Patents Assigned to Lockheed Martin Corporation
  • Publication number: 20240087464
    Abstract: Load volume predication for slung loads of aerial vehicles are disclosed. A system can identify parameters of a load. The system can determine a volume occupied by a superposition of locations of the cone. The system can receive from sensors or models, characteristics of an environment associated with the aerial vehicle or the load. The system can detect an obstacle in the environment. The system can take a navigational action in response to detecting the obstacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Navid Dadkhah Tehrani, Sean S. Carlson, Cauvin Polycarpe
  • Patent number: 11929617
    Abstract: A load control unit includes a first input terminal configured to receive power, a second input terminal configured to receive load information, a first output terminal configured to provide a first portion of the power to a first load, a second output terminal configured to provide a second portion of the power to a second load, a memory, and an electronic processor communicatively connected to the memory, first input terminal, the second input terminal, the first output terminal, and the second output terminal. The electronic processor is configured to measure the power received via the first input terminal, receive load parameters via the second input terminal, and dynamically control, in response to measuring the power and receiving the load parameters, at least one of the first load or the second load based on the power that is measured and the load parameters that are received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Patrick Sullivan, Melissa A. Baran, Matthew James Fogarty, Frederick L. Bourne
  • Patent number: 11928505
    Abstract: Offline task-based feature processing for aerial vehicles is provided. A system can extract features from a world model generated using sensor information captured by sensors mounted on an aerial vehicle. The system generates a label for each of the features and identifies identify processing levels based on the features. The system selects a processing level for each feature of a subset of features based on a task performed by the aerial vehicle and the label associated with the feature. The system generates one or more processed features by applying the processing level to a respective feature of the subset of the plurality of features. The system presents the one or more processed features on a display device of the aerial vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Navid Dadkhah Tehrani, Daniel Montrallo Flickinger, Igor Cherepinsky
  • Patent number: 11919627
    Abstract: A method of modifying a rotor blade is provided for a rotor blade including a spar having an inboard portion with a substantially constant overall height, the inboard portion further including a top layer having a substantially constant first thickness and a bottom layer having a substantially constant second thickness. The method includes removing a root portion of the inboard portion to thereby modify the rotor blade and installing a cuff configured to couple to the rotor blade to an aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua A. Breon, Eric S. Parsons, Timothy James Conti, Frank M. Caputo
  • Patent number: 11919052
    Abstract: In one embodiment, systems and methods include using an automated laser system to remove a portion of a coating for nutplate installation. An automated laser system comprises a laser scanner and a laser head, wherein the laser head is coupled to the laser scanner. The laser head comprises a containment unit and a vacuum connector wherein the vacuum connector is disposed on a first side of the containment unit. The laser head further comprises a camera system, a light source, a first actuator, and a second actuator all disposed on a top surface of the containment unit. The laser head further comprises an end piece, wherein the second actuator is configured to displace the end piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: David Haynes Coleman, Michael Bryan Stoddard, Jeffrey P. Langevin, Steven E. Twaddle, Alexandria Zoe Arthur
  • Publication number: 20240067333
    Abstract: A rotor blade for a rotary wing aircraft includes a leading edge and a trailing edge defining a chordwise direction. The leading edge defines a forward end of the rotor blade and the trailing edge defines an aft end of the rotor blade. The rotor blade has a center of gravity and an aerodynamic center along the chordwise direction. The center of gravity is aft of the aerodynamic center.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua A. Breon, Eric S. Parsons, Christopher M. Sutton, William Paul Adams, Timothy James Conti, Jared Anapolle, Evan Medrano
  • Publication number: 20240060425
    Abstract: A hybrid propulsion system extracts electrical power using a combined heat engine and electrical generator. The propulsion system includes a gas generator, an electrical power generator disposed upstream of the gas generator and configured to be driven by a power turbine, an output power shaft mated to the power turbine and extending through a central axis of the gas generator and power generator unit, an engine enclosure circumferentially surrounding the power generator, and a shroud disposed between the power generator and the engine enclosure. The electrical power generator includes at least one rotating member and a stationary conductive member, wherein the at least one rotating member includes a magnetic portion, and rotation of the at least one rotating member relative to stationary conductive member generates a current transmissible by one or more coupled power output cables.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Lawrence Simonetti, Mark P. Eisenhauer, Michael Strauss
