the first acquisition section 111, the second acquisition section 112, the third acquisition section 113, and the determination section 114, It functions as a calculation unit 115.

The communication device 13 receives the third radio signal from the third radio signal transmitter 70 mounted on the aircraft 50 . The calculation unit 115 calculates the distance to the transmitter 70 based on the intensity of the third wireless signal received by the communication device 13. The third acquisition unit 113 acquires the distance to the transmitter 70 calculated by the calculation unit 115 as the altitude of the aircraft 50.

As an example, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) tag using Bluetooth technology may be mounted on the aircraft 50, and the communication device 13 may receive a third wireless signal transmitted from the BLE tag.

FIG. 4B is an explanatory diagram of a second method in which the third acquisition unit 113 acquires the altitude of the aircraft 50. In the second method, a calculation device 81 is installed on the reel 80 from which the wire 60 is fed out. The calculation device 81 calculates the length of the wire 60 let out from the reel 80 . The third acquisition unit 113 acquires the length of the wire 60 fed out from the reel 80, which is calculated by the calculation device 81, as the altitude of the aircraft 50. Note that, for example, there may be a case where the wire 60 is tilted diagonally with respect to the ground due to wind, but during normal use, the third acquisition unit 113 treats the tilt of the wire 60 as being within the error range.

The determining unit 114 determines the relationship between the altitude of the aircraft 50 acquired by the third acquisition unit 113 and the first index value acquired by the first acquisition unit 111, and the relationship between the altitude of the aircraft 50 acquired by the third acquisition unit 113. Based on the relationship between the altitude and the second index value acquired by the second acquisition unit 112, the altitude of the flying object 50 for performing wireless communication via the first relay device 20 is determined.

As a result, the altitude determination device 10 has good communication in the relay system 1 in which the first relay device 20 mounted on the aircraft 50 receives the first radio signal in the air and transmits the second radio signal to the ground. The altitude of the aircraft 50 can be determined to ensure quality.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the altitude of the aircraft 50 and the first index value, and the relationship between the altitude of the aircraft 50 and the second index value. In FIG. 5, the first communication method to which the first wireless signal conforms is a communication method according to the LTE standard, and the second communication method to which the second wireless signal conforms is a communication method according to the Wi-Fi standard. Here is an example.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, when the altitude of the flying object 50 is A, the first index value is the highest value, and when the altitude of the flying object 50 is B, the second index value is the highest value. Become. Note that when the altitude of the flying object 50 is A, the altitude is an example of a "first altitude." Further, when the altitude of the flying object 50 is B, the altitude is an example of a "second altitude."

The altitude of the flying object 50 determined by the determination unit 114 is any altitude between altitude A and altitude B. In other words, the altitude of the aircraft 50 determined by the determining unit 114 is any altitude between altitude A where the first index value is the highest value and altitude B where the second index value is the highest value. be.

As a result, the altitude determination device 10 determines the altitude between the first altitude at which the communication quality of the first wireless signal peaks and the second altitude at which the communication quality of the second wireless signal peaks. Compared to different altitudes between the altitude and the second altitude, the altitude where the sum of the communication quality of both sides is higher can be determined as the altitude of the aircraft to ensure good communication quality.

In particular, it is preferable that the altitude of the aircraft 50 determined by the determination unit 114 is an altitude at which the first index value is the highest within a range where the second index value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In other words, the altitude of the aircraft 50 determined by the determining unit 114 is determined by the first index value within a range where the communication quality of the second radio signal, which is indicated by the second index value, maintains the minimum quality. The degree of communication quality of the first wireless signal transmitted is the highest altitude.

Note that although the graph shown in FIG. 5 shows that altitude B is higher than altitude A, this altitude is just an example. For example, altitude A may be higher than altitude B, or altitude A and altitude B may be the same altitude.

1-2: Operation of the first embodiment FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the altitude determination device 10 according to the first embodiment.

In step S1, the processing device 11 functions as the first acquisition unit 111. The processing device 11 receives a first index value indicating the degree of communication quality of the first wireless signal received by the first relay device 20 from the first relay device 20 during the measurement period for determining the altitude of the aircraft 50. get.

In step S2, the processing device 11 functions as the second acquisition unit 112. The processing device 11 receives a second index value indicating the degree of communication quality of the second wireless signal received by the first relay device 20 from the first relay device 20 during the measurement period for determining the altitude of the aircraft 50. get.

