Patents Assigned to Space
  • Rendering depth-based three-dimensional model with integrated image frames
    Patent number: 11393179
    Abstract: A system aligns a 3D model of an environment with image frames of the environment and generates a visualization interface that displays a portion of the 3D model and a corresponding image frame. The system receives LIDAR data collected in the environment and generates a 3D model based on the LIDAR data. For each image frame, the system aligns the image frame with the 3D model. After aligning the image frames with the 3D model, when the system presents a portion of the 3D model in an interface, it also presents an image frame that corresponds to the portion of the 3D model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: OPEN SPACE LABS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Ben Fleischman, Jeevan James Kalanithi, Gabriel Hein, Elliott St. George Wilson Kember
  • VACUUM CHAMBER, FEEDTHROUGH SYSTEM FOR VACUUM CHAMBER AND METHODS
    Publication number: 20220219130
    Abstract: A vacuum chamber may include an ambient side and a vacuum side. The vacuum chamber may be configured to carry a feedthrough that may include a hollow tube, a first O-ring captured by a first recess within the hollow tube and a rod extending through the hollow tube. The outer circumference of the rod may be configured to contact an entirety of an inner circumference of the first O-ring. A vacuum fitting having an inner circumference may be fixedly secured to the hollow tube. The rod may be operable to be linearly movable within the hollow tube and may be rotatably movable about an axis within the hollow tube. An object may be secured to the rod and may be linearly and rotatably moved within the vacuum chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Applicant: Sidus Space, Inc.
    Inventors: Ivan Townsend, Jason Schuler, Robert Cox
  • Image search in walkthrough videos
    Patent number: 11386151
    Abstract: A spatial indexing system receives a set of walkthrough videos of an environment taken over a period of time and receives an image search query that includes an image of an object. The spatial indexing system searches the set of walkthrough videos for instances of the object. The spatial indexing system presents search results in a user interface, displaying in a first portion a 2D map associated with one walkthrough video with marked locations of instances of the object and a second portion with a histogram of instances of the object over time in the set of walkthrough videos.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: OPEN SPACE LABS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Ben Fleischman, Gabriel Hein, Thomas Friel Allen, Philip DeCamp
  • Automated spatial indexing of images based on floorplan features
    Patent number: 11386616
    Abstract: A spatial indexing system receives a sequence of images depicting an environment, such as a floor of a construction site, and performs a spatial indexing process to automatically identify the spatial locations at which each of the images were captured. The spatial indexing system also generates an immersive model of the environment and provides a visualization interface that allows a user to view each of the images at its corresponding location within the model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: OPEN SPACE LABS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Ben Fleischman, Philip DeCamp, Jeevan Kalanithi, Thomas Friel Allen
  • Multi-mission configurable spacecraft system
    Patent number: 11385887
    Abstract: A scalable, extensible, multi-tenancy multi-mission configurable spacecraft system is provided that allows applications to be deployed and managed across many spacecraft. One embodiment includes a plurality of satellites in orbit, where each satellite includes an antenna, a memory configured to store a non-virtualized operating system and one or more software applications, and a processor connected to the antenna and the memory. The processor is configured to run the non-virtualized operating system and to run the one or more software applications. The processors and the applications can be managed by ground terminals or other satellites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: MAXAR SPACE LLC
    Inventors: Sherrie Schmit, James Pham, William Gray, William Hreha
  • Method for locating a target from an elliptical contour
    Patent number: 11386575
    Abstract: A method for locating a target relative to a vehicle is disclosed. The target includes at least one three-dimensional external component presenting a quadratic surface. The method includes the steps of capturing an image of the target having an area of interest in which the external component of the target is visible in the form of an elliptical contour, for each of the pixels of the area of interest in the image, calculating an intensity gradient of the image around the pixel, and determining, based on the intensity gradient, the parameters of a line presenting a direction normal to the gradient at the pixel, selecting, among the set of determined lines, a set of lines that are tangents to the elliptical contour, and estimating the parameters of the elliptical contour on the image based on the parameters of the tangents to the elliptical contour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS
    Inventor: Alexandre Falcoz
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONFIGURING A COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE FOR SPACE-TERRESTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS
    Publication number: 20220216911
