Patents by Inventor W. Dan Williams

W. Dan Williams 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).

  • Spacecraft system for debris disposal and other operations and methods pertaining to the same
    Patent number: 9944412
    Abstract: A spacecraft system and method includes a platform with a dock and an umbilical payout device. A robot is connected to an umbilical paid out by the umbilical payout device and is repeatedly deployable from the dock. The robot includes one or more imagers, an inertial measurement unit, and a plurality of thrusters. A command module receives image data from the one or more robot imagers and orientation data from the inertial measurement unit. An object recognition module is configured to recognize one or more objects from the received image data. The command module determines the robot's orientation with respect to an object and issues thruster control commands to control movement of the robot based on the robot's orientation. The combination of the space platform and robot on umbilical line can be used for towing another object to different orbital location, inspection including self-inspection of the robot carrying platform and for robotic servicing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Busek Co., Inc.
    Inventors: James J. Szabo, Vladimir Hruby, Thomas R. Roy, Craig DeLuccia, Jay Andrews, W. Dan Williams, Matthew R. Berlin, Jesse V. Gray
  • SPACECRAFT SYSTEM FOR DEBRIS DISPOSAL AND OTHER OPERATIONS AND METHODS PERTAINING TO THE SAME
    Publication number: 20150097084
    Abstract: A spacecraft system and method includes a platform with a dock and an umbilical payout device. A robot is connected to an umbilical paid out by the umbilical payout device and is repeatedly deployable from the dock. The robot includes one or more imagers, an inertial measurement unit, and a plurality of thrusters. A command module receives image data from the one or more robot imagers and orientation data from the inertial measurement unit. An object recognition module is configured to recognize one or more objects from the received image data. The command module determines the robot's orientation with respect to an object and issues thruster control commands to control movement of the robot based on the robot's orientation. The combination of the space platform and robot on umbilical line can be used for towing another object to different orbital location, inspection including self-inspection of the robot carrying platform and for robotic servicing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: James J. Szabo, Vladimir Hruby, Thomas R. Roy, Craig DeLuccia, Jay Andrews, W. Dan Williams, Matthew R. Berlin, Jesse V. Gray