Patents by Inventor Anthony Litwinowicz

Anthony Litwinowicz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10562609
    Abstract: A flight control system includes a flight control computer operable in a flight state and a ground state. A high demand trim relief logic is operable by the flight control computer in the ground state. The high demand trim relief logic is configured to automatically modify the neutral position of a rotor when a command input to the flight control computer to control the rotor is near an allowable limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Kenneth S. Wittmer
  • Patent number: 10370096
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to obtaining data from at least one sensor, processing, by a processor, the data to determine an independent rotor phase lag for each of a plurality of axes associated with a rotorcraft, and issuing, by the processor, at least one command to provide for on-axis moments in accordance with the independent rotor phase lag for each of the axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Kenneth S. Wittmer, Matthew T. Luszcz
  • Patent number: 10359785
    Abstract: A rotary wing aircraft control system includes an airframe, a main rotor assembly supported by the airframe, and a control system arranged in the airframe and operatively connected to the main rotor assembly. The control system includes a flight control computer (FCC), at least one control inceptor device and a touchdown orientation control system. The touchdown orientation control system includes a computer readable program code an FCC to: sense, by a sensor operatively connected to the flight control computer (FCC), an altitude of the rotary wing aircraft relative to a landing surface, determine one of a landing state rearward velocity reference limit value and a landing state lateral velocity reference limit value associated with the altitude, and selectively limit a landing state flight envelope of the rotary wing aircraft to the one of the landing state rearward velocity reference limit value and the landing state lateral velocity reference limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Anthony Litwinowicz
  • Patent number: 10017263
    Abstract: An impact mitigation system for an aircraft and method of deploying the impact mitigation system is disclosed. A state parameter of the aircraft is obtained. The state parameter is used with an aircraft performance model to determine an acceleration capability of the aircraft. A trajectory of the aircraft is predicted using the state parameter of the aircraft and the acceleration capability of the aircraft. A location of an object with respect to the aircraft is determined and the impact mitigation system is deployed when the predicted trajectory indicates a contact with the object at a predicted contact velocity higher than a threshold velocity at a future time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Kwok Cheng
  • Publication number: 20170291711
    Abstract: An impact mitigation system for an aircraft and method of deploying the impact mitigation system is disclosed. A state parameter of the aircraft is obtained. The state parameter is used with an aircraft performance model to determine an acceleration capability of the aircraft. A trajectory of the aircraft is predicted using the state parameter of the aircraft and the acceleration capability of the aircraft. A location of an object with respect to the aircraft is determined and the impact mitigation system is deployed when the predicted trajectory indicates a contact with the object at a predicted contact velocity higher than a threshold velocity at a future time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Kwok Cheng
  • Publication number: 20170291690
    Abstract: A flight control system includes a flight control computer operable in a flight state and a ground state. A high demand trim relief logic is operable by the flight control computer in the ground state. The high demand trim relief logic is configured to automatically modify the neutral position of a rotor when a command input to the flight control computer to control the rotor is near an allowable limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Kenneth S. Wittmer
  • Publication number: 20170285660
    Abstract: A rotary wing aircraft control system includes an airframe, a main rotor assembly supported by the airframe, and a control system arranged in the airframe and operatively connected to the main rotor assembly. The control system includes a flight control computer (FCC), at least one control inceptor device and a touchdown orientation control system. The touchdown orientation control system includes a computer readable program code an FCC to: sense, by a sensor operatively connected to the flight control computer (FCC), an altitude of the rotary wing aircraft relative to a landing surface, determine one of a landing state rearward velocity reference limit value and a landing state lateral velocity reference limit value associated with the altitude, and selectively limit a landing state flight envelope of the rotary wing aircraft to the one of the landing state rearward velocity reference limit value and the landing state lateral velocity reference limit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventor: Anthony Litwinowicz
  • Patent number: 9682771
    Abstract: Controlling rotor blades of a rotor assembly includes determining an azimuthal position of a rotor assembly and identifying a lateral control command value, a longitudinal control command value and a collective control command value of a rotor assembly control system. A sine value and a cosine value of the azimuthal position are calculated and separate blade commands signals are generated for each separate blade of the rotor assembly to control a position of each blade independent of each other blade. The blade command signals are generated based on combining the sine and cosine values of the azimuthal position with the lateral control command value, the longitudinal control command value and the collective control command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Knag, Anthony Litwinowicz
  • Publication number: 20170021922
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to obtaining data from at least one sensor, processing, by a processor, the data to determine an independent rotor phase lag for each of a plurality of axes associated with a rotorcraft, and issuing, by the processor, at least one command to provide for on-axis moments in accordance with the independent rotor phase lag for each of the axes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Kenneth S. Wittmer, Matthew T. Luszcz
  • Patent number: 9448558
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to measuring, via at least one sensor, at least one of a damage and a compromise associated with a vehicle, determining at least one of a region and a location of the at least one of a damage and a compromise and a level of the at least one of a damage and a compromise, and adapting an operational envelope for the vehicle based on the determined at least one of a region and a location of the at least one of a damage and a compromise and the level of the at least one of a damage and a compromise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Vineet Sahasrabudhe, Jonathan K. Garhart, Preston R. Bates
