Abstract:
A man packable, portable sounding kit includes, in one example, at least two balloons and at least two radiosondes each including a tether for connecting a radiosonde to a balloon. A gas container includes gas for inflating the at least two balloons. A fill hose assembly includes a balloon inflation nozzle coupled to a pressure regulator. A data transceiver unit is configured to receive and optionally to rebroadcast atmospheric weather data from the radiosonde. A case houses the balloons, radiosondes, data transceiver unit, gas container, and fill hose assembly.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to radiosondes and sounding stations and equipment. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Sounding stations launch a radiosonde—atmospheric measurement devices and sensors coupled to a transmitter tethered to a balloon. Sounding stations are typically large, complex, and expensive systems. 
     There are instances when weather data is needed in the field. Examples include deployments and/or operation in areas not served by regular weather reports derived by government controlled sounding stations, (e.g., NOAA). Another example is when precise weather conditions are needed between regularly scheduled radiosonde launches. 
     So called “portable” sounding systems require a trailer to transport them, include a large antenna on a tripod, and/or are expensive, complex, and bulky. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect, the invention provides a small, packable, portable sounding system easily carried, easily deployed, and easy to use in order to provide real time weather data for weather dependent missions such as artillery support, aerial delivery, and the like. 
     Featured is a man packable, portable sounding kit comprising one or more balloons, a radiosonde attachable to a said balloon, and a data transceiver unit configured to receive atmospheric weather data from the radiosonde and also interfaceable with a computing device configured to utilize the weather data. A gas container configured for filling the balloon is provided as a part of the kit in one preferred example. 
     In one example, a fill hose assembly interconnects the gas container with a balloon. The fill hose assembly may include a balloon inflation nozzle coupled to a pressure regulator. The pressure regulator may include a regulator valve. In one version, the fill hose assembly includes a balloon fill valve adjacent the balloon inflation nozzle. One preferred balloon inflation nozzle includes spaced ribs. Also, the gas container may include a pressure indicator. 
     In one preferred embodiment, the components of the kit in total weigh less than 4 kgs. There may be two balloons and each balloon is typically less than 100 grams. The gas container typically has a volume of less than or equal to two liters. 
     The sounding kit may further include a case housing the balloons, the radiosonde, the data transceiver unit, and the gas container. In one example, each balloon is packaged with a radiosonde in a sleeve. Further included is a tether connecting the radiosonde to the balloon. The tether may include a balloon sealer. Further included may be ground station software loadable on the computing device and configured to interpret and display weather data. 
     Also featured is a sounding system comprising at least two balloons and at least two radiosondes each including a tether for connecting a radiosonde to a balloon. A gas container including gas sufficient for inflating the two balloons. A fill hose assembly includes a balloon inflation nozzle coupled to a pressure regulator. A data transceiver unit is configured to receive atmospheric weather data from the radiosonde. A case houses the balloons, radiosondes, data transceiver unit, gas container, and fill hose assembly. 
     The subject invention, however, in other embodiments, need not achieve all these objectives and the claims hereof should not be limited to structures or methods capable of achieving these objectives. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing several of the primary components associated with a sounding kit in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view showing the launch of a radiosonde in accordance with an example of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic three dimensional top view showing one embodiment of a tactical weather observer kit featured via the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view showing an unpackaged balloon and radiosonde from the kit of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view showing an example of the high pressure helium bottle and fill hose assembly from the kit of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing a weather balloon being attached to the fill hose assembly fill nozzle; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic three dimensional side view of the radiosonde of the kit of  FIG. 3  coupled to a balloon tether and balloon sealer; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic three dimension top view of the transceiver of the kit of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a screen shot showing the operation of software loaded onto the laptop computer of  FIG. 1  which interprets and displays weather data for the user when transmitted to the laptop from the transceiver of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a block diagram showing, in one example, the primary components associated with a radiosonde in accordance with the invention; and 
         FIG. 11  is a block diagram showing, in one example, the primary components associated with a transceiver in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Aside from the preferred embodiment or embodiments disclosed below, this invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Thus, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. If only one embodiment is described herein, the claims hereof are not to be limited to that embodiment. Moreover, the claims hereof are not to be read restrictively unless there is clear and convincing evidence manifesting a certain exclusion, restriction, or disclaimer. 
       FIG. 1  depicts an example of a man packable, portable sounding kit  10  with one or more balloons  12  (e.g., 30 gram balloons) filled by helium bottle  12  via fill hose assembly  16 . The balloons are typically less than 100 grams. Radiosonde  18  is attached to a balloon  12  via tether  20 . Radiosonde  18  includes means for sensing, for example, atmospheric pressure, air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and the like as the balloon ascends as shown in  FIG. 2 . This weather data is transmitted from radiosonde  18  to wearable transceiver  22  which can be connected to laptop  24  via a USB cable or other interface. Laptop  24  may operate software which interprets the raw weather data from the radiosonde and displays the weather data on the laptop. Alternatively or in addition, data from radiosonde  18  can be rebroadcasted by transceiver  22  wirelessly to an aircraft, for example, which uses the data in planning and performing airdrop operations. 
     One preferred system continuously measures wind speed, wind direction, pressure, temperature, and humidity while ascending through the air column on a six cubic foot weather balloon about 32 inches in diameter. Helium tank  14  has a capacity for two deployments. 
