Patents Assigned to Administration
  • Patent number: 11026331
    Abstract: A single-board computer system radiation hardened for space flight includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having a top side and bottom side; a reconfigurable field programmable gate array (FPGA) processor device a connector disposed on the top side; a plurality of peripheral components mounted on the bottom side, wherein AC coupling capacitors are configured to select routing between the first FPGA and the second FPGA. An expansion card plug attaches to a connector on the bottom of the PCB and a frame is mounted to the PCB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Thomas Flatley, Alessandro Giest, David Petrick, Gary Crum, Milton Davis
  • Patent number: 11023249
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of reading images using redundant copies and recovery mechanisms to produce valid images, including: reading an OS boot table from a default location in at least one flash memory to at least one DDR SDRAM of a printed circuit board, using at least one processor connected to at least one FPGA; wherein the boot table describes where to find an OS image and a RAM filesystem image in the flash memory; reading a RAM filesystem image from the flash memory into the DDR SDRAM; and validating the boot table and the RAM filesystem image by checking them for corruption using header information and cyclic redundancy check methods; wherein when at least one of the OS image or the RAM filesystem image is corrupt, a valid image can be compiled using valid sections of each of the OS image or the RAM filesystem image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventor: Jennifer A. S. Corekin
  • Patent number: 11018773
    Abstract: A cascaded modulator system configured to minimize the extinction ratio (ER) of an optical output of an optical transmitter. The cascaded modulator system includes a pulse position modulation (PPM) source connected to a plurality of serially-connected Mach Zehnder Interferometer (MZIs). A variable time delay ?td may be applied to a negative low voltage differential signal (LVDS) driving a second or later MZI of the plurality of MZIs to eliminate or compensate for one or more non-idealities in an electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Lantz, Jennifer N. Downey, Brian E. Vyhnalek
  • Patent number: 11016183
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve a system and method for performing time of flight estimation of a laser pulse using a LiDAR signal processing. A plurality of digital waveforms are correlated to a transmitted pulse for time of flight estimation. Each of the plurality of digital waveforms can be correlated independently by a corresponding correlator in a plurality of correlators working in parallel. Each of the correlators can include signal processing modules for time of flight estimation including an interpolating filters and peak detect modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Nathaniel A. Gill, Mark M. Giza
  • Patent number: 11016166
    Abstract: A star scanner is provided that uses miniaturized high-speed electronics and an ultra-compact freeform optical design. The star scanner reduces instrument volume, reduces power consumption, and reduces costs, relative to existing star scanners. The optics can be used with a credit card-like footprint, electronics sensor board with optimally packed electronics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Sean R. Semper, Andrew Salamon, Garrett J. West, Kenneth Deily
  • Patent number: 11017473
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing an exchange for physicals (EFP) may comprise receiving, with a matching engine module in communication with a processor, EFP data comprising an amount of securities to be traded and a price. The matching engine module may calculate a first delta percentage between the EFP data and an index based on the amount, the price, and an index value. The matching engine module may calculate a residual delta based on the first delta percentage and an index notional value. The matching engine module may attribute the residual delta to the securities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: LIFFE Administration and Management
    Inventors: Benoit Andre Lamour, Anais Fabienne Christiane Dony
  • Publication number: 20210146581
    Abstract: A method for the design, manufacture, and assembly of modular lattice structures composed of cuboctahedron unit cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Applicants: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States Government as represented by The Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Benjamin Jenett, Neil Gershenfield, Kenneth Cheung, Christine Gregg
  • Patent number: 11007685
    Abstract: Processes for fabricating structured, relatively large area, ultra-thin polymer films are disclosed. For instance, such a process may include spinning a thermoplastic polymer film onto an etched wafer that serves as a mold for the thermoplastic polymer film, baking the thermoplastic polymer film on a hotplate at a curing temperature, delaminating the thermoplastic polymer film in water, and peeling the thermoplastic polymer film from the etched wafer, producing a structured thermoplastic polymer film that has structures corresponding to areas where the wafer has been etched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Kevin L. Denis, Edward J. Wollack, Adrian N. Daw, Douglas M. Rabin
