Patents by Inventor Tam Nguyen Thuc Nguyen
Tam Nguyen Thuc Nguyen 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).
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Patent number: 10917173Abstract: Communication bottlenecks, particularly in the downlink direction, are a common problem for many CubeSat developers. As described herein, a CubeSat module for a CubeSat comprises an optical transmitter to transmit data to a remote terminal, a receiver to acquire an optical beacon from a remote terminal, and a fine-pointing module operably and directly coupleable to a coarse-pointing module of the CubeSat. The fine-pointing module is configured to point the optical transmitter toward the remote terminal with an accuracy range that overlaps with an accuracy range of the coarse-pointing module of the CubeSat so as to establish a communications link between the CubeSat and the remote terminal over a low-Earth-orbit (LEO) distance.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2019Date of Patent: February 9, 2021Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Ryan Wallace Kingsbury, Kathleen Michelle Riesing, Kerri Cahoy, Tam Nguyen Thuc Nguyen, David O. Caplan
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Publication number: 20200021361Abstract: Communication bottlenecks, particularly in the downlink direction, are a common problem for many CubeSat developers. As described herein, a CubeSat module for a CubeSat comprises an optical transmitter to transmit data to a remote terminal, a receiver to acquire an optical beacon from a remote terminal, and a fine-pointing module operably and directly coupleable to a coarse-pointing module of the CubeSat. The fine-pointing module is configured to point the optical transmitter toward the remote terminal with an accuracy range that overlaps with an accuracy range of the coarse-pointing module of the CubeSat so as to establish a communications link between the CubeSat and the remote terminal over a low-Earth-orbit (LEO) distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2019Publication date: January 16, 2020Inventors: Ryan Wallace KINGSBURY, Kathleen Michelle RIESING, Kerri Cahoy, Tam Nguyen Thuc NGUYEN, David O. CAPLAN
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Patent number: 10530478Abstract: Communication bottlenecks, particularly in the downlink direction, are a common problem for many CubeSat developers. As described herein, a CubeSat module for a CubeSat comprises an optical transmitter to transmit data to a remote terminal, a receiver to acquire an optical beacon from a remote terminal, and a fine-pointing module operably and directly coupleable to a coarse-pointing module of the CubeSat. The fine-pointing module is configured to point the optical transmitter toward the remote terminal with an accuracy range that overlaps with an accuracy range of the coarse-pointing module of the CubeSat so as to establish a communications link between the CubeSat and the remote terminal over a low-Earth-orbit (LEO) distance.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2017Date of Patent: January 7, 2020Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Ryan Wallace Kingsbury, Kathleen Michelle Riesing, Kerri Lynn Cahoy, Tam Nguyen Thuc Nguyen, David O. Caplan
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Patent number: 10220965Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for attitude determination using infrared Earth horizon sensors (EHSs) with Gaussian response characteristics. Attitude information is acquired by detecting Earth's infrared electromagnetic radiation and, subsequently, determining the region obscured by Earth in the sensors' fields of view to compute a nadir vector estimation in the spacecraft's body frame. The method can be applied when two sensors, each with known and distinct pointing directions, detect the horizon, which is defined as having their fields of view partially obscured by Earth. The method can be implemented compactly to provide high-accuracy attitude within small spacecraft, such as CubeSat-based satellites.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2017Date of Patent: March 5, 2019Assignee: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYInventors: Tam Nguyen Thuc Nguyen, Kerri L. Cahoy, Meghan K. Quadrino
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Publication number: 20180111706Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for attitude determination using infrared Earth horizon sensors (EHSs) with Gaussian response characteristics. Attitude information is acquired by detecting Earth's infrared electromagnetic radiation and, subsequently, determining the region obscured by Earth in the sensors' fields of view to compute a nadir vector estimation in the spacecraft's body frame. The method can be applied when two sensors, each with known and distinct pointing directions, detect the horizon, which is defined as having their fields of view partially obscured by Earth. The method can be implemented compactly to provide high-accuracy attitude within small spacecraft, such as CubeSat-based satellites.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2017Publication date: April 26, 2018Inventors: Tam Nguyen Thuc Nguyen, Kerri L. Cahoy, Meghan K. Quadrino
