Patents Assigned to The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
  • Patent number: 11658450
    Abstract: A cylindrical electrode module of a fiber optic laser system includes an inner cylinder having an inner repeating pattern of longitudinally-aligned positive and negative electrodes on an outer surface of the inner cylinder. The cylindrical electrode mode includes an outer cylinder that encloses the inner cylinder. The outer cylinder that has an outer repeating pattern of longitudinally-aligned negative and positive electrodes on an inner surface of the inner cylinder that are in corresponding and complementary, parallel alignment with the positive and negative electrodes of the inner repeating pattern on the outer surface of the inner cylinder. The cylindrical electrode module includes an optical fiber having an input end configured to align with and be optically coupled to a pump laser. The optical fiber is wrapped around the inner cylinder within the outer cylinder to form a cylindrical fiber assembly. The electrodes are activated to achieve quasi-phase matching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Christian Keyser, Trevor Courtney, John Timler, David M Barrett
  • Patent number: 11650370
    Abstract: The present invention relates to evanescently coupling whispering gallery mode optical resonators having a liquid coupling as well as methods of making and using same. The aforementioned evanescently coupling whispering gallery mode optical resonators having a liquid couplings provide increased tunability and sensing selectivity over current same. The aforementioned. Applicants' method of making evanescent-wave coupled optical resonators can be achieved while having coupling gap dimensions that can be fabricated using standard photolithography. Thus economic, rapid, and mass production of coupled WGM resonators-based lasers, sensors, and signal processors for a broad range of applications can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Hengky Chandrahalim, Kyle T Bodily
  • Patent number: 11650130
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method and system to develop finite element (FE) models of as-manufactured turbomachinery blades using a combination of optical topography measurements, mesh morphing and strain gauge measurements. The method and system improves strain gauge to blade tip timing correlation using as-manufactured blade dimensions with finite element modeling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Daniel Gillaugh, Alexander Kaszynski, Jeffrey Brown
  • Patent number: 11645222
    Abstract: Various embodiments comprise systems, mechanisms, methods and apparatus configured to regenerate or recreate a stream of substantially continuous serial bus data traffic using stored data packet sequences representing captured energy associated with inverting and non-inverting communication lines of a differential transmission line type of serial bus (e.g., RS-422, MIL STD 1553, and the like).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: David C Prentice
  • Patent number: 11646201
    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 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Vladimir Tassev, Shivashankar Vangala, David H Tomich
  • Patent number: 11643209
    Abstract: An aircraft loading system is configured to tether equipment within an aircraft. The loading system has a wedge shaped bracket that has a front plate joined to two side plates and a bottom plate. A middle plate is parallel to the front plate and joins the two side plates. A front opening is arranged through the bottom plate between the front plate and the middle plate. The front opening is configured to accommodate an attachment ring. The attachment ring is used to tether the equipment within the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Brett Kiser
  • Patent number: 11647041
    Abstract: A system and method enabling enterprises to engage in cyber threat information sharing in a privacy-enhanced fashion. The invention reduces the enterprise's risk to sensitive information leakage by inducing a state in the information it shares such that, when an enterprise's shared data attributes are interdependent, the sensitive features (those to be kept private to the enterprise) are not deducible by another enterprise. This state is accomplished by employing rough set theory to undermine the deductive route to the data's sensitive features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Laurent Y Njilla, Celestin Wafo Soh
  • Patent number: 11640043
    Abstract: An optical focus control and method use rotations of a set of shift-invariant optical elements (Risley elements) that are fairly tolerant to optical misalignments and wobble in control systems. The Risley elements can be Risley prisms, Risley gratings, or photonic crystals that impart a fixed angular offset. Aligning at least one pair of Risley elements that are individually rotated can achieve an angular correct to light received off-axis for better detection by an optical detector, improving focus control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Joshua Lentz
  • Patent number: 11635315
    Abstract: A passive microscopic flow sensor includes a three-dimensional microscopic optical structure formed on a cleaved tip of an optical fiber. The three-dimensional microscopic optical structure includes a post attached off-center to and extending longitudinally from the cleaved tip of the optical fiber. A rotor of the three-dimensional microscopic optical structure is received for rotation on the post. The rotor has more than one blade. Each blade has a reflective undersurface that reflects a light signal back through the optical fiber when center aligned with the optical fiber, the blades of the rotor shaped to rotate at a rate related to a flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Jeremiah C Williams, Hengky Chandrahalim
  • Patent number: 11628470
    Abstract: A method for locating a plurality of elements comprising a flexible ultrasound phased array. The method includes constructing a matrix of traveltimes by iteratively transmitting a signal from one element of the plurality and receiving the signal at each of the other elements of the plurality. Traveltimes are derived from each received signal and arrayed in a matrix. Relative positions of the first element of the plurality and the last element of the plurality are established and the locations of the remaining elements of the plurality are iteratively modeled to fit the matrix of traveltimes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Carson L Willey, Abigail T Juhl
  • Patent number: 11619193
    Abstract: A scramjet engine with a novel isolator is disclosed herein. The scramjet includes an air inlet configured to receive and direct air into the engine and a combustor operable to receive air from the air inlet and combust fuel therein as is conventional. An isolator is positioned between the air inlet and the combustor. The isolator includes a primary flow path separated into a plurality of separate secondary flow channels formed therethrough. The smaller secondary flow channels prevent shockwaves from propagating upstream from the combustor to the inlet that can occur during some operating conditions of a supersonic combustion flow process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Robert Mercier, Mark Gruber, Ryan Milligan
