Patents Examined by Christopher P. Ellis
  • Patent number: 11981220
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system that includes: an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising one or more on-board batteries, and a self-powering payload coupled to the UAV, wherein the self-powering payload comprises: one or more transformable devices configured to alter an orientation of the one or more transformable devices with respect to a transmission line in proximity to the UAV when the UAV is air-borne; one or more coil devices mounted on the one or more transformable devices and configured to capture a magnetic flux of an electromagnetic field generated by the transmission line; and an electric circuit configured to generate, based on the captured magnetic flux, charging currents for the one or more on-board batteries on the UAV while the UAV is in air-borne.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Khaled F. Abusalem, Soliman A. Al-Walaie, Osama Bakur Bahwal, Hadeel Algallaf
  • Patent number: 11974565
    Abstract: Rather than trying to call a gobbler and waiting for the gobbler to approach, the hunter instead attempts to seek a gobbler while holding a decoy. As the hunter comes within sight of the gobbler, he can slowly move (e.g., tilt and/or rotate) the decoy so that its fan moves in a manner that mimics movement of a real turkey. It has been found that the gobbler will often fixate on the decoy failing to notice the hunter even when he is not well camouflaged. In fact, the gobbler will often approach the decoy in an aggressive manner making it much less wary than in a typical hunt where a hunter is attempting to make calls that imitate a hen. When the hunter feels that the gobbler is fixated on the decoy, he can couple the decoy to his weapon thereby freeing both of his hands for operating his weapon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Big Pine Innovations, LLC
    Inventor: E. Lyle Cain, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11968965
    Abstract: Top water and deep diving fishing lures have been around for many years. The improvement on them is placing a tiny motor inside the lure with a barbed shaft extending out the back that is used to push on a molded soft rubber tail that spins, splashes the water and pulls the lure backwards towards the casted hot spot area as it is powered by a tiny solar panel, (But not limited to) as it can be powered by a battery. The improvement is the molded soft rubber tail thats connected to the tiny solar panel motor or battery causing it to spin, splash the water and pull the lure backwards, keeping it in that casted hot spot area like something stuck on the water and trying to get out by swimming to safety with that SwimSplash action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Inventor: Leonard Charles Szczesny
  • Patent number: 11965569
    Abstract: An architecture that provides automatic monitoring of brake conditions making use of a wear pin on a brake. The disclosure makes use of the fact that a wear pin is required to be provided on an aircraft brake, by integrating monitoring functions such as displacement sensors and/or temperature sensors, into the pin. This means that the automatic monitoring components are not taking up more space on the brake than is already taken up by the compulsory wear pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: COLLINS AEROSPACE IRELAND, LIMITED
    Inventor: Marcello Torchio
  • Patent number: 11964755
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods are contemplated for electric powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Such are craft are engineered to carry safely carry at least 500 pounds (approx. 227 kg) using a few (e.g., 2-4) rotors, generally variable speed rigid (non-articulated) rotors. It is contemplated that one or more rotors generate a significant amount of lift (e.g., 70%) during rotorborne flight (e.g., vertical takeoff, hover, etc), and tilt to provide forward propulsion during wingborne flight. The rotors preferably employ individual blade control, and are battery powered. The vehicle preferably flies in an autopilot or pilotless mode and has a relatively small (e.g., less than 45? diameter) footprint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Overair, Inc.
    Inventors: William Martin Waide, Abraham Karem
  • Patent number: 11964760
    Abstract: A method is provided. An airship is maneuvered to a desired location and oriented with the thruster such that ambient wind is traveling in a direction that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage. The airflow from the ambient wind is straightened with the flow straightener to generate a substantially laminar flow. The turbine is engaged with the airflow generated by the ambient wind to generate electricity, and the electricity generated by the turbine is rectified with the rectifier and stored in the storage array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Inventor: George Miller
  • Patent number: 11965456
    Abstract: A heating system is configured to produce heated fluid. The system includes a source of primary fluid, a diffusing structure comprising an outlet structure out of which the heated fluid flows, at least one conduit coupled to the source and the diffusing structure and configured to introduce to the diffusing structure the primary fluid, and an intake structure coupled to the diffusing structure and configured to introduce to the diffusing structure a secondary fluid accessible to the system. The heated fluid includes the primary and secondary fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: JETOPTERA, INC.
    Inventor: Andrei Evulet
  • Patent number: 11958588
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle with deployable components (UAVDC) may comprise a foldable propeller blade with a locking mechanism. Foldable propeller blades may have a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration relative to the UAVDC, and the foldable propeller blades may pivot about a hinge to move between configurations. In the deployed configuration, the foldable propeller may experience forward folding forces acting upon it. The locking mechanism may lock the foldable propeller blade in the deployed configuration. The locking mechanism may keep the foldable propeller locked into place to prevent forward folding tendency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Anduril Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Robert Alley, Joshua Lemming Steele, Jesse Owen Williams, Daniel Kuehme
  • Patent number: 11952131
    Abstract: A heated composite structure and a method for forming a heated composite structure. The structure includes carbon fibers embedded within a thermoplastic matrix. The carbon fibers are connected with first and second electrodes that are configured to be connected with an electric source such that applying current to the electrodes causes current to flow through the embedded carbon fibers to provide resistive heating sufficient to heat the composite structure to impede formation of ice on the composite structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: QARBON AEROSPACE (FOUNDATION), LLC
    Inventors: Kyle B. Hardman, Mark A. Calder, Ian C. Derx
  • Patent number: 11939087
    Abstract: An autonomous compliance controlled generic mooring station includes a pair of mooring systems connected to each other. The pair of mooring systems includes a pair of mooring interfaces, allowing the pair of mooring systems to change between a mooring state and a release state. One of the pair of mooring interfaces includes an electropermanent magnet and the other one of the pair of mooring interfaces includes a ferromagnetic plate. The electropermanent magnet and the ferromagnetic plate are configured to connect the pair of mooring systems together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Donald Wayne Denham
  • Patent number: 11932427
    Abstract: Provided is an unmanned aircraft which is capable of stably taking off. In one example, the unmanned aircraft has an aircraft body which includes an information acquisition device, a plurality of rotary wings, and a protective member disposed around the rotary wings. Each of the rotary wings has a rotation axis which is tilted with respect to a vertical direction by a given angle, such that the rotary wings generate a forward thrust force. The aircraft body has a lower edge which includes a middle lower edge and a forward lower edge, wherein the protective member has a lower edge including the forward lower edge. The forward lower edge is located above the middle lower edge, and the forward lower edge has a rear end located backward of a rear end of the rotary wing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignees: ACSL Ltd., NIS Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Soki Kuga, Yusuke Inagaki, Patrik Ken Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11925176
    Abstract: A fishing rod vibration system including a battery powered electronics system, programmable motor controller, and user interface, as well as a vibrator selectively and detachably coupled to the electronics system for receiving output signals from the motor controller. The electronics system and user interface may be disposed in or on a fishing reel, and the electronic vibrator may be collocated with the electronics system or disposed on a fishing rod separated from the electronics system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Inventor: Jeffrey Lucas Russell
  • Patent number: 11919621
    Abstract: A first hand control controls an altitude of a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft; the movement of the VTOL aircraft within a plane defined by a roll axis and a pitch axis is independent of the first hand control. The first hand control is provided on a first hand side of a pilot's seat included in the VTOL aircraft. A second hand control controls the movement of the VTOL aircraft within the plane defined by the roll axis and the pitch axis; the altitude of the VTOL aircraft is independent of the second hand control. The second hand control is provided on a second hand side of the pilot's seat that is opposite from the first hand side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander David Selwa, Todd Reichert, Mark Johnson Cutler
  • Patent number: 11916648
    Abstract: Herein provided is an interface for use in transmitting data from an aircraft including a first connector configured for physically and removably coupling a communication module to a communication system which obtains the data on-board the aircraft from at least one data source within the aircraft, and a second connector for digitally coupling the communication module to a processing unit of the communication module producing at least one message for transmission based on the data, the at least one message comprising information of interest identified based on the data. The interface is configured for conducting the at least one message from the processing unit to at least one radio via the second connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Jonathan Mark Miller
  • Patent number: 11913430
    Abstract: An apparatus for extracting power includes a track and an airfoil coupled to the track. The track includes first and second elongate sections, where the first elongate section is positioned above the second elongate section. The airfoil is moveable in opposite directions when alternately coupled to the first elongate section and second elongate section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Airloom Energy Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Lumley
  • Patent number: 11905037
    Abstract: An aerial vehicle takeoff and landing system, an aerial vehicle takeoff and landing apparatus, and an aerial vehicle capable of reducing the influence of the ground effect and capable of taking off and landing smoothly even in a comparatively small and limited space. A pair of rails are arranged side by side with a gap therebetween, and are arranged with a space in an extension direction on at least an under side and one end side. An aerial vehicle has a suspension portion provided at an upper portion thereof so as to be inserted between the rails from the one end side. With the suspension portion is inserted between the rails, the aerial vehicle can be suspended at a predetermined landing position of the rails, and the aerial vehicle suspended at the landing position can take off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignees: TOHOKU UNIVERSITY, NPO INTERNATIONAL RESCUE SYSTEM INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Kenjiro Tadakuma, Satoshi Tadokoro, Kazunori Ohno, Yoshito Okada, Masahiro Watanabe, Daiki Fujikura, Toshi Takamori
  • Patent number: 11897609
    Abstract: There is disclosed an aircraft for intercepting an airborne target, the aircraft comprising: a frame; a plurality of lines of a first type, each attached to the frame at a first end, and free at the other end; and a plurality of lines of a second, different, type, each attached to the frame at a first end, and free at the other end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: BAE Systems plc
    Inventor: Nicholas Giacomo Robert Colosimo
  • Patent number: 11895995
    Abstract: A fishing lure sheet that includes a portion that, when folded over and joined, results in the obtaining in a fishing lure skin that defines a fishing lure passage for receiving a filament of a fishing device. The fishing lure skin simulates the appearance of an organism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventor: Jeffrey Charles Saponja
  • Patent number: 11884422
    Abstract: A base station is disclosed for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The base station includes: an enclosure; a slide mechanism that is connected to the enclosure and which is repositionable between a retracted position and an extended position; and a cradle that is connected to the slide mechanism and which defines a chamber that is configured to receive the UAV such that the UAV is movable into and out of the enclosure during repositioning of the slide mechanism between the retracted position and the extended position. The cradle includes: an upper shell; a lower shell that is connected to the upper shell; and at least one thermal insulator that is located between the upper shell and the lower shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Allen Lowe, Yee Shan Woo, Yevgeniy Kozlenko, Christopher C. Berthelet
  • Patent number: 11882818
    Abstract: Adaptable fishing lure kits, systems, and devices are provided. An adaptable fishing lure system may include a fishing lure body, a replaceably attachable lure body member to the fishing lure body, via a slot formed within an outer periphery surface of the lure body, and a channel chamber longitudinally extending through and within at least a portion of a length of the fishing lure body. The slot providing access to the channel, at least one cartridge providing an attractant into the chamber formed within the fishing lure body. Alternative use of an adhesive and means for securing a fin member and attractant are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: FUTURE OF FISHING, INC.
    Inventor: Jeffrey J. Mancini