Patents by Inventor Kirk W. Hayward

Kirk W. Hayward 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).

  • Method and system of determining altitude of flying object
    Patent number: 6640165
    Abstract: A method of determining an altitude of a flying object. A Blanchard altitude of a flying object is computed. A non-Blanchard reference altitude and a trajectory of the flying object are measured and input to a Kalman filter. In the Kalman filter, the non-Blanchard reference altitude and the trajectory are processed to derive a radius of jet stream curvature. A gradient wind correction factor is then computed as a function of the radius of jet stream curvature. The Blanchard altitude is then corrected in response to the gradient wind correction factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventors: Kirk W. Hayward, Larry G. Stephenson