  • Patent number: 9250629
    Abstract: A helicopter is provided and includes an air frame formed to accommodate a pilot, flight control elements disposed on the airframe to generate lift and thrust in accordance with control commands issued by the pilot and a current control mode, a sensor disposed on the airframe to sense helicopter proximity to terrain and obstacles and a flight computer configured to change the current control mode based on sensed helicopter proximity to the terrain and the obstacles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Vineet Sahasrabudhe
  • Patent number: 9174730
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to causing, by a computing device comprising a processor, a rotating tail rotor to operate in a tail rotor mode when an aircraft is operating at a speed less than a rudder control power threshold, receiving, by the computing device, a command that indicates a request to transition the aircraft, determining, by the computing device, that a rudder of the aircraft has control power in an amount greater than a second threshold based on receiving the command, and causing, by the computing device, the rotating tail rotor to operate in a pusher propeller mode based on determining that the rudder has control power in the amount greater than the second threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, James Rigsby, Cody Fegely, Mark W. Scott, John Knag
  • Publication number: 20150307203
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to obtaining data pertaining to at least: a rate of descent of an aircraft and a measured distance of the aircraft from at least one of an obstacle and the ground, processing, by a processing device, the data to obtain a flight envelope, generating a tactile cue corresponding to the flight envelope, and applying the tactile cue to an inceptor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Vineet Sahasrabudhe, Alex Faynberg, John Knag, William Fell
  • Publication number: 20150301530
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to measuring, via at least one sensor, at least one of a damage and a compromise associated with a vehicle, determining at least one of a region and a location of the at least one of a damage and a compromise and a level of the at least one of a damage and a compromise, and adapting an operational envelope for the vehicle based on the determined at least one of a region and a location of the at least one of a damage and a compromise and the level of the at least one of a damage and a compromise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Vineet Sahasrabudhe, Jonathan K. Garhart, Preston R. Bates
  • Patent number: 9156540
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to obtaining, by a device, data associated with an aircraft, processing, by the device, the data, determining, by the device, that the aircraft is likely to impact an object with a probability greater than a threshold within a second threshold amount of time based on the processed data, and causing, by the device, a change in an orientation of the aircraft based on the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Vineet Sahasrabudhe, Charles W. Clarke
  • Publication number: 20150286214
    Abstract: A helicopter is provided and includes an air frame formed to accommodate a pilot, flight control elements disposed on the airframe to generate lift and thrust in accordance with control commands issued by the pilot and a current control mode, a sensor disposed on the airframe to sense helicopter proximity to terrain and obstacles and a flight computer configured to change the current control mode based on sensed helicopter proximity to the terrain and the obstacles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Vineet Sahasrabudhe
  • Patent number: 9139290
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to receiving, by a computing device comprising a processor, at least one control input associated with an aircraft, obtaining, by the computing device, a predicted response to the at least one control input by filtering on a trim position, wherein the predicted response is based on a model of the aircraft, obtaining, by the computing device, an actual response of the aircraft to the at least one control input, comparing, by the computing device, the predicted response and the actual response, and determining, by the computing device, at least one attribute based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Stephen Kubik, Steven W. Hong
  • Patent number: 9132911
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to measuring, via at least one sensor, at least one of a damage and a compromise associated with a vehicle, determining at least one of a region and a location of the at least one of a damage and a compromise and a level of the at least one of a damage and a compromise, and adapting an operational envelope for the vehicle based on the determined at least one of a region and a location of the at least one of a damage and a compromise and the level of the at least one of a damage and a compromise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Vineet Sahasrabudhe, Jonathan K. Garhart, Preston R. Bates
  • Publication number: 20150073626
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to receiving, by a computing device comprising a processor, at least one control input associated with an aircraft, obtaining, by the computing device, a predicted response to the at least one control input by filtering on a trim position, wherein the predicted response is based on a model of the aircraft, obtaining, by the computing device, an actual response of the aircraft to the at least one control input, comparing, by the computing device, the predicted response and the actual response, and determining, by the computing device, at least one attribute based on the comparison
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, Stephen Kubik, Steven W. Hong
  • Publication number: 20150053815
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to causing, by a computing device comprising a processor, a rotating tail rotor to operate in a tail rotor mode when an aircraft is operating at a speed less than a rudder control power threshold, receiving, by the computing device, a command that indicates a request to transition the aircraft, determining, by the computing device, that a rudder of the aircraft has control power in an amount greater than a second threshold based on receiving the command, and causing, by the computing device, the rotating tail rotor to operate in a pusher propeller mode based on determining that the rudder has control power in the amount greater than the second threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony Litwinowicz, James Rigsby, Cody Fegely, Mark W. Scott, John Knag