  • Publication number: 20240059405
    Abstract: A vibration control assembly includes a housing having an interior region and an inner mass including a cage disposed within the interior region of the housing and being rotatable within the housing about a first axis and a gyroscope wheel disposed within the cage and rotatable about a second axis other than the first axis. At least one driving source includes a stator and is operable to interact with a magnetic field of the inner mass to drive rotation of the inner mass about at least one of the first axis and the second axis, wherein the at least one driving source is mounted within the interior region of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Welsh, Yuriy Gmirya, Damaris R. Zachos
  • Patent number: 11905045
    Abstract: Provided herein are various enhanced systems, apparatuses, and techniques for on-surface analysis of celestial or terrestrial surfaces, such as for discovery and analysis of water ice deposits, locations, abundances, and depths. An example herein includes a swarm of spherical payloads sequentially deployed by a deployment host across a large area of a surface to impact the surface, sense properties of the surrounding environment using avionics and scientific instrumentation, and to establish a communication network to collect and transmit collected data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua William Ehrlich
  • Patent number: 11909120
    Abstract: Provided herein are various magnetoelectric dipole antenna arrays and multi-array arrangements for handling radio frequency signals. In one example, an antenna array includes a baseplate conductively coupled to sets of plate elements by support members that position the plate elements at selected distances offset from a surface of the baseplate. Antenna probes are arranged in orthogonal pairs positioned within gaps between a corresponding set of plate elements, with each antenna probe comprising a conductive strip having a feed section coupled to a radio frequency connection through the baseplate, a transverse section generally parallel with the baseplate, and a terminal section directed back toward the baseplate. Dielectric structures for each pair of antenna probes comprise a dielectric material having channels that recess the conductive strips therein and a dielectric spacer positioned between overlapping transverse sections of the antenna probes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Elie Germain Tianang, James F. Mulvey, Andrew Jason Kee, Erik Lier
  • Patent number: 11901630
    Abstract: Provided herein are various improvements to antenna stabilization systems, such as employed on confocal phased array reflector antenna arrangements. In one example, a system includes a feed structure for a main reflector, the feed structure comprising an electronically scanned array (ESA) feed and a sub-reflector. The sub-reflector is configured to propagate a signal between the ESA feed and the main reflector. The system also includes a star tracker element coupled to the feed structure and configured to determine orientation information relative to star alignment, and laser distancing elements coupled to the feed structure and configured to determine distance measurements relative to the main reflector. A control system is configured to determine pointing errors of the main reflector based at least on the orientation information and the distance measurements, and these pointing errors can be used by the ESA feed to adjust steering of a signal towards a target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Alan Cherrette
  • Patent number: 11896726
    Abstract: Provided herein are various enhanced techniques for ultraviolet decontamination via emission of ultraviolet radiation and tracking emission exposure. An example method includes obtaining an emission characteristic for a radiation source. The method also includes capturing a depth map of a scene comprised of one or more objects and processing the depth map and an emission characteristic to determine an indication of exposure levels of the one or more objects to radiation emitted by the radiation source. An exposure visualization is generated based at least on the indication of exposure levels and displaying the exposure visualization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Nicolas James Deshler, James G. Hawley, Donald George Polensky
  • Patent number: 11898519
    Abstract: A heating system for a component within a compartment of a spacecraft includes a fuel source, a gas generator, and a heat sink. The fuel source includes hydrazine. The gas generator is in fluid communication with the fuel source. The gas generator includes a catalyst. The catalyst is configured to decompose the hydrazine and generate an exhaust gas. The heat sink is thermally coupled to the gas generator and configured to receive heat from the exhaust gas of the gas generator. The heat sink is thermally coupled to the component within the compartment of the spacecraft to transfer heat from the exhaust gas to the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua Benjamin Hopkins, Richard Wayne Warwick, Brian Paul Dempsey, Carey Lee Parish
  • Publication number: 20240043116
    Abstract: A method of modifying a rotor blade is provided for a rotor blade including a spar having an inboard portion with a substantially constant overall height, the inboard portion further including a top layer having a substantially constant first thickness and a bottom layer having a substantially constant second thickness. The method includes removing a root portion of the inboard portion to thereby modify the rotor blade and installing a cuff configured to couple to the rotor blade to an aircraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua A. Breon, Eric S. Parsons, Timothy James Conti, Frank M. Caputo