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Publication number: 20180076895Abstract: Communication bottlenecks, particularly in the downlink direction, are a common problem for many CubeSat developers. As described herein, a CubeSat module for a CubeSat comprises an optical transmitter to transmit data to a remote terminal, a receiver to acquire an optical beacon from a remote terminal, and a fine-pointing module operably and directly coupleable to a coarse-pointing module of the CubeSat. The fine-pointing module is configured to point the optical transmitter toward the remote terminal with an accuracy range that overlaps with an accuracy range of the coarse-pointing module of the CubeSat so as to establish a communications link between the CubeSat and the remote terminal over a low-Earth-orbit (LEO) distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2017Publication date: March 15, 2018Inventors: Ryan Wallace KINGSBURY, Kathleen Michelle RIESING, Kerri Lynn CAHOY, Tam Nguyen Thuc NGUYEN, David O. CAPLAN
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Patent number: 9809328Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for attitude determination using infrared Earth horizon sensors (EHSs) with Gaussian response characteristics. Attitude information is acquired by detecting Earth's infrared electromagnetic radiation and, subsequently, determining the region obscured by Earth in the sensors' fields of view to compute a nadir vector estimation in the spacecraft's body frame. The method can be applied when two sensors, each with known and distinct pointing directions, detect the horizon, which is defined as having their fields of view partially obscured by Earth. The method can be implemented compactly to provide high-accuracy attitude within small spacecraft, such as CubeSat-based satellites.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2015Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Tam Nguyen Thuc Nguyen, Kerri L. Cahoy, Meghan K. Quadrino
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Patent number: 9813151Abstract: Communication bottlenecks, particularly in the downlink direction, are a common problem for many CubeSat developers. As described herein, a CubeSat module for a CubeSat comprises an optical transmitter to transmit data to a remote terminal, a receiver to acquire an optical beacon from a remote terminal, and a fine-pointing module operably and directly coupleable to a coarse-pointing module of the CubeSat. The fine-pointing module is configured to point the optical transmitter toward the remote terminal with an accuracy range that overlaps with an accuracy range of the coarse-pointing module of the CubeSat so as to establish a communications link between the CubeSat and the remote terminal over a low-Earth-orbit (LEO) distance.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2015Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Ryan Wallace Kingsbury, Kathleen Michelle Riesing, Kerri Lynn Cahoy, Tam Nguyen Thuc Nguyen, David O. Caplan
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Publication number: 20160043800Abstract: Communication bottlenecks, particularly in the downlink direction, are a common problem for many CubeSat developers. As described herein, a CubeSat module for a CubeSat comprises an optical transmitter to transmit data to a remote terminal, a receiver to acquire an optical beacon from a remote terminal, and a fine-pointing module operably and directly coupleable to a coarse-pointing module of the CubeSat. The fine-pointing module is configured to point the optical transmitter toward the remote terminal with an accuracy range that overlaps with an accuracy range of the coarse-pointing module of the CubeSat so as to establish a communications link between the CubeSat and the remote terminal over a low-Earth-orbit (LEO) distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2015Publication date: February 11, 2016Inventors: Ryan Wallace KINGSBURY, Kathleen Michelle RIESING, Kerry Lynn CAHOY, Tam Nguyen Thuc NGUYEN, David O. CAPLAN
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Publication number: 20150298827Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for attitude determination using infrared Earth horizon sensors (EHSs) with Gaussian response characteristics. Attitude information is acquired by detecting Earth's infrared electromagnetic radiation and, subsequently, determining the region obscured by Earth in the sensors' fields of view to compute a nadir vector estimation in the spacecraft's body frame. The method can be applied when two sensors, each with known and distinct pointing directions, detect the horizon, which is defined as having their fields of view partially obscured by Earth. The method can be implemented compactly to provide high-accuracy attitude within small spacecraft, such as CubeSat-based satellites.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2015Publication date: October 22, 2015Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Tam Nguyen Thuc Nguyen, Kerri L. Cahoy, Meghan K. Quadrino