Patents by Inventor Kevin Prosser

Kevin Prosser 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).

  • Patent number: 12325531
    Abstract: Systems and aircraft are provided. An avionics system includes a storage device and one or more data processors. The storage device stores instructions for monitoring an actual performance of the aircraft. The one or more data processors are configured to execute the instructions to: determine a first measured value of a flight characteristic of the aircraft at a first position of the aircraft; execute at least one flight maneuver between the first position and a second position of the aircraft; generate a predicted energy change between the first position and the second position based on the at least one flight maneuver and an energy state model; determine a second measured value of the flight characteristic of the aircraft at the second position; and generate an adjustment to the energy state model based on the first measured value, the second measured value, and the predicted energy change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kevin Prosser
  • Publication number: 20240363013
    Abstract: Systems and vehicle are provided. A vehicle system for a vehicle includes: a trajectory selection module configured to select a potential vehicle path relative to a current vehicle movement condition; a trajectory movement condition module configured to estimate a modeled movement condition of the vehicle along the potential vehicle path; a limit comparison module configured to determine whether the modeled movement condition violates vehicle limits; and a violation indicator module configured to generate an indication of impending violation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Applicant: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin Prosser
  • Publication number: 20240296745
    Abstract: A projected recovery trajectory for an aircraft autopilot system is precomputed by providing a stored set of predefined recovery mode segments, including: a mode 1 segment that models the aircraft coasting; a mode 2 segment that models the aircraft executing a nose high recovery; a mode 3 segment that models the aircraft executing a nose low recovery; a mode 4 segment that models the aircraft executing a throttle only recovery; and a mode 5 segment that models the aircraft executing a terrain avoidance recovery. A processor generates at least one projected recovery trajectory based on a current state of the aircraft, where the processor selectively concatenates selected ones of the predefined recovery mode segments into a sequence and uses that sequence to generate the projected trajectory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2024
    Publication date: September 5, 2024
    Applicant: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Prosser, Thomas Landers, Abhishek Vaidya, Blake Finlayson, Alborz Sakhaei
  • Patent number: 12033526
    Abstract: Systems and vehicle are provided. A vehicle system for a vehicle includes: a trajectory selection module configured to select a potential vehicle path relative to a current vehicle movement condition; a trajectory movement condition module configured to estimate a modeled movement condition of the vehicle along the potential vehicle path; a limit comparison module configured to determine whether the modeled movement condition violates vehicle limits; and a violation indicator module configured to generate an indication of impending violation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kevin Prosser
  • Patent number: 11990049
    Abstract: A projected recovery trajectory for an aircraft autopilot system is precomputed by providing a stored set of predefined recovery mode segments, including: a mode 1 segment that models the aircraft coasting; a mode 2 segment that models the aircraft executing a nose high recovery; a mode 3 segment that models the aircraft executing a nose low recovery; a mode 4 segment that models the aircraft executing a throttle only recovery; and a mode 5 segment that models the aircraft executing a terrain avoidance recovery. A processor generates at least one projected recovery trajectory based on a current state of the aircraft, where the processor selectively concatenates selected ones of the predefined recovery mode segments into a sequence and uses that sequence to generate the projected trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin Prosser, Thomas Landers, Abhishek Vaidya, Blake Finlayson, Alborz Sakhaei
  • Patent number: 11900824
    Abstract: The aircraft threat envelope protection system employs a threat envelope data structure in a computer-readable medium that stores at least one trigger condition for each of a plurality of different types of threats associated with the aircraft, and modeled using a common schema. A processor computes plural different projected trajectories representing different possible aircraft paths through spacetime. The processor associates at least some of the plurality of the threats to specific trigger points in spacetime along each of the projected trajectories. The processor will deprecate ones of the projected trajectories when they are deemed not viable to recover from a threat. The processor initiates an aircraft protective response when all projected trajectories but one have been deprecated and the aircraft is within a predetermined proximity to the closest trigger point in spacetime along the non-deprecated trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin Prosser, Thomas Landers, Abhishek Vaidya, Alborz Sakhaei, Blake Finlayson
  • Publication number: 20230245576