    Abstract: The present teachings is generally directed to facilitating satellite and terrestrial internet communications. In some embodiments, configuration information for configuring a communications device may be retrieved. The configuration information may be provided to the communications device, and the communications device may be caused to be configured based on the configuration information. Responsive to receiving a first data signal from a first satellite, the communications device may be configured to generate and output a second data signal based on the first data signal, the first data signal including first data encoded using one or more space-based communication protocols, and the second data including second data encoded using one or more terrestrial-based communication protocols.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Applicant: ATLAS SPACE OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Sean McDaniel
  • Flow Body For A Vehicle And Method For Manufacturing A Flow Body
    Publication number: 20220212794
    Abstract: A flow body for an aircraft includes a recess in a surface of the flow body, a first structural component with a porous material and may also include a second structural component with a porous material. The recess includes a front recess region and a rear recess region. The first structural component is arranged in, or on, the front recess region and the second structural component may be arranged in, or on, the rear recess region. An aircraft having the flow body, a weapons system having the flow body and a method for manufacturing a flow body for a vehicle are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Applicant: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
    Inventors: Florian Mayer, Alexander Kolb, Simone Mancini
  • Method for Performing SAR Acquisitions with Increased Swath Size
    Publication number: 20220214449
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for performing SAR acquisitions, which comprises performing SAR acquisitions in Spotlight/Stripmap mode of areas/swaths of earth's surface by means of a SAR system carried by an air or space platform along a flight direction, whereby: an azimuth direction is defined by a ground track of the flight direction on the earth's surface, a nadir direction is defined that is orthogonal to the earth's surface, to the flight direction and to the azimuth direction, an across-track direction is defined that lies on the earth's surface and is orthogonal to the azimuth direction and to the nadir direction, and, for each acquired area/swath of the earth's surface, a respective range direction is defined that extends from the synthetic aperture radar system to said acquired area/swath.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Applicant: Thales Alenia Space Italia S.p.A. Con Unico Socio
    Inventor: Diego Calabrese
  • Reflector, deployable antenna, and spacecraft
    Patent number: 11381001
    Abstract: Deployable reflectors and antennas and spacecraft using such reflectors are disclosed. An example disclosed reflector includes: a hub having a cross-section formed in a circular, elliptical or polygonal shape; a plurality of ribs, each rib having an inner side surface facing an outer peripheral side of the hub when folded, and an outer side surface that is a surface opposite to the inner side surface, the plurality of ribs being folded to be wound around an outer periphery of the hub such that the inner side surface of each rib and the outer side surface of its adjacent rib partially face each other or the outer side surface of each rib and the inner side surface of its adjacent rib partially face each other, each rib being deployed in a parabolic shape; and a sheet installed across each of the plurality of ribs and capable of reflecting radio waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, Inc.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Onishi, Tetsuo Yasaka, Kazuo Kuno, Yohei Koga
  • Method for attaching a heat-emitting device, spacecraft wall and spacecraft
    Patent number: 11377236
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS
    Inventor: Andrew Walker
  • Composite panel with reinforcing pins
    Patent number: 11377191
    Abstract: A composite panel includes a first skin, a second skin, a core arranged between the first skin and the second skin, reinforcing pins connected by a first end to the first skin and connected by a second end to the second skin, in which inclined reinforcing pins form an angle of from 25 degrees to 40 degrees with the first skin and/or the second skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
    Inventors: Markus J. Weber, Ulf Henning Neumann, Gregor Christian Endres
  • Ground time virtually referenced positioning and timing system
    Patent number: 11378698
    Abstract: A platform with a signal generation unit and a transmitting unit. The signal generation unit is adapted to generate a spreading code sequence. The spreading code sequence has a reference chip with a rising edge and a falling edge. The signal generation unit is adapted to adjust the spreading code sequence to ensure that the rising edge or the falling edge of the reference chip arrives at a Virtual Timing Reference Station, VTRS, on a predetermined time (tref,VTRS). The transmitting unit is adapted to engage with the signal generation unit and adapted to transmit the spreading code sequence. Further, a user device for receiving the transmitted spreading code sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
    Inventors: Francis Soualle, Jean-Jacques Floch, Thomas Bey
  • Electrical battery monitoring device and battery
    Patent number: 11378627
