Patents by Inventor I. Clay Thompson

I. Clay Thompson 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).

  • Rapid self-alignment of a strapdown inertial system through real-time reprocessing
    Patent number: 7739045
    Abstract: A method of aligning an inertial navigation system or gyrocompass, including executing real-time navigation software on real-time inertial data to generate real-time navigation data, executing real-time Kalman filter software on the real-time navigation data and real-time aiding data, recording the real-time inertial data and the real-time aiding data as real-time input data in a buffer, initializing a playback process, executing playback navigation software on buffered inertial data to generate playback navigation data, and executing playback Kalman filter software on the playback navigation data and buffered aiding data. The execution of the real-time navigation software and the real-time Kalman filter software effect a real-time alignment process. The playback navigation software and the playback Kalman filter software effect an alignment process executed at a faster rate than the real-time navigation software and real-time Kalman filter software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: I. Clay Thompson, Jr., Kenneth S. Morgan
  • High speed gyrocompass alignment via multiple Kalman filter based hypothesis testing
    Patent number: 7512493
    Abstract: A method of aligning a gyro-compass comprising operating at least two Kalman filters in a set of Kalman filters to generate an error correction to at least a single navigation solution in a set of navigation solutions in order to provide coarse alignment azimuth convergence. The method further comprises selecting at least one selected Kalman filter from the set of Kalman filters and at least one selected navigation solution from the set of navigation solutions, and operating the at least one selected Kalman filter and the at least one selected navigation solution to provide fine alignment convergence to a correct azimuth. The selecting is based at least in part on the generated error correction, each navigation solution includes an azimuth different from the azimuth of each other navigation solution and each navigation solution azimuth is separated by no more than two times a small angle error assumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Morgan, I. Clay Thompson, Jr.
  • HIGH SPEED GYROCOMPASS ALIGNMENT VIA MULTIPLE KALMAN FILTER BASED HYPOTHESIS TESTING
    Publication number: 20070282528
    Abstract: A method of aligning a gyro-compass comprising operating at least two Kalman filters in a set of Kalman filters to generate an error correction to at least a single navigation solution in a set of navigation solutions in order to provide coarse alignment azimuth convergence. The method further comprises selecting at least one selected Kalman filter from the set of Kalman filters and at least one selected navigation solution from the set of navigation solutions, and operating the at least one selected Kalman filter and the at least one selected navigation solution to provide fine alignment convergence to a correct azimuth. The selecting is based at least in part on the generated error correction, each navigation solution includes an azimuth different from the azimuth of each other navigation solution and each navigation solution azimuth is separated by no more than two times a small angle error assumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Morgan, I. Clay Thompson
  • RAPID SELF-ALIGNMENT OF A STRAPDOWN INERTIAL SYSTEM THROUGH REAL-TIME REPROCESSING
    Publication number: 20070282529
    Abstract: A method of aligning an inertial navigation system or gyrocompass, including executing real-time navigation software on real-time inertial data to generate real-time navigation data, executing real-time Kalman filter software on the real-time navigation data and real-time aiding data, recording the real-time inertial data and the real-time aiding data as real-time input data in a buffer, initializing a playback process, executing playback navigation software on buffered inertial data to generate playback navigation data, and executing playback Kalman filter software on the playback navigation data and buffered aiding data. The execution of the real-time navigation software and the real-time Kalman filter software effect a real-time alignment process. The playback navigation software and the playback Kalman filter software effect an alignment process executed at a faster rate than the real-time navigation software and real-time Kalman filter software.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: I. Clay Thompson, Kenneth S. Morgan