Patents Assigned to AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS
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Patent number: 11377236Abstract: A method for attaching a heat-emitting device and a capillary heat pipe to a panel of a spacecraft wall is disclosed including the steps of: a) positioning a capillary heat pipe on a portion of the panel; attaching female attachment bodies to the panel, the female attachment bodies protruding relative to the capillary heat pipe; c) placing a thermally-conductive and self-curing paste over a portion of the capillary heat pipe or over a heat-emitting device; d) placing a heat-emitting device on the thermally-conductive and self-curing paste and on the female attachment bodies, said heat-emitting device bearing against and being in direct contact with the female attachment bodies, and e) attaching the heat-emitting device and said capillary heat pipe to the panel by attaching male attachment members to the female attachment bodies.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2019Date of Patent: July 5, 2022Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventor: Andrew Walker
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Patent number: 11375387Abstract: A method for federating at least two communication networks for mobile terminals by establishing a dedicated link between the two networks and then configuring one of the networks to use elements of the other network, in particular the user database and the communication policy manager.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2019Date of Patent: June 28, 2022Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventors: Franck Scholler, Jean-François Perez, Jean-Marc Montenot, Wannes Vossen
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Patent number: 11347610Abstract: A system and a method for assisting with troubleshooting a complex system is disclosed in which the troubleshooting procedure can be modeled by a Markov decision process. Combining the fault tree technique with a Markov decision process, in order to determine in an optimal manner the sequence of troubleshooting actions will quickly address the consequences of a failure and ensure maintainability of the complex system.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2018Date of Patent: May 31, 2022Assignees: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS, AIRBUSInventors: Jean-Luc Marty, David Canu, Alexandre Arnold
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Patent number: 11319092Abstract: A spacecraft is disclosed having at least three flat side walls, at least one main communication antenna, including a radiating element having a central axis of radiation (AC-AC), a movable arm configured to move between a deployed position and a folded position, a reflector suitable for reflecting or receiving radiofrequency waves in a direction of emission (DE). The radiating element is fixed to a side wall so that the central axis of radiation (AC-AC) is arranged perpendicularly to the side wall, and the movable arm is shaped so that an offset angle (?) of between 25° and 65° is formed between the side wall and the direction of emission (DE), when the movable arm is in a deployed position.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2019Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventor: Philippe Cael
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Patent number: 11307077Abstract: Disclosed is a method for gauging the liquid propellant tank of a spacecraft during a phase of high-thrust along an axis, the tank being thermally conductive and having a known geometry. The method includes steps of: attaching, on a wall of the tank, a heating member and at least one temperature sensor in proximity to the heating member and in a plane of interest perpendicular to the thrust axis; during the high-thrust phase, heating the wall of the tank and acquiring temperature measurements of the wall of the tank at rapid frequency; determining the instant I when the temperature measured by the sensor changes, such change indicating the presence of the liquid-gas interface in the tank in the plane of interest; and determining the volume of liquid propellant present in the tank at instant I.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2017Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventors: Sophie Jallade, Mathieu Monge-Cadet, Sylvain Arnaud, Barbara Busset
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Patent number: 11299296Abstract: Disclosed is a spacecraft including: a housing defining an exterior space, the housing having a first face and a second face; and first and second radiators carried by the first and second faces, the first and second radiators each having an inner main face, an outer main face, and side faces. The spacecraft includes a first auxiliary radiator and a first auxiliary heat transfer device thermally connecting the first auxiliary radiator to the inner main face of the second radiator, the first auxiliary radiator being arranged in a first portion of the exterior space defined by the outer main face of the first radiator and by first planes containing the side faces of the first radiator. The first auxiliary heat transfer device includes a heat conducting device. The first auxiliary radiator is composed solely of one or two radiating panels supporting the heat conducting device.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2017Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventors: Fabrice Mena, Jean-Christophe Dunat
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Patent number: 11269928Abstract: A computer implemented method for detecting a set of relevant communities of accounts, the accounts being connected by at least one communication platform, includes collecting data from a stream of messages circulating on at least one communication platform; extracting interaction data and shared objects, the shared objects being shared among the accounts; processing each collected message in order to obtain content metadata; processing collected data in order to obtain an account profile of each account; from collected data building shared objects graphs and interaction graphs; building a resulting graph; applying a community detection method to the resulting graph to obtain a set of communities of accounts; computing quality indicators of the set of communities to obtain at least one score for each community the score enabling the selection of at least a relevant community.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2018Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventors: Guillaume Gadek, Khaled Khelif, Nicolas Malandain, Alexandre Pauchet, Laurent Vercouter
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Patent number: 11254452Abstract: A radiative fin for a spacecraft is disclosed having an end fitting of heat conductive material, configured to be mounted on the spacecraft, a flexible radiative laminate, connected to the end fitting at one end and having an opposite free end, at least one pyrolytic graphite sheet, and at least one heat emission layer in contact with the pyrolythic graphite sheet on at least part of the surface of the pyrolythic graphite sheet, and a flexible rod, extending from the end fitting along at least part of a side of the flexible radiative laminate and being affixed to the latter. The flexible rod is adapted to occupy a folded position and a deployed position and to exert, while in the folded position, a deployment torque adapted to bring the flexible rod back to the deployed position.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2019Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignees: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS, AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE NETHERLANDS B.VInventors: Fabrice Mena, Bruin Benthem
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Patent number: 11129051Abstract: A cellular telecommunication system comprises a radio access part comprising a plurality of base stations that can be offset by wireless connection, as well as a core network part comprising quality-of-service policy control equipment connected via a first connection to a gateway via which radio bearers are set up. Proxy equipment: intercepts, on said first connection, each session establishment or session update message; when the intercepted message does not concern a radio bearer involving a base station offset by wireless connection, propagates the message to its destination. Otherwise the proxy equipment: determines a remaining bandwidth via said wireless connection; when the remaining bandwidth covers a bandwidth requirement expressed in the intercepted message, propagates the message to its destination; and otherwise modifies the message by indicating a bandwidth requirement of no more than the remaining bandwidth.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2017Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventors: Jean-Marc Montenot, Franck Scholler, Franck Cibaud
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Patent number: 11069087Abstract: A method for locating a three-dimensional target with respect to a vehicle is disclosed including capturing an image of the target, and from a three-dimensional mesh of the target, and from an estimation of the pose of the target, determining a set of projecting edges of the mesh of the target in the pose. The step of determining the projecting edges of the mesh of the target includes positioning the mesh of the target according to the pose, projecting in two dimensions the mesh so positioned, scanning the projection of the mesh in a plurality of scanning rows and, for each scanning row: defining a set of segments, each segment corresponding to the intersection of a face of the mesh with the scanning row and being defined by its ends, analyzing the relative depths of the ends of the segments, the depth being the position along a third dimension orthogonal to the two dimensions of the projection, in order to select a set of end points of segments corresponding to projecting edges of the mesh.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2018Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventors: Roland Brochard, Cyril Robin
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Patent number: 11067341Abstract: A heat transfer device is disclosed having a housing including a first main wall and a second main wall, the housing having a sealed internal cavity, a liquid contained in the internal cavity, and a mixer able to set the liquid in motion, the heat transfer device being able to be switched between a first state and a second state in which the liquid is in motion and transfers heat by convection between the first main wall and the second main wall, the thermal conductance between the first main wall and the second main wall in the first state being four times less than the thermal conductance between the first main wall and the second main wall in the second state.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2018Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventor: Andrew Walker
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Patent number: 11032817Abstract: A method for transmitting, by a terminal, a message destined for a receiver station of a wireless communication system. The message being transmitted on a shared channel on which the transmission of messages is performed at the start of predetermined time intervals, termed slots. Data to be included in the message to be transmitted is encoded. The encoded data is distributed between Nb sub-messages of the message to be transmitted, Nb being an integer number greater than or equal to two. A slot is selected for transmitting the message. Nb transmission frequencies are selected, each respectively associated with the Nb sub-messages of the message. The message is transmitted at the start of the selected slot, by successively transmitting the sub-messages on their respective associated transmission frequencies.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2017Date of Patent: June 8, 2021Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventors: Benjamin Gadat, Vincent Deslandes
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Patent number: 11005691Abstract: A method (50) for estimating a frequency shift and a frequency drift affecting a useful signal including a code word formed by a channel encoder, including an analysis phase (51) including: for two analysis frequency drifts: a compensation (52) of the analysis frequency drift on the useful signal, an estimation (53) of the frequency shift on each useful signal obtained after compensation, a selection (54) of frequency hypotheses, and an estimation phase (55) including: for each frequency hypothesis: a frequency recalibration (56) of the useful signal depending on the frequency hypothesis, in order to obtain sample sequences, an evaluation (57) of the probability of each sample sequence to be a code word of said channel encoder, an estimation (58) of the frequency shift and of the frequency drift depending on the most probable frequency hypothesis.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2018Date of Patent: May 11, 2021Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventors: Benjamin Gadat, Mehdi Anteur