  • Patent number: 11618594
    Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to telescopic apparatus, systems and methods for daylight imaging of satellites and other objects, a platform/telescope configured for daylight imaging of satellites and other objects, as well as modifications thereto configured to perform specific functions individually and/or in conjunction with other platforms/devices (e.g., radar tracking devices).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Scott P. Milster, Waid T. Schlaegel
  • Patent number: 11619570
    Abstract: A filter-based air sampler, more specifically a filter-based air sampler capable of integration into small unmanned aerial systems is disclosed. The filter-based air sampler may include a filter assembly which has as its component parts: an open faced air intake component, a filter, and a filter support that has a central supporting grid. The filter assembly may joined to the housing of a fan, such as a centrifugal fan, with the supporting grid of the filter support being disposed over the air inlet of the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Robert Eninger, Stephanie Ohms, Jeremy Slagley
  • Patent number: 11613051
    Abstract: The invention generally relates to polymer nanocomposite films that possess shape memory properties at elevated temperatures. Such films can absorb microwaves, are thermally conductive, are electrically conductive and have increased mechanical strength. In addition, the present invention relates to methods of fabricating such films into 3D objects. Due to the improved properties of such films more advanced sensors and microwave shields can be constructed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Loon-Seng Tan, David H. Wang
  • Patent number: 11613344
    Abstract: A wing, a method of controlling lift on a wing, and a system to produce lift on a wing are provided. The wing may include a fore-element, an aft-element, a pivotable linkage that operatively connects the aft-element leading edge to the fore-element trailing edge in a span-wise direction, and an actuator. The actuator may deflect the aft-element through a predetermined deflection angle about the pivotable linkage relative to the fore-element within less than or equal to two convective periods. The method may include deflecting a span-wise flap through the deflection angle in less than or equal to two convective periods to produce high lift. The system may include a sensor to detect an input and a controller to deflect the span-wise flap of the wing by the deflection angle in not more than two convective periods based on the received input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Michael V Ol, Alberto Medina
  • Patent number: 11613077
    Abstract: The present invention relates to 3-D structures having high temperature stability and improved micro-porosity as well as processes of making and using same. The disclosed 3-D are advantageous because they have low densities and low permittivities. When compared to previous 3-D structures, the present structures maintain their low permittivities over a broader range of electromagnetic frequencies. Thus, when used in communication devices such as array antennas, can provided higher communication performance in high temperature environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Hsiang H. Liu, James O. Hardin, IV, John D. Berrigan
  • Patent number: 11608568
    Abstract: The present invention relates to single crystalline RbUO3, hydrothermal growth processes of making such single crystals and methods of using such single crystals. In particular, Applicants disclose single crystalline RbUO3 single crystalline RbUO3 in the Pm-3m space group. Unlike other powdered RbUO3, Applicants' single crystalline RbUO3 has a sufficient crystal size to be characterized and used in the fields of neutron detection, radiation-hardened electronics, nuclear forensics, nuclear engineering photovoltaics, lasers, light-emitting diodes, photoelectrolysis and magnetic applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: James M. Mann, Thomas A. Bowen, Eric M. Hunt
  • Patent number: 11608310
    Abstract: The invention relates to bis(aniline) compounds containing multiple arylethynyl, alkylethynyl, ethynyl groups or their combinations, processes of making such compounds and materials comprising such compounds. Such, bis(aniline) compounds preferably comprise multiple phenylethynyl (PE) groups, i.e. 2-4 PE moieties. Such compounds are useful monomers for the preparation of polyimides, polyamides and poly(amide-imides) whose post-fabrication crosslinking chemistry (i.e. reaction temperature) can be controlled by the number of PE per repeat unit as well as finding utility in thermosetting matrix resins, 3D printable resins, and as high-carbon-content precursors to carbon-carbon composites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Loon-Seng Tan, Zhenning Yu
  • Patent number: 11608195
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a resident space object orbit determination system comprising a high efficiency module for determining a resident space object's orbit and a highly efficient method for determining same. Applicants developed a method and system to determine the orbits of residence space objects including resident space objects that do not reflect energy that is directed at them and/or may be coated to minimize the ability to accurately see such resident space objects. Thus, a method, a module and a system for making such determinations that can easily and inexpensively be added to an early warning reentry system is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Daniel M. Dombrowski, Robert A. Bettinger
  • Patent number: 11603603
    Abstract: A method of performing heteroepitaxy comprises exposing a substrate to a carrier gas, a first precursor gas, a Group II/III element, and a second precursor gas, to form a heteroepitaxial growth of one of GaAs, AlAs, InAs, GaP, InP, ZnSe, GaSe, CdSe, InSe, ZnTe, CdTe, GaTe, HgTe, GaSb, InSb, AlSb, CdS, GaN, and AlN on the substrate; wherein the substrate comprises one of GaAs, AlAs, InAs, GaP, InP, ZnSe, GaSe, CdSe, InSe, ZnTe, CdTe, GaTe, HgTe, GaSb, InSb, AlSb, CdS, GaN, and AlN; wherein the carrier gas is H2, wherein the first precursor is HCl, the Group II/III element comprises at least one of Zn, Cd, Hg, Al, Ga, and In; and wherein the second precursor is one of AsH3 (arsine), PH3 (phosphine), H2Se (hydrogen selenide), H2Te (hydrogen telluride), SbH3 (hydrogen antimonide), H2S (hydrogen sulfide), and NH3 (ammonia). The process may be an HVPE (hydride vapor phase epitaxy) process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: United States of Americas as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Vladimir Tassev