Patents Assigned to The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
  • Patent number: 11102883
    Abstract: The present invention relates to substrates comprising a network comprising core shell liquid metal encapsulates comprising multi-functional ligands and processes of making and using such substrates. The core shell liquid metal particles are linked via ligands to form such network. Such networks volumetric conductivity increases under strain which maintains a substrate's resistance under strain. The constant resistance results in consistent thermal heating via resistive heating. Thus allowing a substrate that comprises such network to serve as an effective heat provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Carl J. Thrasher, Christopher E. Tabor, Zachary J. Farrell, Nicholas J. Morris
  • Patent number: 11095031
    Abstract: An ultra wide band (UWB) antenna includes: (i) an array of antenna elements spaced from a central axis; and (ii) a network of lossy feedlines respectively communicatively coupled to the array of antenna elements. Each lossy feedline is periodically loaded with a resistance that is capacitively coupled to ground. Respective lengths of each lossy feedlines are selected to increase with an increase in distance from the central axis to achieve frequency independence of a radiated beamwidth from the UWB antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Carl Pfeiffer, Thomas Steffen, George Kakas
  • Patent number: 11091265
    Abstract: An apparatus for air dropping equipment and supplies from an aircraft is disclosed herein. The apparatus includes a canister having a rotor system configured to slow the descent at a predetermined altitude to a desired landing speed via auto-rotation and/or with motor assist. The rotor system is configured to prevent the container from spinning about its longitudinal axis during the descent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Nicholas Newsted, Joseph Allison, David Adler, Brandon Lance, Robert Dome, Arthur Chappelka, Wendell Thompson
  • Patent number: 11087975
    Abstract: A method for preparation of orientation-patterned (OP) templates comprising the steps of: depositing a first layer of a first material on a common substrate by a far-from-equilibrium process; and depositing a first layer of a second material on the first layer of the first material by a close-to-equilibrium process, wherein a first assembly is formed. The first material and the second material may be the same material or different materials. The substrate material may be Al2O3 (sapphire), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), GaAs, GaP, GaSb, InAs, InP, CdTe, CdS, CdSe, or GaSe. The first material deposited on the common substrate may be one or more electronic or optical binary materials from the group consisting of AlN, GaN, GaP, InP, GaAs, InAs, AlAs, ZnSe, GaSe, ZnTe, CdTe, HgTe, GaSb, SiC, CdS, CdSe, or their ternaries or quaternaries. The far-from-equilibrium process is one of MOCVD and MBE, and the close-to-equilibrium process is HVPE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Vladimir Tassev, Shivashankar Vangala, David H Tomich
  • Patent number: 11086997
    Abstract: An active attestation apparatus verifies at runtime the integrity of untrusted machine code of an embedded system residing in a memory device while it is being run/used with while slowing the processing time less than other methods. The apparatus uses an integrated circuit chip containing a microcontroller and a reprogrammable logic device, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), to implement software attestation at runtime and in less time than is typically possible with comparable attestation approaches, while not requiring any halt of the processor in the microcontroller. The reprogrammable logic device includes functionality to load an encrypted version of its configuration and operating code, perform a checksum computation, and communicate with a verifier. The checksum algorithm is preferably time optimized to execute computations in the reprogrammable logic device in the minimum possible time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Mark M. Stephenson, Patrick Reber, Patrick J. Sweeney, Scott Graham
  • Patent number: 11085944
    Abstract: An accelerometer includes a vacuum chamber to receive a laser beam and a nanoparticle. The nanoparticle is trapped in an oscillating state in a focus of the laser beam. A processor calculates an acceleration of the nanoparticle based on changes in position of an oscillating nanoparticle. A plurality of photodetectors are spaced apart to identify spatial coordinates of the oscillating nanoparticle. The processor may calculate the acceleration of the nanoparticle based on changes in the spatial coordinates of the oscillating nanoparticle and a frequency of oscillation of the nanoparticle within the vacuum chamber. The nanoparticle may have a diameter of a predetermined size and is trapped in the focus of the laser beam based on a polarizability of the nanoparticle. The diameter of the predetermined size of the nanoparticle may be smaller than a wavelength of the laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Maxwell D. Gregoire, Brian L. Kasch
  • Patent number: 11080431
