Patents by Inventor Daniel P. Scharf

Daniel P. Scharf 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).

  • Method and apparatus for powered descent guidance
    Patent number: 8489260
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for landing a spacecraft having thrusters with non-convex constraints is described. The method first computes a solution to a minimum error landing problem for a convexified constraints, then applies that solution to a minimum fuel landing problem for convexified constraints. The result is a solution that is a minimum error and minimum fuel solution that is also a feasible solution to the analogous system with non-convex thruster constraints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Behcet Acikmese, James C. L. Blackmore, Daniel P. Scharf
  • METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR POWERED DESCENT GUIDANCE
    Publication number: 20100228409
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for landing a spacecraft having thrusters with non-convex constraints is described. The method first computes a solution to a minimum error landing problem for a convexified constraints, then applies that solution to a minimum fuel landing problem for convexified constraints. The result is a solution that is a minimum error and minimum fuel solution that is also a feasible solution to the analogous system with non-convex thruster constraints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Behcet Acikmese, James C.L. Blackmore, Daniel P. Scharf