    Abstract: The aircraft threat envelope protection system employs a threat envelope data structure in a computer-readable medium that stores at least one trigger condition for each of a plurality of different types of threats associated with the aircraft, and modeled using a common schema. A processor computes plural different projected trajectories representing different possible aircraft paths through spacetime. The processor associates at least some of the plurality of the threats to specific trigger points in spacetime along each of the projected trajectories. The processor will deprecate ones of the projected trajectories when they are deemed not viable to recover from a threat. The processor initiates an aircraft protective response when all projected trajectories but one have been deprecated and the aircraft is within a predetermined proximity to the closest trigger point in spacetime along the non-deprecated trajectory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Prosser, Thomas Landers, Abhishek Vaidya, Alborz Sakhaei, Blake Finlayson
  • Publication number: 20230154343
    Abstract: Systems and vehicle are provided. A vehicle system for a vehicle includes: a trajectory selection module configured to select a potential vehicle path relative to a current vehicle movement condition; a trajectory movement condition module configured to estimate a modeled movement condition of the vehicle along the potential vehicle path; a limit comparison module configured to determine whether the modeled movement condition violates vehicle limits; and a violation indicator module configured to generate an indication of impending violation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2023
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin Prosser
  • Patent number: 11651699
    Abstract: The aircraft threat envelope protection system employs a threat envelope data structure in a computer-readable medium that stores at least one trigger condition for each of a plurality of different types of threats associated with the aircraft, and modeled using a common schema. A processor computes plural different projected trajectories representing different possible aircraft paths through spacetime. The processor associates at least some of the plurality of the threats to specific trigger points in spacetime along each of the projected trajectories. The processor will deprecate ones of the projected trajectories when they are deemed not viable to recover from a threat. The processor initiates an aircraft protective response when all projected trajectories but one have been deprecated and the aircraft is within a predetermined proximity to the closest trigger point in spacetime along the non-deprecated trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Prosser, Thomas Landers, Abhishek Vaidya, Alborz Sakhaei, Blake Finlayson
  • Publication number: 20230120482
    Abstract: Systems and aircraft are provided. An avionics system includes a storage device and one or more data processors. The storage device stores instructions for monitoring an actual performance of the aircraft. The one or more data processors are configured to execute the instructions to: determine a first measured value of a flight characteristic of the aircraft at a first position of the aircraft; execute at least one flight maneuver between the first position and a second position of the aircraft; generate a predicted energy change between the first position and the second position based on the at least one flight maneuver and an energy state model; determine a second measured value of the flight characteristic of the aircraft at the second position; and generate an adjustment to the energy state model based on the first measured value, the second measured value, and the predicted energy change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Applicant: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin Prosser
  • Patent number: 11592839
    Abstract: The processor supplies flight commands to the flight control system by selectively blending pilot input with control signals from the autopilot. The processor generates a projected recovery trajectory through successive iterations, each beginning at the current aircraft location and using a recovery constraint selectable by the processor to influences a degree of flight aggressiveness. A detection system that identifies and invokes a state of threat existence if a threat exists along the projected recovery trajectory. The processor during threat existence in a first iteration commands an initial soft recovery, with permitted blended pilot input. If the threat exists on subsequent iteration, the processor commands a more aggressive recovery while attenuating blended pilot input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Prosser, Thomas Landers, Alborz Sakhaei, Abhishek Vaidya, Blake Finlayson
  • Patent number: 11580865
    Abstract: Systems and vehicle are provided. A vehicle system for a vehicle includes: a trajectory selection module configured to select a potential vehicle path relative to a current vehicle movement condition; a trajectory movement condition module configured to estimate a modeled movement condition of the vehicle along the potential vehicle path; a limit comparison module configured to determine whether the modeled movement condition violates vehicle limits; and a violation indicator module configured to generate an indication of impending violation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin Prosser
  • Patent number: 11532238
    Abstract: Avionics systems, aircraft, and methods are provided. An avionics system for an aircraft includes a trajectory modeling system and a Terrain Awareness Warning System (TAWS). The trajectory modeling system is programmed to determine a current performance capability of the aircraft and to generate potential escape data based on the current performance capability of the aircraft. The TAWS is programmed to generate a terrain margin using a TAWS algorithm based on the potential escape data and to generate a warning based on the terrain margin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin Prosser
  • Patent number: 11511879