In step S3, the processing device 11 functions as the third acquisition unit 113. The processing device 11 acquires the altitude of the flying object 50 at the time of acquiring the first index value and the altitude of the flying object 50 at the time of acquiring the second index value.

In step S4, the processing device 11 functions as the determining unit 114. The processing device 11 performs wireless communication via the first relay device 20 based on the relationship between the altitude of the flying object 50 and the first index value and the relationship between the altitude of the flying object 50 and the second index value. The altitude of the aircraft 50 is determined.

1-3: Effects of the first embodiment The altitude determination device 10 according to the present embodiment receives a first radio signal according to a first communication method, and converts the received first radio signal into a second radio signal according to a second communication method. This is an altitude determination device that determines the altitude of an aircraft 50 equipped with a first relay device 20 that converts the second wireless signal into a second wireless signal and transmits the converted second wireless signal to the ground. The altitude determination device 10 includes a first acquisition section 111, a second acquisition section 112, a third acquisition section 113, and a determination section 114. The first acquisition unit 111 acquires a first index value indicating the degree of communication quality of the first radio signal received by the first relay device 20 during the measurement period for determining the altitude of the flying object 50. The second acquisition unit 112 acquires a second index value indicating the degree of communication quality of the second wireless signal during the above measurement period. The third acquisition unit 113 acquires the altitude of the aircraft 50 at the time of acquiring the first index value and the altitude of the aircraft 50 at the time of acquiring the second index value. The determining unit 114 performs wireless communication via the first relay device 20 based on the relationship between the altitude of the aircraft 50 and the first index value and the relationship between the altitude of the aircraft 50 and the second index value. The altitude of the aircraft 50 is determined.

The altitude determination device 10 has the above-described configuration, thereby providing a relay system 1 in which the first relay device 20 mounted on the aircraft 50 receives a first radio signal in the air and transmits a second radio signal to the ground. In order to ensure good communication quality, the altitude of the aircraft 50 can be determined.

In particular, when the first relay device 20 mounted on the aircraft 50 converts a first wireless signal according to the first communication method into a second wireless signal according to the second communication method and transmits it to the ground, the altitude The determining device 10 can determine the optimum altitude as the altitude of the flying object 50 from the viewpoint of the communication quality of both the first radio signal and the second radio signal.

Furthermore, in the altitude determination device 10 according to the present embodiment, the above-mentioned communication quality is communication quality related to at least one of communication speed and electric field strength.

By having the above configuration, the altitude determining device 10 achieves good communication based on the communication quality regarding at least one of the communication speed and the electric field strength as the communication quality of the first wireless signal and the communication quality of the second wireless signal. The optimum altitude can be determined as the altitude of the flying object 50 to ensure quality.

In the altitude determining device 10 according to the present embodiment, the altitude of the aircraft 50 determined by the determining unit 114 ranges from the first altitude where the first index value is the highest value to the highest altitude where the second index value is the highest value. 2 altitudes.

By having the above-described configuration, the altitude determining device 10 can be configured at an altitude between the first altitude where the communication quality of the first wireless signal peaks and the second altitude where the communication quality of the second wireless signal peaks. The altitude where the sum of the communication quality of both altitudes is higher than the altitude between the first altitude and the second altitude is determined as the altitude of the aircraft to ensure good communication quality. can.

In the altitude determining device 10 according to the present embodiment, the altitude of the flying object 50 determined by the determining unit 114 is the altitude at which the first index value is the highest within the range where the second index value is equal to or higher than the predetermined value. It is.

By having the above-described configuration, the altitude determination device 10 determines the altitude at which the communication quality of the first wireless signal reaches its peak within a range where the minimum quality of the communication quality of the second wireless signal can be maintained. It can be determined as the altitude of the flying object 50 to ensure quality.

Further, in the altitude determination device 10 according to the present embodiment, the first communication method is a communication method according to the LTE standard, the second communication method is a communication method according to the Wi-Fi standard, and the first communication method is a communication method according to the Wi-Fi standard. The device 20 is a Wi-Fi router, and the flying object 50 is a balloon moored to the ground using a wire 60.

By having the above configuration, the altitude determining device 10 can maintain the flying object 50, which is a balloon moored to the ground with the wire 60, at an optimal altitude for ensuring good communication quality. Further, by using a Wi-Fi router as a relay device, the relay system 1 including the altitude determining device 10 can convert the first wireless signal into the second wireless signal and transmit it to the ground at low cost.