    Abstract: A battery and an electrical battery monitoring device are disclosed having a first group of sensing switches connected in series on a first monitoring circuit, the sensing switches, a second group of electrical sensing switches connected in series on a second monitoring circuit, an input unit to provide an input to the first and second monitoring circuits, a monitoring unit to receive an output from the first and second monitoring circuits, wherein the monitoring unit receives at least two outputs from two measuring points of the first monitoring circuit, the two measuring points being separated by at least one sensing switch. The location of a defective battery cell may be early detected and precisely located by the monitoring of the battery cells in rows and columns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignees: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GmbH, AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE GmbH
    Inventors: Philipp Weinreiter, Kristian Zimmermann
  • Dicing method for separating wafers comprising a plurality of solar cell stacks
    Patent number: 11380814
    Abstract: A dicing method for separating a wafer comprising a plurality of solar cells stack along at least one parting line, at least having the steps of: providing the wafer with a top, a bottom, an adhesive layer which is integrally bonded with the top and a cover glass layer which is integrally bonded with the adhesive layer, wherein the wafer includes a plurality of solar cell stacks, each having a germanium substrate layer forming the bottom of the wafer, a germanium sub-cell and at least two III-V sub-cells; creating a separating trench along the parting line by means of laser ablation, which extends from a bottom of the wafer through the wafer and the adhesive layer at least up to a top of the cover glass layer; and dividing the cover glass layer along the separating trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen Sommer, Wolfgang Koestler, Alexander Frey
  • High glass transition temperature epoxy formulations for cryogenic applications
    Patent number: 11377519
    Abstract: A method of increasing the glass transition point of a cured epoxy comprising a bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and a polyetheramine includes the step of including 1,8-diamino-p-menthane as an additional hardener for curing the epoxy. An epoxy formulation includes bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and a hardener including a polyetheramine and 1,8-diamino-p-menthane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Wenhong Fan, Ryan Christopher Kennett, Joshua James Conlon
  • Combined communication and ranging functionality on a spacecraft
    Patent number: 11381310
    Abstract: An integrated communication and ranging system for use on a spacecraft includes: a laser module configured to emit at least one beam, a pointing module configured to direct the at least one beam toward a ground station and toward an object in space, and a detector module configured to detect a scattered portion of the at least one beam. The system further includes a control module configured to operate the pointing module to (i) transmit data to the ground station using the at least one beam and (ii) determine, using the detector module, a distance between the spacecraft and the object using the at least one beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: MOMENTUS SPACE LLC
    Inventor: Robert Erik Schwarz
  • Remote system for an autonomous vehicle
    Patent number: 11378950
    Abstract: A remote system for an autonomous vehicle, includes a receiver, a controller, and a display device. The receiver is configured to receive road information. The controller is programmed to receive input related to the road information and create a supervision zone when the road information impacts road drivability. The display device is disposed at a control center area and configured to display a visual indication on a map of the supervision zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignees: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC., United States of America as Represented by the Admininstrator of the Nationa Aeronautics and Space
    Inventors: Liam Pedersen, Siddharth Thakur, Armelle Guerin, Ali Mortazavi, Atsuhide Kobashi, Mauro Della Penna, Richard Enlow, Andrea Angquist, Richard Salloum, Stephen Wu, Ben Christel, Shane Hogan, John Deniston, Jen Hamon, Sannidhi Jalukar, Maarten Sierhuis, Eric Schafer, David Lees, Dawn Wheeler, Mark Allan
  • BASIC LOGIC ELEMENT, SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME, OUTPUT CONTROL METHOD FOR BASIC LOGIC ELEMENT, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM
    Publication number: 20220206066
    Abstract: A basic logic element (1) includes: a calculation unit (11) configured to perform calculation processing; a self-diagnosis unit (12) configured to self-diagnose whether or not there is an abnormality in a result of the calculation output from the basic logic element; a management unit (13) configured to determine whether or not to retain authority to output the result of the calculation based on a result of the diagnosis performed by the self-diagnosis unit (12) and output a result of the determination as an authority signal; and an output control unit (14) configured to control whether or not to output the result of the calculation performed by the calculation unit (11) based on whether or not the authority to output data is retained by the management unit (13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: NEC Space Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroki HIHARA
  • SPACECRAFT RADIATION SHIELD SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20220204189
    Abstract: A spacecraft radiation shield system (2) is disclosed for improving the protection from ionising radiation from the external environment and providing an improved freedom of orientation to the spacecraft. The spacecraft radiation shield system includes: at least two magnets arranged in a magnetic multipole (6), a magnetometer (14), and an adjustable magnet (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: Space Talos Ltd.
    Inventor: Majed Abdel JAWAD