Patents Assigned to The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
  • Patent number: 12221220
    Abstract: A flexible cover for an aircraft hands on stick and throttle. The cover has a top layer and bottom layer joined by a grid having a particular grid density range and Shore A hardness range providing flexibility in cold climates and frictional grip to remain on the throttle in hot climates. The cover has an irregular perimeter, matched to the irregular perimeter of the particular throttle of the aircraft. The cover may have an indicium to assist in proper placement on the throttle. The cover is unitary and fits in the map case of the cockpit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Emil Wodicka, III
  • Patent number: 12221385
    Abstract: The present invention relates to preceramic polymer grafted nanoparticles and as well as methods of making and using same. Advantages of such preceramic polymer grafted nanoparticles include, reduced out gassing, desired morphology control and desirable, distinct rheological properties that are not found in simple mixtures. As a result, Applicants' preceramic polymer grafted nanoparticles can be used to provide significantly improved, items including but not limited to hypersonic vehicles, jets, rockets, mirrors, signal apertures, furnaces, glow plugs, brakes, and armor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Matthew B. Dickerson, Kara L. Martin
  • Patent number: 12222045
    Abstract: Valves, the components used to create valves and, more particularly, to piston-activated cartridge valves. The valves include cartridge valve assemblies having a housing and a slidable member. One end of the slidable member extends outward beyond the second end of the cartridge housing, and can be contacted by an actuator piston to open the valve. The interior surface of the cartridge housing and the sides of the slidable member are configured so that when the slidable member is in the open position, at least one fluid flow path is provided between the first and second openings of the cartridge housing so that fluid can flow either: (a) from the first opening to the second opening; or (b) from the second opening to the first opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Edgar G Mendez
  • Patent number: 12221192
    Abstract: A buoy, and systems and methods for rescuing people isolated on large bodies of water are disclosed. The buoy includes a remotely activatable device that is activatable when a signal is received from a remote source. The activatable device may be a signaling device, or an assistance device that is deployable by the buoy to assist in rescuing a person. A marine communication system formed by a number of spaced apart rescue buoys is also provided. A message or key other information can be transmitted to every buoy in the network via communication with just one buoy. The methods for rescuing people isolated on large bodies of water involve providing the network of communication buoys that can receive communications from the isolated person's personal communication device, and then transmit a signal to remotely activate an activatable device in a buoy to assist in the rescue of the person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: William Erwin, Hayk Azatyan, Anthony Ligouri, Travis Rennich, David Shald, Adam Warren
  • Patent number: 12222884
    Abstract: An apparatus for a microprocessor computer system and method for configuring the same where said microprocessor computer system comprises a processor core and at least one hardware buffer FIFO with memory-mapped head and tail that handles data movement among the processor cores, networks, raw data input and outputs, and memory. The method for configuring said microprocessor computer system comprises utilizing a FIFO auxiliary processor to process said data traversing said hardware FIFO; utilizing said hardware FIFOs to efficiently pipe data through functional blocks; and utilizing a FIFO controller to perform DMA operations that include non-unit-stride access patterns and transfers among processor cores, networks, raw data input and outputs, memory, and other memory-mapped hardware FIFOs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Mark H. Linderman, Qing Wu, Dennis Fitzgerald
  • Patent number: 12223662
    Abstract: A method of analyzing one or ejecta, specifically kinematic properties, resulting from a dynamic event. The method comprising using a single trigger, single image sensor three dimensional photography system comprising a first plurality of pulsed laser beams, a stage for the dynamic event to occur and be observed and where the first plurality of pulsed laser beams converge. The laser beams are recombined into a single pulsed laser beam after the stage for capture on the single image sensor to a subframe for each pulsed laser beam, the subframes being combined into a unique frame for each time step. The frames are analyzed with respect to time to determine the displacement, velocity and/or acceleration thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Joel Bixler, Allen Kiester, Gary Noojin
  • Patent number: 12224847