In the altitude determination device 10 according to the present embodiment, the third acquisition unit 113 calculates based on the strength of the third radio signal received from the third radio signal transmitter 70 mounted on the aircraft 50. The distance to the above-mentioned transmitter 70 is obtained as the altitude of the flying object 50.

By having the above configuration, the altitude determination device 10 easily obtains the altitude of the aircraft 50 by regarding the distance to the transmitter 70 calculated using the third radio signal as the altitude of the aircraft 50. can.

In the altitude determination device 10 according to the present embodiment, the third acquisition unit 113 calculates the length of the wire 60 unreeled from the reel 80, which is calculated by the calculation device 81 provided on the reel 80 that winds the wire 60. It is acquired as the altitude of the flying object 50.

By having the above configuration, the altitude determination device 10 can easily obtain the altitude of the aircraft 50 by regarding the length of the wire 60 let out from the reel 80 as the altitude of the aircraft 50.

2: Modification The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments illustrated above. Specific modes of modification are illustrated below. Two or more aspects arbitrarily selected from the examples below may be combined.

2-1: Modification 1
In the first embodiment, the second measuring unit 212 that measures the communication quality of the second wireless signal is included in the first relay device 20. However, the second measurement unit 212 may be included in the altitude determination device 10 that receives the second radio signal.

2-2: Modification 2
In the first embodiment, the altitude determining device 10 was installed on the ground. However, the altitude determining device 10 may be mounted on the flying object 50. In this case, the altitude determining device 10 and the first relay device 20 may be implemented as a single device within the same housing.

3: Others (1) In the embodiment described above, the altitude determining device 10, the first relay device 20, the second relay device 30, and the third relay device 40 are illustrated, but the altitude determining device 10, the first relay device 20 , the second relay device 30, and the third relay device 40 include a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (for example, a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a smart card, and a flash disk. memory devices (e.g. cards, sticks, key drives), compact disc-roms (CD-ROMs), registers, removable disks, hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic strips, databases, servers and other suitable storage media. be. Additionally, the program executed by the external device may be transmitted from the network via a telecommunications line. Further, the program may be transmitted from the communication network NET via a telecommunications line.

(2) In the embodiments described above, the information, signals, etc. described may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc., which may be referred to throughout the above description, may refer to voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or photons, or any of these. It may also be represented by a combination of

(3) In the embodiments described above, the input/output information may be stored in a specific location (for example, memory) or may be managed using a management table. Information etc. to be input/output may be overwritten, updated, or additionally written. The output information etc. may be deleted. The input information etc. may be transmitted to other devices.

(4) In the embodiments described above, the determination may be made using a value expressed using 1 bit (0 or 1) or a truth value (Boolean: true or false). Alternatively, the comparison may be performed by comparing numerical values (for example, comparing with a predetermined value).

(5) The order of the processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. illustrated in the embodiments described above may be changed as long as there is no contradiction. For example, the methods described in this disclosure use an example order to present elements of the various steps and are not limited to the particular order presented.

(6) Each of the functions illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 is realized by an arbitrary combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using one physically or logically coupled device, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices directly or indirectly (e.g. , wired, wireless, etc.) and may be realized using a plurality of these devices. The functional block may be realized by combining software with the one device or the plurality of devices.

(7) The programs exemplified in the above-described embodiments are instructions, instruction sets, codes, codes, regardless of whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or by other names. Should be broadly construed to mean a segment, program code, program, subprogram, software module, application, software application, software package, routine, subroutine, object, executable, thread of execution, procedure, function, etc.

Additionally, software, instructions, information, etc. may be sent and received via a transmission medium. For example, if the software uses wired technology (coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), etc.) and/or wireless technology (infrared, microwave, etc.) to When transmitted from a server or other remote source, these wired and/or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission medium.

(8) In each of the above embodiments, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

(9) The information, parameters, etc. described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values from a predetermined value, or other corresponding information. It may also be expressed as

(10) In the embodiment described above, the altitude determining device 10, the first relay device 20, the second relay device 30, and the third relay device 40 may be mobile stations (MSs). A mobile station is defined by a person skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless It may also be referred to as a terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable terminology. Further, in the present disclosure, terms such as "mobile station," "user terminal," "user equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably.

