Patents by Inventor Leonard A. Plotke

Leonard A. Plotke 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).

  • Object detection and location system
    Patent number: 8620023
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting objects. An object detector associated with a platform and configured to detect a number of objects is used to monitor for the number of objects. In response to detecting the number of objects, a number of distances to the number of objects detected by the object detector are measured using a distance measurement system. A number of geographic locations for the number of objects is identified using the number of distances, a location of the platform, and an orientation of the distance measurement system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Leonard A. Plotke
  • Thermal deformation determination for payload pointing using space-based beacon
    Patent number: 7258306
    Abstract: A system and associated method for compensating for thermal deformation of a spaced-based structure having a spacecraft payload. The system including a beacon source coupled to a first spacecraft for transmitting a first signal and a beacon sensor coupled to a second spacecraft for receiving the first signal and providing measurement data derived from the first signal. At least one attitude sensing device is coupled to the second spacecraft for determining estimated spacecraft attitude data for the second spacecraft. A processor on the second spacecraft is configured to process ephemeris data of the first and second spacecraft, beacon measurement data, estimated spacecraft attitude data, and gimbal angular position data to estimate spacecraft structural deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Leonard A. Plotke, Ketao Liu
  • Thermal Deformation Determination For Payload Pointing Using Space-Based Beacon
    Publication number: 20070063106
    Abstract: A system and associated method for compensating for thermal deformation of a spaced-based structure having a spacecraft payload. The system including a beacon source coupled to a first spacecraft for transmitting a first signal and a beacon sensor coupled to a second spacecraft for receiving the first signal and providing measurement data derived from the first signal. At least one attitude sensing device is coupled to the second spacecraft for determining estimated spacecraft attitude data for the second spacecraft. A processor on the second spacecraft is configured to process ephemeris data of the first and second spacecraft, beacon measurement data, estimated spacecraft attitude data, and gimbal angular position data to estimate spacecraft structural deformation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2006
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Inventors: Leonard Plotke, Ketao Liu
  • Thermal deformation determination for payload pointing using space-based beacon
    Patent number: 7134630
    Abstract: A system and associated method for compensating for thermal deformation of a spaced-based structure having a spacecraft payload. The system including a beacon source coupled to a first spacecraft for transmitting a first signal and a beacon sensor coupled to a second spacecraft for receiving the first signal and providing measurement data derived from the first signal. At least one attitude sensing device is coupled to the second spacecraft for determining estimated spacecraft attitude data for the second spacecraft. A processor on the second spacecraft is configured to process ephemeris data of the first and second spacecraft, beacon measurement data, estimated spacecraft attitude data, and gimbal angular position data to estimate spacecraft structural deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Leonard A. Plotke, Ketao Liu
  • Thermal deformation determination for payload pointing using space-based beacon
    Publication number: 20060054745
    Abstract: A system and associated method for compensating for thermal deformation of a spaced-based structure having a spacecraft payload. The system including a beacon source coupled to a first spacecraft for transmitting a first signal and a beacon sensor coupled to a second spacecraft for receiving the first signal and providing measurement data derived from the first signal. At least one attitude sensing device is coupled to the second spacecraft for determining estimated spacecraft attitude data for the second spacecraft. A processor on the second spacecraft is configured to process ephemeris data of the first and second spacecraft, beacon measurement data, estimated spacecraft attitude data, and gimbal angular position data to estimate spacecraft structural deformation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Leonard Plotke, Ketao Liu