     Forward deployed units or squads can report real-time weather conditions either by voice or net-centric data transmission to any user requiring the information. The data from the radiosonde can be imported into standard weather forecasting software to produce tactical weather reports. The complete kit preferably weighs less than 4 kg. In one example, it weighed less than 2 kg. Radiosonde  18  weights 38.3 g and is 12.3×37.9×34.7 cm. Transceiver  22  weights 112 g and is 9.5×4.3×1.9 cm. Helium bottle  12  weighs 1.7 kg (empty) and has a volume of 1.15 L at 4,500 psi. It is 34.3 cm tall×11 cm in diameter. Fill hose assembly  16  is 82.5 cm in length. 
       FIG. 3  shows an example where four radiosonde/balloon combinations are packaged in sleeves  30  and transported along with transceiver  22 , helium bottle  14 , and fill hose assembly  16  in high impact case  32 . 
       FIG. 4  shows radiosonde  18  in protective shrink wrap as well as tether  20  wrapped about the radiosonde body. Balloon  12  is in a plastic bag. 
     Helium bottle  14  may include bottle stand  40 . Fill hose assembly  16  includes balloon inflation nozzle  50  coupled via coiled filling hose  52  to pressure regulator  54 . Pressure regulator  54  includes regulator valve  56  and the fill hose assembly includes balloon fill valve  58  adjacent nozzle  50 . One preferred inflation nozzle includes spaced ribs  60   a  and  60   b . Also, bottle  14  includes pressure indicator  62 . 
     Helium tank  14  is attached to fill hose assembly  16  and the pressure indicator  62  is checked to ensure helium tank  14  has sufficient pressure to launch a radiosonde. Radiosonde  18  is then prepared as shown in  FIG. 6  and the neck of a balloon  12  is pulled over the ribs of inflation nozzle  50 . A balloon sealer such as zip tie  70  is attached to radiosonde tether  20  and at this stage is loosely fastened about the neck of the balloon as shown in  FIG. 6 . Next, main pressure regulator valve  56 ,  FIG. 5  is turned clockwise and balloon fill valve  58  is turned clockwise to inflate the balloon to approximately 2.25 kpsi. Then regulator valve  56  and balloon fill valve  58  are closed. Zip tie  70 ,  FIG. 6  is then tightened and the neck of the balloon can be removed from the fill nozzle. 
     Temperature/humidity sensor  80 ,  FIG. 7  of radiosonde  18  is then bent at a right angle with respect to the radiosonde and on/off switch  82  is turned on. Once the radiosonde GPS has a valid fix, LED status light  84  starts blinking green. Thereafter the balloon can be deployed slowly drawing off the tether string coiled around the radiosonde after which the radiosonde can be left go. 
       FIG. 8  shows transceiver  22  which receives weather data from the radiosonde and including 400 MHz antenna  90  and USB cable  92 . 
       FIG. 9  shows how data such as positional data of the radiosonde at  100 , the time  102 , the altitude  104 , wind speed and direction  106  and  108 , respectively, atmospheric pressure  109 , humidity  110 , and temperature  112  are displayed on the screen of laptop  24 ,  FIG. 1 . 
     The primary components of the preferred radiosonde  18 ,  FIG. 10  include microprocessor  120  interfacing with 14.7456 MHz oscillator  122 . Microprocessor  120  receives data from pressure sensor  124  and temperature and humidity sensor  126  and location information from GPS receiver  128  which includes GPS antenna  130 . Microprocessor  120  is powered by 4V battery  132  via regulator  134 . ADC battery monitor  136  is also provided. Microprocessor  120  controls transmitter  140  to transmit temperature data and humidity sensor and pressure sensor data as well as GPS data via antenna  60 . Transmitter  140  typically operates in the range of 400-405 MHz. Access to microprocessor  120  includes USB interface  150  and USB connector  152 . See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,358,862 and 6,421,010 incorporated herein by this reference. 
     Wearable transceiver  22 ,  FIG. 11  receives data from radiosonde transmitter  140 ,  FIG. 10  via antenna  160 ,  FIG. 11  which is processed in microprocessor  162  equipped with an RF modulator via RF switch  164 . Microprocessor  162  receives as an input signals from 26 MHz oscillator  168 . Rebroadcasts from transceiver  22  are amplified by 400-405 RF amplifier  170  via RF switch  164  to RX/TX antenna  160 . As depicted in  FIG. 1 , transceiver  22  can be connected to a laptop or other computer via USB interface  180  and USB connector  182 . 
     The result, in one preferred embodiment, is a small, packable, and portable sounding system easily carried, easily deployed, and easy to use in order to provide real time weather data for tactical weather dependent missions such as artillery support, aerial delivery, and the like. 
     Although specific features of the invention are shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only as each feature may be combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the invention. The words “including”, “comprising”, “having”, and “with” as used herein are to be interpreted broadly and comprehensively and are not limited to any physical interconnection. Moreover, any embodiments disclosed in the subject application are not to be taken as the only possible embodiments. 
     In addition, any amendment presented during the prosecution of the patent application for this patent is not a disclaimer of any claim element presented in the application as filed: those skilled in the art cannot reasonably be expected to draft a claim that would literally encompass all possible equivalents, many equivalents will be unforeseeable at the time of the amendment and are beyond a fair interpretation of what is to be surrendered (if anything), the rationale underlying the amendment may bear no more than a tangential relation to many equivalents, and/or there are many other reasons the applicant can not be expected to describe certain insubstantial substitutes for any claim element amended. 
     Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims.