Patents Assigned to Boeing
  • Verifying flight information
    Patent number: 11056010
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method. The method comprises retrieving a first message comprising flight information that is input into a flight information system associated with a flight. The method also comprises receiving a second message comprising flight information that is input into the flight information system associated with the flight based on the first message. The method further comprises verifying that the flight information that is sent in the first message matches the flight information that is received in the second message. The method additionally comprises providing a notification in response to verifying that the flight information that is sent in the first message does not match the flight information that is received in the second message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Louis J. Bailey
  • Inner barrel of an engine inlet with laser-machined acoustic perforations
    Patent number: 11052490
    Abstract: A forming system includes a femtosecond laser and a control unit that includes one or more processors operatively connected to the femtosecond laser. The femtosecond laser is configured to emit laser pulses onto an inner surface of a face sheet of an acoustic inner barrel. The acoustic inner barrel includes an acoustic core comprising an array of hexagonal cells attached to an outer surface of the face sheet that is opposite the inner surface. The control unit is configured to control the femtosecond laser to laser drill a plurality of perforations in the face sheet via emitting laser pulses at pulse durations between about 100 femtoseconds and about 10,000 femtoseconds and at frequencies over 100,000 Hz such that the perforations are formed without burning portions of the face sheet or the acoustic core surrounding the perforations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Jake Adam Reeves, Mark Alan Negley, Eric Herrera, John Scott Bauman, Brandon L. Bertolucci, Perry T. Horst
  • Ice detection systems for aircraft and related methods
    Patent number: 11053011
    Abstract: Ice detection systems for aircraft and related methods are disclosed. A disclosed example ice detection system includes a thermochromic device to sense a temperature of freestream air relative to a temperature threshold, and a hydrochromic device to sense an amount of moisture in the freestream air relative to a moisture threshold. A controller to detect an icing condition in response to the thermochromic device sensing a temperature that is less than or equal to the temperature threshold and the hydrochromic device sensing an amount moisture that exceeds the moisture threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Charles Steven Meis, Jon Meis, Rachel Malia Darr
  • Load-decoupling attachment system
    Patent number: 11053030
    Abstract: A load-decoupling attachment system is configured to secure a component to a primary structure. The load-decoupling system includes a fore end coupling bracket that is configured to attach to a fore end of the component. A first tie rod is coupled to the fore end coupling bracket. The first tie rod is configured to couple to a first portion of the primary structure. A second tie rod is coupled to the fore end coupling bracket. The second tie rod configured to couple to a second portion of the primary structure. A universal joint mount assembly is configured to couple to an aft end of the component and a third portion of the primary structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Jeffrey W. Weathers, Kraig A. Behel, Mark W. Ullom
  • Fabrication of plank stringers
    Patent number: 11052617
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a plank stringer for use in an aircraft includes grouping a plurality of stacked plies of reinforcing material into a plurality of charges, where each charge in the plurality of charges includes a substack of plies. The method also includes grouping the plurality of charges into two or more groups such that, for each charge in a given group, a respective substack of plies includes a sequence of orientation angles with respect to a longitudinal axis of the plank stringer corresponding to the given group. The method also includes laying up each group of charges as a continuous blanket of plies, where each continuous blanket of plies includes the respective substack of plies for each charge in the respective group. The method also includes cutting each continuous blanket of plies into the respective group of charges and stacking the plurality of charges to form the plank stringer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Scott M. Spencer, Jessica R. Hughes, Jae Dong Hwang, Joseph L. Sweetin, Kanna M. Pham, Jaime C. Garcia, Gregory P. Freed, Frederick T. Calkins, Cynthia G. Feng, Jiangtian Cheng
  • Mobile application identification in network traffic via a search engine approach
    Patent number: 11057289
    Abstract: A method for identifying a network application. The method includes analyzing metadata and source code of a network application to extract a set of application tokens, generating an index document of the network application based on the set of application code tokens, wherein the index document is included in a library of index documents corresponding to a number of network applications, extracting a set of packet header tokens from a packet header of a packet in a flow, comparing the set of packet header tokens to the set of index documents to generate a number of match scores, wherein each match score represents a similarity measure between the set of packet header tokens and one index document, and determining, based on a highest match score corresponding to a particular network application, that the flow is generated by the particular network application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Gyan Ranjan, Alok Tongaonkar, Ruben Torres
  • Computer-vision-based autonomous or supervised- autonomous landing of aircraft
    Patent number: 11055875
    Abstract: An apparatus for supporting an aircraft approaching an airfield runway of an airfield is provided. The apparatus obtains a current pose estimate of the aircraft relative to the airfield runway and determines, based on the current pose estimate of the aircraft, a plurality of proximate poses of the aircraft. The apparatus generates a plurality of images of the airfield runway from a plurality of expected points-of-view of the aircraft and acquires a real-time image of the airfield runway. The apparatus performs a comparison of the real-time image and the plurality of images to identify a best-match image from the plurality of images and generates, based on the best-match image, an updated current pose estimate of the aircraft. The apparatus outputs the updated current pose estimate to a flight control computer of the aircraft, for use in guidance of the aircraft on a final approach.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Robert Merrill Cramblitt
  • Method of testing additive manufactured material and additive manufactured parts
    Patent number: 11054352
    Abstract: Methods of using micro-specimens for testing an additive manufactured material or a part made from the additive manufactured material. The methods include testing small and large test specimens taken from an additive manufactured part and from a blank constructed from the additive manufactured material. Correction factors based on the test specimens are calculated and applied to a calculated material property of the additive manufactured material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Stefanie Anita Meier, Rogie I. Rodriguez, Chul Young Park, Troy Allan Haworth
  • Anti-resonant panel and methods of making the same
    Patent number: 11056092
    Abstract: Example methods, panels, and systems are disclosed for providing noise insulation. Noise insulation may be provided by an anti-resonant panel that includes a base panel including a base panel core material and two base panel face sheets, where each of the two base panel face sheets is adjacent to an opposite side of the base panel core material. The anti-resonant panel further includes at least one stiffener-member positioned along the base panel in a defined area of the base panel, where the defined area is less than a full area of the base panel. The stiffener-member includes a stiffener-member core material and two stiffener-member face sheets the stiffener-member face sheets adjacent to an opposite side of the stiffener-member core material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Adam R. Weston, Joshua M. Montgomery, Chia-Ming Chang, Geoffrey P. McKnight, Adam E. Sorensen
  • Integrally damped composite aircraft floor panels
    Patent number: 11052987
    Abstract: A sound-damping panel. The sound-damping panel includes a first face sheet. The sound-damping panel also includes a core connected to the first face sheet. The core has a honeycomb structure. Walls of the honeycomb structure are embedded with a viscoelastic material configured to dampen sound in a pre-selected frequency range. The sound-damping panel also includes a second face sheet connected to the core, the second face sheet opposite the first face sheet relative to the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Craig H. Emerson, Josh M. Montgomery, Adam Robert Weston
  • Aircraft movement control system
    Patent number: 11053016
    Abstract: Controlling a movement of an aircraft. A computer system detects a position of a group of integrated control levers for the aircraft. The computer system controls a forward thrust, a drag, and a reverse thrust generated by the aircraft based on the position of the group of integrated control levers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Matthew August Lassen, Joseph E. Elliott, Stephen Todd Burrington, Robert James Myers, Kent E. Karnofski, Thomas Jenkins Staggs
  • Automatic generation of integration tests from unit tests
    Patent number: 11055207
    Abstract: A method for automatic generation of integration tests from unit tests includes automatically running, by a processor, a unit test for each model of a plurality of models making-up a system. The method also includes automatically determining, by the processor, integration of unit test cases of interfacing models for one or more groups of interfacing models of the plurality of models. The method additionally includes automatically running, by the processor, an integration test for each group of interfacing models using the unit tests for each model of the interfacing models. The method further includes automatically detecting, by the processor, at least one of inconsistent, incomplete or incorrect data transmitted between the interfacing models for each group of interfacing models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Daniel Ramiro Rebollo, Johan De Prins, Maxim Constantijn Vos, Pawel Kajak, Victor Arcos Barraquero, Bastian Figlar
  • Configurable vehicle seat and method therefor
    Patent number: 11053009
    Abstract: A conformal seat insert for an adjustable vehicle seat, the conformal seat insert comprising an insert frame, the insert frame having one or more insert reference features for locating the insert frame on a seat frame of the vehicle seat in a predetermined position relative to the seat frame, and a contoured support surface formed in the insert frame, the contoured support surface having a crew reference point corresponding to an acromial point of a shoulder of a seat occupant of the adjustable vehicle seat, the crew reference point being a datum from which an eye position of the seat occupant is established relative to instrumentation of an aerospace vehicle in which the adjustable vehicle seat is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Michael C. McCarley, Christopher Ferguson
  • Hybrid wound-rotor motor and generator with induction feed and persistent current
    Patent number: 11056963
    Abstract: A system for operation in a motor mode comprises a cryocooler to cool a superconducting coil of a rotor. The system further comprises a flux pump to provide flux to the superconducting coil to produce-a persistent current. Also, the system comprises a main stator coil. An alternating current within the main stator coil generates a rotating magnetic field, which interacts with the persistent current to generate an electromagnetic torque to rotate the rotor. The system also comprises a control stator coil to generate a current at a non-superconducting coil of the rotor. In one or more embodiments, a magnitude, phase, and/or frequency of the rotating magnetic field of the main stator coil and a magnetic field of the non-superconducting coil is varied in comparison a magnitude, phase, and/or frequency of the rotating magnetic field produced by the main stator coil alone to control a speed of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: John R. Hull, Shengyi Liu
  • Packaging apparatuses and systems
    Patent number: 11053038
    Abstract: A packaging apparatus comprising a base surface, in turn comprising a first end and a second end is disclosed. The packaging apparatus further comprises a feed tube between the first end and the second end of the base surface, a transporter between the first end of the base surface and the feed tube, a first sealer between the feed tube and the second end of the base surface, and a second sealer between the first sealer and the second end of the base surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Todd S. Tiffany, Tristan E. Lee
  • Hybrid propulsion engines for aircraft
    Patent number: 11053019
    Abstract: Hybrid propulsion engines for aircraft are described herein. An example hybrid propulsion engine includes a propulsor and a gas turbine engine having a first drive shaft. The hybrid propulsion engine also includes an electric motor having a second drive shaft, and the propulsor is coupled to the second drive shaft. The hybrid propulsion engine further includes a clutch coupled between the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft to enable the gas turbine engine to drive the propulsor, via the clutch, during a first mode of operation and to enable the electric motor to drive the propulsor during a second mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Steve G. Mackin
  • Continuous fabrication for composite preforms
    Patent number: 11052571
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for fabricating preforms for composite parts. One embodiment is a method of creating a preform. The method includes conveying a web of fiber reinforced composite material in a process direction, disposing fiber reinforced composite material atop the web, conveying the web and the tow in the process direction to a cutting tool, and cutting out a preform comprising a combination of the tow and the web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Jens Bold
  • Systems and methods for sealant injection molding
    Patent number: 11052589
    Abstract: A mold tool is provided that includes plural mold sub-volumes configured to receive a sealant, a mold channel in fluid communication with the mold sub-volumes, a sealant injection port in fluid communication with the mold channel, vacuum application ports in fluid communication with the mold sub-volumes, and an air control system. The air control system is operably coupled to the mold sub-volumes and the mold channel, and is configured to apply a vacuum to the mold sub-volumes via the vacuum application ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Chris J. Erickson
  • Electrically conductive patch for indicating a compromised electrical discharge point in an aircraft
    Patent number: 11053020
    Abstract: An electrically conductive patch for a sheet that is part of a skin of an aircraft is disclosed. The sheet includes an outermost surface constructed of an electrically conductive material and one or more electrical discharge points that are conductively coupled to the outermost surface of the sheet. The electrically conductive patch is disposed along the outermost surface of the sheet and is conductively coupled to the outermost surface of the sheet. The electrically conductive patch is constructed of a voltage responsive film configured to change from a first coloration and into a second coloration in response to experiencing a threshold voltage difference, where the first coloration substantially matches a coloration of the skin of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Joseph A. Bolton, Keith D. Humfeld
  • Split winglet
    Patent number: D924119
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Dino L. Roman, John C. Vassberg, Douglas M. Friedman, Adam P. Malachowski, Christopher A. Vegter