Patents by Inventor Brad A. Walker
Brad A. Walker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11599373Abstract: An apparatus includes at least one memory configured to store a virtualization associated with a programming and test platform and a munition. The virtualization includes a virtual machine containing first software or firmware instructions associated with the programming and test platform and second software or firmware instructions that control behavior of the programming and test platform relative to the munition. The virtualization also includes a virtual representation of the munition. The virtualization further includes one or more virtual communication channels configured to communicatively couple the virtual machine and the virtual representation of the munition. The apparatus also includes at least one processor configured to execute the virtualization and simulate the programming and test platform and the munition on the apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2020Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventors: Brad A. Walker, Richard D. Egbert, Frederick K. Jones, Jonathan Johansen
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Publication number: 20210279086Abstract: An apparatus includes at least one memory configured to store a virtualization associated with a programming and test platform and a munition. The virtualization includes a virtual machine containing first software or firmware instructions associated with the programming and test platform and second software or firmware instructions that control behavior of the programming and test platform relative to the munition. The virtualization also includes a virtual representation of the munition. The virtualization further includes one or more virtual communication channels configured to communicatively couple the virtual machine and the virtual representation of the munition. The apparatus also includes at least one processor configured to execute the virtualization and simulate the programming and test platform and the munition on the apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2020Publication date: September 9, 2021Inventors: Brad A. Walker, Richard D. Egbert, Frederick K. Jones, Jonathan Johansen
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Patent number: 10288738Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for determining azimuth, elevation, or object position relative to a baseline using an integrated sighting device. The integrated sighting device includes a GPS receiver, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an optical aperture, a microcomputer, and a handheld housing. The integrated sighting device, during transit from a reference position to a sighting position, determines a first angle between the sighting position and the reference position based on carrier phase input received during the transit. Orientation input is received from the IMU at the sighting position as the integrated sighting device is aimed and sighted along a line of sight to the reference position. The baseline is generated based on a second angle of the orientation input correlating with the first angle. The baseline is used as a reference for determining azimuth, elevation, or position of other objects or devices.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2014Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventors: Steven E. Koenck, James H. Doty, Brad A. Walker, Michael C. Gokay
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Patent number: 10162410Abstract: A head-tracking system for dismounted users comprises an inertial georeferenced head tracker (IGHT) having a time-cumulative drift error, an azimuth-referenced head-tracker (ARHT), and a controller. The ARHT comprises a data link with an angle of arrival antenna, differential global position satellite receivers, and a processor configured to determine the head position of the user and initialize the IGHT. The controller may compare a current drift error of the IGHT with a predetermined drift error threshold. If the current drift error is below the predetermined drift error threshold, the IGHT data may accurately represent the head position of the user. If the current drift error is above the predetermined drift error threshold, the IGHT may be updated with the ARHT data to accurately represent the head position of the user.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2018Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventors: Steven E. Koenck, Brad A. Walker
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Patent number: 10152775Abstract: A head wearable device, a method, and a system. The head wearable device may include a display, a camera, a buffer, and a processor. The buffer may be configured to buffer a portion of real scene image data corresponding to a real scene image from the camera. The processor may be configured to: perform a combined distortion correction operation; perform a foreground separation operation; perform a smoothing operation on blending values; perform a chromatic aberration distortion correction operation; receive virtual scene image data corresponding to a virtual scene image; blend processed real scene image data with the virtual scene image data to create a mixed reality scene image as mixed reality scene image data; and output the mixed reality scene image data to the display for presentation to a user.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2017Date of Patent: December 11, 2018Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventors: Peter R. Bellows, Danilo P. Groppa, Brad A. Walker