(11) In the embodiments described above, the terms "connected", "coupled", or any variations thereof refer to direct or indirect connections between two or more elements. Refers to any connection or combination and can include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be a physical coupling or connection, a logical coupling or connection, or a combination thereof. For example, "connection" may be replaced with "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may include one or more wires, cables, and/or printed electrical connections, as well as in the radio frequency domain, as some non-limiting and non-inclusive examples. , electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the microwave and optical (both visible and non-visible) ranges, etc., can be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other.

(12) In the embodiments described above, the statement "based on" does not mean "based solely on" unless specified otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

(13) The terms "determining" and "determining" used in this disclosure may encompass a wide variety of operations. "Judgment" and "decision" include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, search, and inquiry. (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), and regarding an ascertaining as a "judgment" or "decision." In addition, "judgment" and "decision" refer to receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, and access. (accessing) (e.g., accessing data in memory) may include considering something as a "judgment" or "decision." In addition, "judgment" and "decision" refer to resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. as "judgment" and "decision". may be included. In other words, "judgment" and "decision" may include regarding some action as having been "judged" or "determined." Further, "judgment (decision)" may be read as "assuming", "expecting", "considering", etc.

(14) In the embodiments described above, when “include”, “including” and variations thereof are used, these terms are used in the same manner as the term “comprising”. , is intended to be comprehensive. Furthermore, the term "or" as used in this disclosure is not intended to be exclusive or.

(15) In the present disclosure, when articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the present disclosure does not include that the nouns following these articles are plural. good.

(16) In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." Note that the term may also mean that "A and B are each different from C". Terms such as "separate", "coupled", etc. may also be interpreted similarly to "different".

(17) Each aspect/embodiment described in the present disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or may be switched and used in accordance with execution. In addition, notification of prescribed information (for example, notification of "X") is not limited to explicit notification, but may also be done implicitly (for example, by not notifying the prescribed information). Good too.

Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described in this disclosure. The present disclosure can be implemented as modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as determined by the claims. Accordingly, the description of the present disclosure is for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to be limiting on the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Relay system, 10...Altitude determination device, 11...Processing device, 12...Storage device, 13...Communication device, 14...Display, 15...Input device, 20...First relay device, 21...Processing device, 22...Storage Device, 23... Communication device, 24... Display, 25... Input device, 30... Second relay device, 40... Third relay device, 50... Aircraft, 60... Wire, 70... Transmitter, 80... Reel, 81... Calculation device, 111...first acquisition section, 112...second acquisition section, 113...third acquisition section, 114...determination section, 115...calculation section, 211...first measurement section, 212...second measurement section, 213... Output section, PR1, PR2...control program

Claims (7)

A relay device that receives a first wireless signal according to a first communication method, converts the received first wireless signal into a second wireless signal according to a second communication method, and transmits the converted second wireless signal to the ground. An altitude determination device for determining the altitude of an aircraft carrying a
a first acquisition unit that acquires a first index value indicating a degree of communication quality of the first radio signal received by the relay device during a measurement period for determining the altitude of the flying object;
a second acquisition unit that acquires a second index value indicating the degree of communication quality of the second wireless signal during the measurement period;
a third acquisition unit that acquires the altitude of the flying object at the time when the first index value is acquired and the altitude of the flying object at the time when the second index value is acquired;
of the flying object for performing wireless communication via the relay device based on the relationship between the altitude of the flying object and the first index value and the relationship between the altitude of the flying object and the second index value. a determining section that determines the altitude;
An altitude determining device equipped with: The altitude determination device according to claim 1, wherein the communication quality is communication quality related to at least one of communication speed and electric field strength. The altitude of the aircraft determined by the determining unit is any altitude between a first altitude where the first index value is the highest value and a second altitude where the second index value is the highest value. be,
An altitude determining device according to claim 1. The altitude of the flying object determined by the determining unit is an altitude at which the first index value is the highest value within a range where the second index value is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.
The altitude determining device according to claim 3. The first communication method is a communication method according to the LTE standard, the second communication method is a communication method according to the Wi-Fi standard, the relay device is a Wi-Fi router, and the aircraft The altitude determining device according to claim 1, wherein is a balloon moored to the ground using a wire. The third acquisition unit calculates the distance to the transmitter of the third radio signal, which is calculated based on the strength of the third radio signal received from the transmitter of the third radio signal mounted on the flight vehicle. The altitude determining device according to claim 1, wherein the altitude is acquired as an altitude. The altitude according to claim 5, wherein the third acquisition unit acquires, as the altitude of the aircraft, the length of the wire unreeled from the reel, which is calculated by a calculation device included in a reel for winding the wire. decision device.

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