  • Patent number: 11010835
    Abstract: A disclosed system, method and computer readable storage medium includes mechanism for controlling cascade price movements in an electronic trading system. Price limits control the prices at which traders can place orders. An upper price limit prevents traders from placing orders above the upper limit and a lower price limit prevents traders from placing orders below the lower limit. The gap between the upper limit and the indicative marked price as well as the gap between lower limit and the indicative market price is controlled so as to cause a breaking effect on very rapidly changing market price.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: LIFFE Administration and Management
    Inventors: Robert James Fuller, Steven John Katesmark, Christopher Roy Harrison
  • Patent number: 11003420
    Abstract: A system and method for isolating electronic data and generating enhanced data. A data subscription unit receives data having plural data formats from data source devices. The data may be received pre-filtered or filtered by the data subscription unit. A modeling unit may receive the filtered data from the storage databases, may determine eligibility of the stored data based on eligibility criteria, sort the eligible data based on at least one sorting parameter, adjust and/or normalize the eligible data based on at least one adjustment parameter and/or an aggregate value for a data attribute, generate data metrics over a defined set of time periods based on the eligible data, generate further data metrics based on the data metrics, and derive specified values from these metrics. A data distribution device may transmit or make available the data metrics, further data metrics and values to remote devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Ice Benchmark Administration Limited
    Inventors: Emma Nicolette Vick, Andrew John Hill, Gary David Hooper, Amanda Jane Adams, Paul Anderson Rhodes, Timothy Joseph Bowler, Charles Abboud, Stelios Etienne Tselikas, Thomas Evans
  • Patent number: 11002894
    Abstract: A laser communication network implemented with multi-chroic filters that are able to partition signals from a band of wavelengths into different sub-bands that enable more than one relay terminal to interconnect users (i.e., sources and sinks of traffic) is provided. A band of wavelengths may be partitioned to enable users to communicate with relay satellites, and relay satellites to communicate with one another, using a predefined set of transmission and reception wavelengths regardless of which particular relay is in the communication session. In other words, embodiments support both relay satellites and user satellites by constructing distinct passbands for relay-borne terminals and the same passbands for users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventor: Scott Merritt
  • Patent number: 11001319
    Abstract: A class of robots specifically adapted to climb periodic lattices. These “relative robots” are designed for a specific lattice structure and use the regularity of the structure to simplify path planning, align with minimal feedback, and reduce the number of degrees of freedom (DOF) required to locomote. These robots can perform vital inspection and repair tasks within the structure that larger truss construction robots cannot perform without modifying the structure. A particular embodiment is a robot designed to traverse a cubooctahedral (CubOct) cellular solids lattice using only two motions: climbing and turning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States of America, as Represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Benjamin Jenett, Daniel Cellucci, Kenneth Cheung, Neil Gershenfeld
  • Patent number: 11004802
    Abstract: An integrated circuit chip includes a wide bandgap semiconductor substrate, a plurality of semiconductor electronic components disposed on the semiconductor substrate, an overlying insulating layer disposed on the plurality of semiconductor devices, and a crack barrier laterally displaced from all of the plurality of semiconductor components. The crack barrier is configured to prevent propagation of cracks in the overlying insulating layer. The crack barrier does not conductively connect to any of the plurality of semiconductor electronic components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: David J. Spry, Philip G. Neudeck
  • Patent number: 10989604
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an integrated reflective backshort fabricated with a phononic-isolated kinetic inductance detector or transition edge sensor. The integrated backshort includes: a silicon wafer; a reflective metal layer bonded to the silicon wafer; a silicon first layer disposed on the reflective metal layer; a structural second layer disposed on the first layer; a first superconductor layer disposed on the second layer as a kinetic inductance detector; and a second superconductor layer disposed on the second layer as leads, a microstrip, a capacitor or filter; wherein a phononic structure is etched in the second layer, leaving holes in the second layer; and wherein the etching penetrates through the holes into the second layer, and stopping on the reflective metal layer, leaving a space under the second layer where edges of the first layer etched under the second layer define a length of the integrated backshort.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventor: Kevin Denis