  • Patent number: 11894158
    Abstract: Sealed containers for radioactive material are presented herein. A sealed container forms an interior envelope for housing a radioactive material and prevents escape of the radioactive material into a surrounding environment. The sealed container provides a diffusion window for gaseous decay products to escape at a particular diffusion rate. In one example, an apparatus, comprises a container forming a sealed interior envelope for a radioactive material. The container has an aperture covered by a window material, and properties of the window material are selected to provide for diffusion of at least one gas produced by radioactive decay of the radioactive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Brian Paul Dempsey
  • Publication number: 20240037217
    Abstract: A system for digital rights management including a processor in a platform and a memory device comprising instructions that when executed configure the processor to perform operations. The operations may include determining whether a digital media is locally installed in a platform before initiating an operating system, and launching a first UEFI application configured to generate attestation data and communicate attestation based data to a server through an encrypted medium in response to determining the digital media is not installed. The operations may also include receive a binary file of the digital media and a first decryption key and performing a sealing of the binary file using a sealing enclave of the first UEFI application and generating a local decryption second key based on the first key and local entropy. The operations may also include installing the sealed binary file on local storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Todd KAUL, Scott Edwin HINNNERSHITZ, David Jose LOPEZ, Nhan Huu MAI, Eric Allen MOMPER
  • Patent number: 11884549
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes producing a mixed feedstock of at least three halogenated monomer feedstocks. A first of the at least three halogenated monomer feedstocks includes an SP3 carbon, a second of the at least three halogenated monomer feedstocks includes an SP2 carbon, and a third of the at least three halogenated monomer feedstocks includes at least two SP1 carbons. The method further includes producing a polyorbital-hybrid pre-ceramic polymer comprising the SP1 carbons, the SP2 carbon, and the SP3 carbon. The polyorbital-hybrid pre-ceramic polymer is produced by reducing the mixed feedstock such that one or more halogen atoms are removed from the mixed feedstock. The method also includes fabricating the polyorbital-hybrid pre-ceramic polymer into a greenware form and producing a polyorbital-hybrid ceramic carbon comprising the SP1 carbons, the SP2 carbon, and the SP3 carbon. The polyorbital-hybrid ceramic carbon is produced by thermolyzing the polyorbital pre-ceramic polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: David Glen Findley
  • Patent number: 11884387
    Abstract: A rotor blade assembly connectable to a rotor hub configured to rotate about a center axis includes a torsional pitch member coupled to the rotor hub, a torque tube coupled to the torsional pitch member, wherein the torsional pitch member extends away from the center axis through a portion of the torque tube, a blade coupled to the torque tube, and a pitch control member coupled to the torque tube and configured to control a pitch angle of the blade, wherein the torsional pitch member includes a first curvilinear channel and a second curvilinear channel each having a front side and a back side, wherein the first curvilinear channel and the second curvilinear channel are disposed adjacent to each other, such that the back side of the first curvilinear channel faces the back side of the second curvilinear channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Pedro L Cabrera, David H. Hunter, David N. Schmaling
  • Patent number: 11888519
    Abstract: Provided herein are various enhanced systems, apparatuses, and techniques for optical communication among a constellation of satellites. One example includes establishing an initial cross-connect configuration comprising optical communication links among a constellation of satellites. In the initial cross-connect configuration, the satellites can optically communicate with both adjacently positioned and non-adjacently positioned satellites in the constellation. The satellites obtain angular states of the optical communication links resultant from orbital motion of the satellites. When angular states of a portion of the optical communication links reach an exclusion range, the satellites establish a subsequent cross-connect configuration to avoid optically communicating within the exclusion range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Henry Rosenbrock, Neil Evan Goodzeit, Harald J. Weigl, Joseph F. Eder
  • Patent number: 11881607
    Abstract: A septum orthomode transducer polarizer (SPOL) is presented comprising sidewall ridges which increase bandwidth in the presence of draft angles for injection molding manufacturing techniques. A SPOL with sidewall ridges is able to accommodate draft angles for injection molding while creating greater modal separation within the SPOL and increasing the resultant bandwidth. A horn aperture may be included with the SPOL, and the combined structure may be injection molded as a single part to realize significant cost and mass reductions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Jason Stewart Wrigley