    Abstract: Systems and aircraft are provided. An avionics system includes a storage device and one or more data processors. The storage device stores instructions for monitoring an actual performance of the aircraft. The one or more data processors are configured to execute the instructions to: determine a first measured value of a flight characteristic of the aircraft at a first position of the aircraft; execute at least one flight maneuver between the first position and a second position of the aircraft; generate a predicted energy change between the first position and the second position based on the at least one flight maneuver and an energy state model; determine a second measured value of the flight characteristic of the aircraft at the second position; and generate an adjustment to the energy state model based on the first measured value, the second measured value, and the predicted energy change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin Prosser
  • Patent number: 11273928
    Abstract: An avionics system for an aircraft includes a threat data structure and a processor. The threat data structure stores an alert threshold and a margin threshold. The processor is programmed to: predict an aircraft state at a plurality of positions along a potential future trajectory; calculate a margin value at each of the plurality of positions as a difference between the predicted future condition and the threat value at each respective one of the plurality of positions; calculate a margin rate of change at each of the plurality of positions based on a change in the margin value along the potential future trajectory; estimate a time to go value based on a minimum calculated margin value and a maximum calculated margin rate of change among the plurality of positions; and command an indicator to alert the pilot in response to the time to go value reaching the alert threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Prosser, Blake Finlayson, Abhishek Vaidya, Alborz Sakhaei
  • Publication number: 20210397183
    Abstract: The processor supplies flight commands to the flight control system by selectively blending pilot input with control signals from the autopilot. The processor generates a projected recovery trajectory through successive iterations, each beginning at the current aircraft location and using a recovery constraint selectable by the processor to influences a degree of flight aggressiveness. A detection system that identifies and invokes a state of threat existence if a threat exists along the projected recovery trajectory. The processor during threat existence in a first iteration commands an initial soft recovery, with permitted blended pilot input. If the threat exists on subsequent iteration, the processor commands a more aggressive recovery while attenuating blended pilot input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Prosser, Thomas Landers, Alborz Sakhaei, Abhishek Vaidya, Blake Finlayson
  • Patent number: 11144071
    Abstract: Avionics systems, aircraft, and methods are provided. An avionics system for a subject aircraft includes an intruder aircraft detection device and a processor. The processor is programmed to: identify an intruder aircraft using the intruder aircraft detection device; predict a future path of the intruder aircraft; estimate strength, size, and location characteristics of a wake vortex created by the intruder aircraft at future points in time along the future path; calculate a potential trajectory with potential positions of the subject aircraft at each of the future points in time; compare the potential positions with the strength, size, and location characteristics of the wake vortex at each of the future points in time to identify a wake conflict; and maneuver the subject aircraft based on the wake conflict.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Landers, Kevin Prosser
  • Publication number: 20210150918
    Abstract: Systems and vehicle are provided. A vehicle system for a vehicle includes: a trajectory selection module configured to select a potential vehicle path relative to a current vehicle movement condition; a trajectory movement condition module configured to estimate a modeled movement condition of the vehicle along the potential vehicle path; a limit comparison module configured to determine whether the modeled movement condition violates vehicle limits; and a violation indicator module configured to generate an indication of impending violation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Applicant: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin Prosser
  • Patent number: 10967986
    Abstract: Systems, aircraft, and non-transitory media are provided. An avionics system for an aircraft includes a storage device and one or more data processors. The storage device stores instructions for monitoring an actual performance of the aircraft. The one or more data processors are configured to execute the instructions to: generate a lateral component and a longitudinal component of a measured moving air mass relative to the aircraft; generate a plurality of wind independent positions of the aircraft along a potential aircraft trajectory based on a prediction model; and generate a plurality of wind corrected positions of the aircraft based on the plurality of wind independent positions, on the lateral component, and on the longitudinal component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin Prosser
  • Patent number: 10930164
    Abstract: Systems and vehicle are provided. A vehicle system for a vehicle includes: a trajectory selection module configured to select a potential vehicle path relative to a current vehicle movement condition; a trajectory movement condition module configured to estimate a modeled movement condition of the vehicle along the potential vehicle path; a limit comparison module configured to determine whether the modeled movement condition violates vehicle limits; and a violation indicator module configured to generate an indication of impending violation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin Prosser