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for authenticating analog mixed-signal integrated circuits using process-specific functions (PSF) comprising: presenting wafer having plurality of dies, each die having circuit with identical design but having inherent physical differences due to process variation in their manufacture, each circuit designed to enhance the effects of the inherent differences; defining selected number of inputs/stimuli for authenticating and identifying each integrated circuit; defining expected response for each circuit, wherein the expected response for each circuit is the same due to the identical design; defining statistical window for analog response by the circuit to the inputs/stimuli; applying the inputs/stimuli to each circuit; receiving analog response corresponding to the applied inputs/stimuli, wherein the analog response falls outside statistical window when there are functional or physical changes to the circuit; separating from plurality of dies each die providing a response outside the stati
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Matthew J Casto, Waleed Khalil, Brian Dupaix
  • Patent number: 11078334
    Abstract: The present invention relates to gels and processes for making ceramic nanostructures, ceramic nanostructures made by such processes, and methods of using such ceramic nanostructures. Such process is templated via block copolymer self-assembly but does not require any post processing thermal and/or solvent annealing steps. As a result, such process is significantly more efficient and scalable than other processes that are templated via block copolymer self-assembly and yields a ceramic having a pore structure/shape that provides the ceramic with a higher ductility than traditional ceramics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: United States of Americas as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Lisa M. Rueschhoff, Matthew B. Dickerson
  • Patent number: 11065482
    Abstract: A tip resistant system for use with a belay tether includes a user tether having a first length and configured to be connectable between a user and the belay tether. The user tether has a belay tether connector adjacent one end of the user tether, and a user connector adjacent an opposite end of the user tether. An auxiliary tether having a second length less than the first length of the user tether and configured to be connectable between the user and the user tether includes a user tether connector located adjacent a first end of the auxiliary tether, and an auxiliary user connector located adjacent a second end of the auxiliary tether opposite the user tether connector. The tip resistant system operates to maintain a user in a desired static attitude. A quick disconnect for use with a belay tether is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Cory Cooper, Darren Craig Tidwell, Garrett Fritzsche, Christopher Yooshin Jang, Brock M. Flieger, Alan James Vaillencourt, Jr., Miranda Leigh Bray, Shane Michael Riley, Nathanael J. Szuch, Philip T. Strunk
  • Patent number: 11068756
    Abstract: Various deficiencies in the prior art are addressed by systems, methods, architectures, mechanisms and/or apparatus configured to fuse data received from a plurality of sensor sources on a network. The fusing data includes forming an empirical distribution for each of the sensor sources, reformatting the data from each of the sensor sources into pre-rotational alpha-trimmed depth regions, applying an affine transformation rotation to each of the reformatted data to form post-rotational pre-rotational alpha-trimmed depth regions, and reformatting each affine transformation into a new data fusion operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: James Browning
  • Patent number: 11058770
    Abstract: A stable protein ionic liquid, comprising an anti-hemoglobin cation/anion pair. The anti-hemoglobin cation/anion pair may be an anionic polymer of poly(ethylene glycol) 4-nonylphenyl 3-sulfopropyl ether. The anti-hemoglobin cation/anion pair may further comprise a cationized anti-hemoglobin antibody, single-chain antibodies from camelids, antibody fragments, polyclonal Anti-horse spleen ferritin antibodies, monoclonal Anti-Flag antibodies, monoclonal Anti-HRP2 to Plasmodium falciparum, polyclonal Anti-neuropeptide Y, polyclonal Anti-human troponin, isotypes of antibodies, or combinations of multiple antibodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Joseph M Slocik, Rajesh R. Naik, Patrick B Dennis
  • Patent number: 11062817
    Abstract: The present invention relates to core shell liquid metal encapsulates comprising and processes of making and using such encapsulates and networks. The shell(s) of such encapsulates employ a palette of materials having widely varied band structures and/or the desired spin pairing and/or bond polarization. Such encapsulates can be designed to respond to one or more stimuli of choice, including but not limited to electromagnetic, thermal, mechanical, photonic, and/or magnetic and are environmentally robust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Christopher E. Tabor, Zachary J. Farrell, Nicholas J. Morris, Megan A Creighton
  • Patent number: 11055671
    Abstract: In accordance with various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, a system and method is configured for generating maintenance events in response to threshold levels of accumulated corrosive stresses experienced by assets or components thereof based on environmental and weather data correlated to respective locations visited and a model of corrosive susceptibility of the assets or components thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: David Rose, Matthew J. Rothgeb, Douglas S. Dudis, Nicholas S. Wilson, Douglas C Hansen
  • Patent number: 11054224