  • Patent number: 10990886
    Abstract: Systems and methods for projecting one or more trends in electronic data and generating enhanced data. A system includes a data forecasting system is in electronic communication with one or more electronic data sources via an electronic network. The data forecasting system is configured to: monitor the electronic data source(s) for data that meet one or more predetermined criteria; obtain at least a portion of the monitored data from electronic data source(s) based on the predetermined criteria; create a data set from the obtained data; derive one or more data values associated with the data set over a predetermined period according to a forward-looking term methodology; and utilize the data set and the derived value(s) over the predetermined period to derive at least one data forecast metric associated with the data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Ice Benchmark Administration Limited
    Inventors: Emma Nicolette Vick, Andrew John Hill, Gary David Hooper, Paul Anderson Rhodes, Timothy Joseph Bowler, Charles Abboud, Stelios Etienne Tselikas, Thomas Evans
  • Patent number: 10975425
    Abstract: A novel assay and a suite of devices may isolate nucleic acids from prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and prepare samples for real-time (quantitative) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. The assay may employ an aqueous-based non-alcohol approach that yields robust RNA quality. The suite of ready-to-use devices may provide pre-loaded reagents in liquid and lyophilized formats to enable rapid manual operation in a laboratory or remote field environments. The assay and devices may be particularly suitable to analysis in microgravity or deep space environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Travis David Boone, Jimmy Kar Chuen Jung, Macarena Parra, Mark Brown
  • Patent number: 10977776
    Abstract: A method includes placing an imaging device in contact with a sample, irradiating the sample via an illuminator such that radiation scatters off of the structure, and providing the scattered radiation to a detector to generate a digital video signal. A processor then performs various operations including subtracting a sum of a black state value and a user-defined black level clamping value from the digital video signal to create subtracted image data, substituting negative values in the subtracted image data with a reference value to create modified image data, and amplifying the modified image data by a user-defined gain to create contrast enhanced image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Michael J. Krasowski, Joseph M. Flatico, Phillip P. Jenkins, Lawrence C. Greer
  • Patent number: 10962166
    Abstract: Calibration of a hexapod structure includes measuring a head pose of the hexapod structure relative to a base of the hexapod structure. Calibration of the hexapod structure also includes for each strut, independently increasing a length of each strut by a predefined amount from an original length and repeating the measuring of the head pose relative to the base. Calibration of the hexapod structure further includes for each strut, independently decreasing a length of each strut by a predefined amount from the original length and repeating the measuring of the head pose relative to the base. Additionally, calibration of the hexapod structure includes moving each strut back to the original length, and estimating joint errors for each strut prior to calibrating of the hexapod structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Yong Liu
  • Patent number: 10962650
    Abstract: Exemplary methods and systems may generate a point cloud data generated polyhedral geofence for use in navigating a vehicle. The polyhedral geofence may be generated, or created, from point cloud data such as lidar data. Further, a vehicle may utilize propulsion devices and controllers for moving the vehicle based on a point map data generated polyhedral geofence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Matthew Schubert, Andrew Moore
  • Patent number: 10954152
    Abstract: A supercritical water oxidation-flame piloted vortex reactor has a hydrothermal flame produced within the interior of the reactor fed by a fuel including a waste water stream, and has a subcritical wash stream, including water below its critical point, that creates an upward helical flow in the material within the reactor. The hydrothermal flame and upward helical flow produce within the reactor a supercritical core region, a subcritical outer region around the core region, and a transcritical intermediate region between them. The upward helical flow serves to transfer precipitated ionic compounds out of the supercritical core region, through the transcritical intermediate region, and into the subcritical outer region where they re-dissolve. A processed flow, including purified water, is removed from an upper portion of the supercritical core region by an aspirator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Michael C. Hicks, Uday G. Hegde