IP Library Granted Patent US 12,063,526
Granted Patent B2
US 12,063,526 · App. 18/349,975 · Granted Aug 13, 2024

System, information-providing device, program, and information-providing method

Inventor: Eiji Nakazawa (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SoftBank Corp.
H04W16/28H01Q1/28H04W84/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,063,526
App. No.
18/349,975
Granted
Aug 13, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a system, comprising: an information-providing device; and a flying object functioning as a stratosphere platform and equipped with a control device radiating a beam to form a wireless communication area to provide wireless communication service to a user terminal in the wireless communication area, wherein the information-providing device irradiates the flying object with a radio wave including a response signal to the beam when a frequency of the beam is a predetermined frequency band, and the control device comprises: a radio wave receiving unit receiving the radio wave; a non-target area judging unit judging whether a non-target area of the wireless communication service exists in the wireless communication area based on the response signal; and a flying object controlling unit controlling the flying object not to irradiate the non-target area with the beam in response to the non-target area judging unit judging that the non-target area exists.

Claims (49)

1. A system, comprising:

an information-providing device; and

a flying object which functions as a stratosphere platform and is equipped with a control device which radiates a beam to form a wireless communication area to provide wireless communication service to a user terminal in the wireless communication area, wherein

the information-providing device irradiates the flying object with a radio wave including a response signal to the beam when a frequency of the beam received from the flying object is a predetermined frequency band, and

the control device comprises:

a radio wave receiving unit which receives the radio wave radiated by the information-providing device;

a non-target area judging unit which judges whether a non-target area of the wireless communication service exists in the wireless communication area based on the response signal included in the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving unit; and

a flying object controlling unit which controls the flying object not to irradiate the non-target area with the beam in response to the non-target area judging unit judging that the non-target area exists.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein

the information-providing device irradiates the flying object with the radio wave including the response signal including installation location information representing an installation location of the information-providing device, and

the non-target area judging unit judges whether the non-target area exists based on the installation location information included in the response signal.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein

when the frequency of the beam is the predetermined frequency band, the information-providing device measures signal intensity of the beam and irradiates the flying object with the radio wave including the response signal including signal intensity information representing the signal intensity having been measured, and

the non-target area judging unit judges whether the signal intensity represented by the signal intensity information included in the response signal is higher than a predetermined signal intensity threshold, and, when judging that the signal intensity is higher than the signal intensity threshold, judges that the non-target area exists.

4. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the information-providing device uses a directional antenna to irradiate the flying object with the radio wave.

5. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the information-providing device uses an LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) communication scheme to irradiate the flying object with the radio wave.

6. The system according to claim 2 , wherein

the information-providing device irradiates the flying object with the radio wave according to a predetermined pattern by radiating the radio wave intermittently, and

the non-target area judging unit judges whether the non-target area exists in response to the radio wave receiving unit receiving the radio wave in the predetermined pattern.

7. The system according to claim 2 , wherein

the information-providing device irradiates the flying object with the radio waves of two different frequencies, and

the non-target area judging unit judges whether the non-target area exists in response to the radio wave receiving unit receiving both of the radio waves of two different frequencies.

8. The system according to claim 2 , wherein

the information-providing device irradiates the flying object with the radio waves of two different polarizations, and

the non-target area judging unit judges whether the non-target area exists in response to the radio wave receiving unit receiving both of the radio waves of two different polarizations.

9. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the information-providing device comprises a solar panel and a battery which stores electric power generated by the solar panel, does not have a function of receiving electric power from an external power supply, and irradiates the flying object with the radio wave including the response signal by using electric power of the battery.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein

the information-providing device irradiates the flying object with the radio wave including the response signal including identification information for identifying the information-providing device,

the control device further comprises a storage unit which stores the identification information and installation location information representing an installation location of the information-providing device in association with one another, and

the non-target area judging unit judges whether the non-target area exists based on the installation location information stored in the storage unit in association with the identification information included in the response signal.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein

when the frequency of the beam is the predetermined frequency band, the information-providing device measures signal intensity of the beam and irradiates the flying object with the radio wave including the response signal including signal intensity information representing the signal intensity having been measured, and

the non-target area judging unit judges whether the signal intensity represented by the signal intensity information included in the response signal is higher than a predetermined signal intensity threshold, and, when judging that the signal intensity is higher than the signal intensity threshold, judges that the non-target area exists.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the information-providing device uses a directional antenna to irradiate the flying object with the radio wave.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the information-providing device uses an LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) communication scheme to irradiate the flying object with the radio wave.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein

the information-providing device irradiates the flying object with the radio wave according to a predetermined pattern by radiating the radio wave intermittently, and

the non-target area judging unit judges whether the non-target area exists in response to the radio wave receiving unit receiving the radio wave in the predetermined pattern.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein

the information-providing device irradiates the flying object with the radio waves of two different frequencies, and

the non-target area judging unit judges whether the non-target area exists in response to the radio wave receiving unit receiving both of the radio waves of two different frequencies.

16. The system according to claim 1 , wherein

the information-providing device irradiates the flying object with the radio waves of two different polarizations, and

the non-target area judging unit judges whether the non-target area exists in response to the radio wave receiving unit receiving both of the radio waves of two different polarizations.

17. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the information-providing device comprises a solar panel and a battery which stores electric power generated by the solar panel, does not have a function of receiving electric power from an external power supply, and irradiates the flying object with the radio wave including the response signal by using electric power of the battery.

18. The system according to claim 1 , wherein

the non-target area is at least one of an area including a territory of a non-service target country or an area where wireless communication areas respectively formed by two flying objects overlap.

19. The system according to claim 1 , wherein

the information-providing device does not irradiate the flying object with the radio wave including the response signal to the beam when the frequency of the beam received from the flying object is not the predetermined frequency band.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Dec 18, 2023
From: HAPSMOBILE INC.
To: SOFTBANK CORP.
Reel/Frame 066048/0600 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 11, 2023
From: NAKAZAWA, EIJI
To: HAPSMOBILE INC.
Reel/Frame 064218/0209 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-016285 · Feb 4, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2021048700 · Dec 27, 2021
Related Publication 20230362672A1 · Nov 9, 2023