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Patent number: 10921355Abstract: A method for detecting a plurality of useful signals in a total signal. The useful signals correspond to radiofrequency signals emitted by different terminals in a multiplexing frequency band. A plurality of spectrograms calculated that have a compensated linear frequency drift and are respectively associated with different linear frequency drift values. For each analysis frequency and each spectrogram, time envelope filtering of the values is performed at the different times for analyzing the spectrogram at the analysis frequency using a filter representing a reference time envelope of the useful signals. A useful signal is detected at an analysis time and at an analysis frequency in response to a verification of a predefined detection criterion by the value from a spectrogram resulting from filtering at the analysis time and at the analysis frequency.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2016Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventors: Mathieu Picard, Mehdi Anteur
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Patent number: 10912009Abstract: A method for discovering a network among a plurality of mobile nodes, which includes: a first mobile node periodically transmitting a first signal including an invitation token including data relating to an identity of the node which transmits the token; a second mobile node detecting the first signal; transmitting a second signal including at least one acknowledgement of the invitation token; creating a radio bubble, the communications between the nodes of the radio bubble being coordinated by transmitting a speech token between the nodes; and creating an IP sub-network between the nodes of the radio bubble, each node including an IP address.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2016Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventors: Patrick Labbé, Olivier Legoix, Cédric Le Fur, Dejan Radovanovic
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Patent number: 10887004Abstract: The present invention relates to a telecommunications satellite intended for being placed in earth orbit, comprising an antenna comprising a reflector and a network of sources. In addition, said satellite comprises adaptive analog beamforming networks, said adaptive analog beamforming networks being connected to respective groups of sources other than the network of sources. Each adaptive analog beamforming network is suitable for simultaneously activating a predetermined number of beams serving respective geographic zones inside a geographic region on Earth's surface. Each of group of sources comprises sources shared with other groups of sources, and at least one geographic region has a geographic overlap of at least 30% with other geographic regions.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2018Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignees: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS, CENTRE NATIONAL D'ETUDES SPATIALES (CNES)Inventor: Vincent Tugend
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Patent number: 10773832Abstract: A projectile intended for damping a spacecraft (100) comprising a main body (110) and active attitude control means (150) comprises a harpoon and is intended to equip a space delivery vehicle to be projected towards the spacecraft. It comprises a passive damper (200) mounted such that it is fixed on the harpoon and suitable for generating, in cooperation with the Earth's magnetic field, a damping torque. That passive damper (200) comprises an outer enclosure (210) and an inner body (220) configured such that: the inner body, permanently magnetized, is positioned inside the outer enclosure and is capable of moving in rotation about at least one axis of rotation, the outer enclosure and the inner body comprise respectively an inner surface and an outer surface, separated by means of a viscous fluid, the outer enclosure is fixed to the main body of the spacecraft for rotation therewith once the harpoon is secured to the main body.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2017Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventors: Cyril Tourneur, Kristen Lagadec
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Patent number: 10718319Abstract: An electric power supply system for a Hall effect electric thruster. The Hall effect electric thruster includes an anode, a cathode, a heater for the cathode and an igniter. The electric power supply system includes a first power supply source to power the anode, a second power supply source to power the heater and a power supply unit to electrically supply the igniter. The power supply unit includes a third power supply source and a passive electric circuit. The third power supply source powers the passive electric circuit and is configured to generate a voltage in the form of at least one pulse.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2017Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventors: Cyril Brotons, Dimitry Loubere, Guillaume Scremin, Matthias Guilhem-Ducleon
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Patent number: 10689134Abstract: Disclosed is a device for controlled separation of a first so-called stationary part and a second so-called mobile part, the stationary part having a stationary connecting surface opposite a mobile connecting surface of the mobile part, the stationary part having a different thermal expansion coefficient from that of the mobile part, the separation device including: at least one connecting agent arranged in a layer between the stationary connecting surface and the mobile connecting surface, at least one device for heating at least one of the stationary part and the mobile part, and at least one system for controlling the heating device.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2016Date of Patent: June 23, 2020Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventors: Robert Oldham, Philippe Mayo, Franck Levallois, Christophe Figus, Daniel Logut
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Patent number: 10689133Abstract: Disclosed is a satellite including a cylindrical main body, the main body having an inner wall defining an inner space and an outer wall, and extending along a main axis between a lower end surface and an upper end surface, at least one of the lower end surface and the upper end surface including an interface mechanism intended for engaging with a complementary interface mechanism of another satellite or of a launcher, the satellite also including at least one external device attached to the outer wall of the main body, the outer device extending to project transversely from the outer wall relative to the main axis.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2016Date of Patent: June 23, 2020Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SASInventors: René Cheynet de Beaupre, Francis Palayret, Philippe Bertheux