Abstract:
Exemplary methods and systems may help to provide content to a user and/or take to take actions on user's behalf, based on a context-specific user-network that includes surrogates for a user in a certain context. An exemplary method may involve: (a) determining a context associated with a first user-profile; (b) determining a context-specific user-network for the first user-profile in the determined context, wherein the context-specific user-network comprises one or more user-profiles that are surrogates for the first user-profile in the determined context; (c) using historical context-to-action data for one or more of the surrogate user-profiles as a basis for determining a context-based action that is appropriate in the determined context; and (d) causing a computing device associated with the first user-profile to initiate the context-based action.
Abstract:
Disclosed herein are embodiments of a balloon-based positioning system and method. In one example embodiment, a system includes at least three balloons, with each balloon including a position-determining module (PDM) and a position-broadcasting module (PBM). Each PDM is configured for determining a position of the respective balloon and each PBM is configured for broadcasting a balloon signal containing balloon-positioning data of the respective balloon. The balloon-positioning data includes the determined position of the respective balloon and a corresponding time of broadcast.
Abstract:
A balloon includes a cut-down device, a payload, and an envelope. A control system could be configured to determine a position of the balloon with respect to a predetermined zone. The cut-down device could be operable to cause at least the payload to land in response to determining that the position of the balloon is within the predetermined zone. The predetermined zone includes an exclusion zone and a shadow zone. The shadow zone could include locations from which the balloon would be likely to drift into the exclusion zone based on, e.g., historic weather patterns or expected environmental conditions. Boundaries of the shadow zone could be determined based on, for example, a probability of the balloon entering the exclusion zone.
Abstract:
The present disclosure provides a method operable in a balloon network. The method can include determining that a balloon is at a location associated with a first legally-defined geographic area, wherein an area profile identifies a list of geographically-prohibited data that is restricted from being cached in the first legally-defined geographic area. The method can also include receiving first data. The method can also include using the list of geographically-prohibited data to determine whether or not the first data is geographically-prohibited data. If the first data is geographically-prohibited data, then the method can further include refraining from storing the first data in data storage at the first balloon.
Abstract:
Embodiments relate to a marketplace for inter-network links between a high-altitude network and a terrestrial data network. An example method may involve a computer-based purchasing agent: (i) determining a demand for inter-network bandwidth between a high-altitude network and a terrestrial data network, (ii) determining one or more offers to provide an inter-network link, wherein the inter-network link provides inter-network bandwidth between the high-altitude network and the terrestrial data network, and wherein each offer is associated with a corresponding client device, (iii) based at least in part on a comparison of: (a) the demand for inter-network bandwidth and (b) the one or more offers to provide an inter-network link, selecting one or more of the offers to provide an inter-network link, and (iv) initiating a process to establish an inter-network link at each client device that corresponds to one of the one or more selected offers.
Abstract:
The present disclosure provides a method operable in a balloon network. The method can include determining that a balloon is at a location associated with a first legally-defined geographic area, wherein an area profile identifies a list of geographically-prohibited data that is restricted from being cached in the first legally-defined geographic area. The method can also include receiving first data. The method can also include using the list of geographically-prohibited data to determine whether or not the first data is geographically-prohibited data. If the first data is geographically-prohibited data, then the method can further include refraining from storing the first data in data storage at the first balloon.
Abstract:
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.
Abstract:
The present disclosure provides a method operable in a balloon network. The method can include determining that a balloon is at a location associated with a first legally-defined geographic area, wherein an area profile identifies a list of geographically-prohibited data that is restricted from being cached in the first legally-defined geographic area. The method can also include receiving first data. The method can also include using the list of geographically-prohibited data to determine whether or not the first data is geographically-prohibited data. If the first data is geographically-prohibited data, then the method can further include refraining from storing the first data in data storage at the first balloon.
Abstract:
Methods and systems for recipient-assisted recharging during delivery by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) are disclosed herein. During a UAV transport task, a UAV determines that the UAV has arrived at a delivery location specified by a first flight leg of the transport task. The UAV responsively initiates a notification process indicating that a recipient-assisted recharging process should be initiated at or near the delivery location. When the UAV determines that the recipient-assisted recharging process has recharged a battery of the UAV to a target level, and also determines that a non-returnable portion of the payload has been removed from the UAV while a returnable portion of the payload is coupled to or held by the UAV, the UAV initiates a second flight segment of the transport task.
Abstract:
Methods and systems for recipient-assisted recharging during delivery by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) are disclosed herein. During a UAV transport task, a UAV determines that the UAV has arrived at a delivery location specified by a first flight leg of the transport task. The UAV responsively initiates a notification process indicating that a recipient-assisted recharging process should be initiated at or near the delivery location. When the UAV determines that the recipient-assisted recharging process has recharged a battery of the UAV to a target level, and also determines that a non-returnable portion of the payload has been removed from the UAV while a returnable portion of the payload is coupled to or held by the UAV, the UAV initiates a second flight segment of the transport task.