    Abstract: A system for defeating a threat unmanned aerial vehicle including a friendly unmanned aerial vehicle and a containment system. The containment system is deployable from the friendly unmanned aerial vehicle and includes a signal blocking enclosure and a capturing device. The signal blocking enclosure is formed of a conductive material for shielding radio frequency signals from propagating in or out of the signal blocking enclosure. The capturing device is configured for arresting the threat unmanned aerial vehicle and positioning an arrested threat unmanned aerial vehicle within the signal blocking enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Hunter I. Stephens, Anthony M. Mountain, Kynan M. Valencia, Cory A. Cooper
  • Patent number: 11054535
    Abstract: A directional radiation detection system and an omnidirectional radiation detector. The omnidirectional radiation detector detects radiation comprising at least one of: (i) gamma rays; and (ii) neutron particles. A radiation scatter mask (RSM) of the radiation detection system includes a rotating sleeve received over the omnidirectional radiation detector and rotating about a longitudinal axis. The RSM further includes: (i) a fin extending longitudinally from one side of the rotating sleeve; and (ii) a wall extending from the rotating sleeve and spaced apart from the fin having an upper end distally positioned on the rotating sleeve spaced apart or next to from a first lateral side of the fin and a lower end proximally positioned on the rotating sleeve and spaced apart from or next to a second lateral side of the fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Robert Olesen, Bryan Egner, Darren Holland, Valerie Martin, James Bevins, Larry Burggraf, Buckley O'Day
  • Patent number: 11046415
    Abstract: Additive and subtractive manufacturing (e.g. 3D Printing) is used to form aeroelastic airfoils with control surface region(s) having conventional rib/spar structural topologies and a continuous skin (e.g smooth surface) formed over the entire outer surface of the airfoil. The control surface is moved with internal actuators resulting in a “morphing” airfoil as the skin stretches to follow the moving structure of the control surface region. The airfoil can include a plurality of different material moduli and geometric featuring to balance the appropriate control of stiffness with topological requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: United States of Americas as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Alexander Pankonien, Nitin Bhagat, Ryan Durscher
  • Patent number: 11050082
    Abstract: A colloidal ionic-liquid electrolyte for electrochemical devices is provided. The colloidal ionic-liquid electrolyte includes a room temperature ionic-liquid, a lithium salt, and a ceramic particle phase (powder) including a high dielectric material dispersed in the ionic-liquid electrolyte, wherein the colloidal ionic-liquid electrolyte exhibits enhanced ionic conductivity in the electrochemical device compared to the ionic conductivity of the pure room temperature ionic-liquid. The high dielectric material exhibits a first dielectric constant of about 200 or more, and a first mean particle size of about 2000 nm or less. The enhanced ionic conductivity is observed in the temperature range of about 75° C. to about ?60° C. and is more pronounced at colder temperatures. In addition, the colloidal ionic-liquid electrolyte exhibits enhanced non-flammability, enhanced mechanical stability, enhanced thermal stability and suppressed flowability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Stanley J. Rodrigues, Padmakar D. Kichambare
  • Patent number: 11047997
    Abstract: A radiation imaging system images a distributed source of radiation from an unknown direction by rotating a scatter mask around a central axis. The scatter mask has a pixelated outer surface of tangentially oriented, flat geometric surfaces that are spherically varying in radial dimension that corresponds to a discrete amount of attenuation. Rotation position of the scatter mask is tracked as a function of time. Radiation counts from gamma and/or neutron radiation are received from at least one radiation detector that is positioned at or near the central axis. A rotation-angle dependent detector response curve (DRC) is generated based on the received radiation counts. A reconstruction algorithm for distributed radiation source(s) and/or localized source(s) are applied based on the tracked rotation position and prior characterization of the detector response for a given scatter mask. A two-dimensional image with relative orientation and source distribution is generated from the measured DRC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Darren Holland, Robert Olesen, Larry Burggraf, Buckley O'Day, James Bevins
  • Patent number: 11042056
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method include a first display device having a first set of pixels adapted to output light; a second display device having a second set of pixels adapted to output light; a first transparent plate spaced apart from each of the first display device and the second display device. The first transparent plate includes a first set of photonic crystal structures arranged in a first direction and adapted to deviate a first path of the light transmitted from the first and second set of pixels at a first angle. A second transparent plate is spaced apart from the first transparent plate and includes a second set of photonic crystal structures arranged in a second direction different from the first direction and adapted to deviate a second path of the light transmitted through the first transparent plate at a second angle to create a third path of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Joshua K. Lentz
  • Patent number: D927273
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Matthew W Boyce, Ian Marietti