    Abstract: A communication system for sending surveillance signals in a hostile environment to an operator. The communication system comprises a plurality of relay sensors to transceive collected data between sequential relay sensors and ultimately to an operator. The communication system has a tractor for dispensing plural relay sensors throughout the hostile environment. The sensors may be dispensed by an elevator to a position where a relay sensor can be retrieved by a drone for placement to maintain line of sight communication. And relay sensors can be dispensed directly from the tractor to the ground or water. Direct dispensing of the relay sensors can occur through a hole in tractor or off a ramp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Spencer Flint, Erin Leslie, Nathaniel Bowen, Michael Anderson
  • Patent number: 12224399
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a solid-state battery that is based on a phthalocyanine solid-state electrolyte/anode connection that is chemically obtained. Such chemical connection process yields a solid electrolyte interphase that connects the solid-state battery's phthalocyanine solid-state electrolyte and anode. Unlike other processes for forming solid-state electrolyte/anode connections, the present chemical process does not require that solid-state electrolyte be ductile and flow under high pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Lawrence G. Scanlon, William A. Feld, Jacob W. Lawson, Leah R. Lucente
  • Patent number: 12221394
    Abstract: A doped substrate having a substrate comprising at least one of a glass material, a single crystal material, a poly-crystalline material, a ceramic material, or a semiconductor material. The doped substrate includes a dopant comprising one or more transition metals, one or more rare earth elements, or a combination of both, the doped substrate characterized in that a spectral laser output of the doped substrate exhibits a nominally single frequency having a linewidth less than about 5 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Gary Cook, Ronald W. Stites
  • Patent number: 12216093
    Abstract: A material testing system that uses at least one hydraulic grip is improved with cable clips that are attachable to a respective lateral side of each hydraulic grip wedge. Each cable clip has another end that extends to engage a cable(s) extending from a corresponding wedge retention spring hole. The cable(s) enable manual extension of a wedge retention spring for engagement and disengagement from the hydraulic grip wedge. The cable clip maintains the cable in a noninterfering position during operational use of the material testing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: James M Greer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 12215195
    Abstract: The invention relates to cross-linkable thermoplastics, processes of making such cross-linkable thermoplastics and products comprising such cross-linkable thermoplastics. Such cross-linkable thermoplastics provide articles made by the additive manufacturing (AM) process with increased strength, the desired in use temperature stability and the desired thermo-oxidative stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Loon-Seng Tan, David H. Wang, Zhenning Yu, Hilmar Koerner
  • Patent number: 12208924
    Abstract: A laser guided alignment system for facilitating installation of an aircraft engine into an engine bay of an aircraft is disclosed herein. A laser assembly may be attached to one or more rails of an engine trailer or rails of an engine bay. A laser receiving assembly may be attached to one or more of the rails of the engine bay or the rails of the trailer. The engine can be moved from the trailer to the engine bay when the laser guide assembly is aligned on target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Travis Rogers
  • Patent number: 12211278
    Abstract: A video information extraction system includes a memory to store a video; a textual information extraction module to obtain information about terms, entities, relations, and events from a ground truth caption corresponding to the video; and a video captioning module including an encoder (i) to receive the information about the terms, entities, relations, and events from the textual information extraction module, and (ii) to extract video features from the video; and a decoder to generate a text caption based on the extracted video features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Morgan A. Bishop, James M. Nagy, William M. Pottenger, Anthony Hoogs, Tuanjie Tong
  • Patent number: 12192626
    Abstract: A method for determining the likelihood that a pixel in a video image sequence represents true motion in the image. Light from a scene is captured to yield an original image having a sequence of frames. A prototype image is created from the original image as a geometrically accurate representation of the scene which is substantially free of contamination. A tilt variance-Gaussian mixture model and/or multi-variate Gaussian model, based upon optical turbulence statistics associated with the scene, is developed. Each pixel in the original image sequence of frames is evaluated against the prototype image using a probability density function, to yield a likelihood that the respective pixel represents true motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Richard Van Hook, Russell Hardie
  • Patent number: 12180887
    Abstract: A rotating detonation combustor (RDC) and an associated system is disclosed herein. The RDC can be operably coupled with a vehicle to provide additional power capability over the primary motive power source. The RDC can be operated on demand to provide power to a turbine connected to an electrical power generator in some forms. The RDC can be used in stationary systems as well as moving vehicle systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Michael Mcclearn, Riley Huff, John Hoke, Matthew Fotia