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Patent number: 10067560Abstract: A head-tracking system for dismounted users comprises an inertial georeferenced head tracker (IGHT) having a time-cumulative drift error, an azimuth-referenced head-tracker (ARHT), and a controller. The ARHT comprises a data link with an angle of arrival antenna, differential global position satellite receivers, and a processor configured to determine the head position of the user and initialize the IGHT. The controller may compare a current drift error of the IGHT with a predetermined drift error threshold. If the current drift error is below the predetermined drift error threshold, the IGHT data may accurately represent the head position of the user. If the current drift error is above the predetermined drift error threshold, the IGHT may be updated with the ARHT data to accurately represent the head position of the user.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2017Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventors: Steven E. Koenck, Brad A. Walker
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Patent number: 9883348Abstract: A system and related method for navigation and orientation determination in an indoor or GPS-denied environment mounts a static reference transceiver (SRT) at a known, fixed position within the environment, the fixed position referenced by a coordinate reference frame (CRF) of the SRT. The SRT communicates its position to mobile dismounted units within the environment, determining a range and orientation angle of each mobile unit relative to the SRT CRF based on response signals received from the mobile units. The SRT provides the determined SRT-CRF-referenced ranges and orientation angles to the mobile units, which may share orientation data with each other or relay the SRT-referenced location data to other mobile units not within line of sight of the SRT.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2017Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventors: Brad A. Walker, Steven E. Koenck, Gary A. McGraw
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Patent number: 9830713Abstract: A system and related method for detecting unmanned aerial vehicles and other targets aboard an aircraft scans a region proximal to the aircraft with a network of image sensors attached to the aircraft exterior. Visual processors detect potential targets and determine location data associated with the targets based on the captured images, sending the captured images and associated location data to a visual display system for display to a pilot or crew of the aircraft along with cueing symbology. The visual display system may include a cockpit-mounted heads-down display, a monocular, binocular, or head-tracking helmet-mounted display, or an offboard mobile device. The system may scan a 3-D space around the aircraft or a proximal 2-D section of terrain.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2015Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventor: Brad A. Walker
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Patent number: 9773334Abstract: A method includes receiving a stream of synthetic images from a synthetic vision system and receiving a stream of sensor images from at least one sensor. The method also includes performing, by a processing array including a plurality of parallel processing elements, one or more fusion operations on a particular synthetic image of the stream of the synthetic images and one or more particular sensor images of the stream of the sensor images. Upon performing one or more fusion operations on the particular synthetic image of the stream of the synthetic images and the one or more particular sensor images of the stream of sensor images, the method further includes outputting a combined image to a display for presentation to a user.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2014Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventors: Brad A. Walker, Sung J. Kim, Allen P. Mass, John K. Gee
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Patent number: 9584791Abstract: Present novel and non-trivial system, device, and method for correcting misaligned images are disclosed. A system may be comprised of a source of first model data, a source of second model data, and an image generator (“IG”). The IG may be configured to perform a method comprised of receiving first model data representative of a first three-dimensional model; determining feature data of one or more first features located in an outside scene; receiving second model data representative of a second three-dimensional model in which one or more second features are located in the outside scene; determining differences data representative of feature differences between at least one first feature and at least one second feature; and applying the differences data to one or more pixel data sets, where such modification may be based upon a comparison between one or more first features and one or more correlating second features.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2013Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventors: Donald J. Whalen, Brad A. Walker, Scott E. Schultz
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Patent number: 9489575Abstract: A system and method for providing sensor-based navigation correction of a GPS-sensed position of an aircraft includes a synthetic vision system. The synthetic vision system captures a visual image of the surrounding area via image sensors and generates a location model based on the image. A georeference engine compares the location model to static high-resolution terrain and obstacle databases to determine a corrected position of the aircraft. The georeference engine then updates the GPS-sensed position with the corrected position, transmitting the corrected position to the combiner. The combiner generates for display an enhanced image based on the visual image and the corrected position of the aircraft.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2015Date of Patent: November 8, 2016Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventors: Donald J. Whalen, Brad A. Walker, Scott E. Schultz, Ronald E. Heberlein, David I. Han