  • Patent number: 12184797
    Abstract: Systems and methods for the generation and use of session keys supporting secure communications between a client and server device are disclosed. The client hashes each of a series of passwords a first number of times. The hashed passwords are sent to a server. The server applies the hashed password to an array of PUF devices, and receives an initial response bitstream which is stored. The client later hashes each of the series of passwords a second number of times, which is less than the first number, and these are sent to the server. The server continues to hash the second message digest, generate PUF responses, and compare the result to the initially stored responses. For each password, the number of hashes necessary to achieve a match is a partial session key. Latency is improved by an array of separately addressable PUFs, each producing a partial session key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignees: ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY, GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
    Inventors: Bertrand F. Cambou, Julie Heynssens, Ian Burke, Brit Riggs, Jack Garrard, Manuel Aguilar Rios, Donald Telesca, H. Shelton Jacinto
  • Patent number: 12176173
    Abstract: A field emission (FE) cathode for a vacuum electronic device (VED) includes a metallic substrate configured to be connected to one of an electrical power supply and an electrical ground, and at least one continuous carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber in tension around at least a portion of the metallic substrate. The substrate can be a cylinder, hoop, plate, stub etc. The at least one continuous CNT fiber can include a filament, yarn, braided yarn, film, fabric, or combination thereof. The at least one continuous CNT fiber is secured to the electrically conductive substrate by vacuum brazing or any other suitable means. Also, a continuous CNT fabric can be secured in either tension or compression to maintain a uniform height of the continuous CNT fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2024
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Steven Fairchild, Dmitri Tsentalovich, Nathaniel Lockwood
  • Patent number: 12175421
    Abstract: A system for asset inventory and resupply for supplying individuals in remote locations is disclosed. The individuals may be people and/or machines. The system and method involve providing multiple individuals in the field with sensors that automatically collect data on the expenditure of their supplies. In some cases, wearable sensors are provided to people in the field. The data is sent to a central depository which tracks their inventory of supplies and anticipates needed supplies, compiles and packages additional supplies so that the additional supplies can be delivered to the individuals in the field. A precision supply delivery system is provided for delivering the supplies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Austin Ahern, Eric Dittman, Michael Anderson, Acierto Cabigas, III, Ashton Barnes, Elliott Weiler, David Rochester
  • Patent number: 12163444
    Abstract: A morphing airfoil includes a dynamic flexible skin system that is capable of carrying high level aerodynamic (or fluid) pressure loads over a structural surface. The structural surface can morph and bend in response to control inputs to change a lift force without separate movable control surfaces. A plurality of standoff mounts are attached to an inner surface of anisotropic skin. The standoff mounts include through apertures for receiving a flexible stringer. The anisotropic skin is attached to underlying structure through the flexible stringers. The flexible stringers interface with actuated position control ribs and passive compliant support ribs. A control system causes the underlying support structure to move to a desired location which in turn causes the skin to bend and/or flex without exceeding a stress threshold and thus vary the lift and drag distributions along a span of the airfoil without separate control surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Jared Neely, James Joo, Russel Topp
  • Patent number: 12157956
    Abstract: A method of performing HVPE heteroepitaxy comprises exposing a substrate to a carrier gas, a first precursor gas, a Group II/III element, and ternary-forming gasses (V/VI group precursor), to form a heteroepitaxial growth of a binary, ternary, and/or quaternary compound on the substrate; wherein the carrier gas is H2, wherein the first precursor gas is HCl, the Group II/III element comprises at least one of Zn, Cd, Hg, Al, Ga, and In; and wherein the ternary-forming gasses comprise at least two or more of AsH3 (arsine), PH3 (phosphine), H2Se (hydrogen selenide), H2Te (hydrogen telluride), SbH3 (hydrogen antimonide, or antimony tri-hydride, or stibine), H2S (hydrogen sulfide), NH3 (ammonia), and HF (hydrogen fluoride); flowing the carrier gas over the Group II/III element; exposing the substrate to the ternary-forming gasses in a predetermined ratio of first ternary-forming gas to second ternary-forming gas (1tf:2tf ratio); and changing the 1tf:2tf ratio over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Vladimir Tassev