Patents by Inventor Kurt Bruck

Kurt Bruck 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: 9400498
    Abstract: An unmanned systems operator control system includes a hand held controller with a set of switches and control enumeration software specially configured to report a superset of virtual switches based on the physical switches. A core unit includes a first unmanned system control application subscribing to a first switch subset of the superset and outputting commands controlling a first unmanned system based on activation of the set of switches. A second unmanned system control application subscribes to a second switch subset of the superset and outputs commands controlling a second unmanned system based on activation of the set of switches. A mode switching subsystem is configured, in a first state, to map the set of switches to the first switch subset and, in a second state, to map the set of switches to the second switch subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Foster-MIller, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt Bruck, Boian Bentchev, Julie Shapiro, Todd Graham, Daniel Deguire
  • Publication number: 20160179091
    Abstract: An unmanned systems operator control system includes a hand held controller with a set of switches and control enumeration software specially configured to report a superset of virtual switches based on the physical switches. A core unit includes a first unmanned system control application subscribing to a first switch subset of the superset and outputting commands controlling a first unmanned system based on activation of the set of switches. A second unmanned system control application subscribes to a second switch subset of the superset and outputs commands controlling a second unmanned system based on activation of the set of switches. A mode switching subsystem is configured, in a first state, to map the set of switches to the first switch subset and, in a second state, to map the set of switches to the second switch subset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Kurt Bruck, Boian Bentchev, Julie Shapiro, Todd Graham, Daniel Deguire
  • Patent number: 9014874
    Abstract: An unmanned systems operator control system includes a hand held controller with a set of switches and control enumeration software specially configured to report a superset of virtual switches based on the physical switches. A core unit includes a first unmanned system control application subscribing to a first switch subset of the superset and outputting commands controlling a first unmanned system based on activation of the set of switches. A second unmanned system control application subscribes to a second switch subset of the superset and outputs commands controlling a second unmanned system based on activation of the set of switches. A mode switching subsystem is configured, in a first state, to map the set of switches to the first switch subset and, in a second state, to map the set of switches to the second switch subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Foster-Miller, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt Bruck, Boian Bentchev, Julie Shapiro, Todd Graham, Daniel Deguire
  • Patent number: 7974736
    Abstract: This subject invention features a robot deployed weapon system. A remotely controlled mobile robot has a weapon mounted to the robot. There is a firing circuit for the weapon and a weapon interrupt module on board the robot. An operator control unit is for remotely operating the robot and the weapon. The operating control unit preferably includes a stop switch. Also, a separate operator module is in communication with the weapon interrupt module. Preferably, the operator module includes a kill switch. There are two communication links. The first communication link is between the operator control unit and the robot. This communication link is configured to safe the weapon if the stop switch is activated and/or the first communication link degrades. The second communication link is between the operator module and the weapon interrupt module. The communication link is configured to safe the weapon if the kill switch is activated and/or the second communication link degrades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Foster-Miller, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary R. Morin, Daniel R. Deguire, Kurt Bruck, James Chung, David Platt
  • Patent number: 7962243
    Abstract: A mobile, remotely controlled robot includes a turret subsystem, a robot controller subsystem configured to control the robot, control the turret, and fire the weapon, a robot navigation subsystem configured to determine the position of the robot, a turret orientation determination subsystem, and a robot communications subsystem for receiving commands and for transmitting robot position data and turret orientation data. An operator control unit includes a user interface for commanding the robot, the turret, and the weapon. An operator control unit communications subsystem transmits commands to the robot and receives robot position data and turret orientation data from the robot. An operator control unit navigation subsystem is configured to determine the position of the operator control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Foster-Miller, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Deguire, Kurt Bruck, John Young, Alex Kirillov, James Chung
  • Publication number: 20100263524
    Abstract: This subject invention features a robot deployed weapon system. A remotely controlled mobile robot has a weapon mounted to the robot. There is a firing circuit for the weapon and a weapon interrupt module on board the robot. An operator control unit is for remotely operating the robot and the weapon. The operating control unit preferably includes a stop switch. Also, a separate operator module is in communication with the weapon interrupt module. Preferably, the operator module includes a kill switch. There are two communication links. The first communication link is between the operator control unit and the robot. This communication link is configured to safe the weapon if the stop switch is activated and/or the first communication link degrades. The second communication link is between the operator module and the weapon interrupt module. The communication link is configured to safe the weapon if the kill switch is activated and/or the second communication link degrades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Inventors: Gary R. Morin, Daniel R. Deguire, Kurt Bruck, James Chung, David Platt
  • Publication number: 20090164045
    Abstract: A mobile, remotely controlled robot includes a turret subsystem, a robot controller subsystem configured to control the robot, control the turret, and fire the weapon, a robot navigation subsystem configured to determine the position of the robot, a turret orientation determination subsystem, and a robot communications subsystem for receiving commands and for transmitting robot position data and turret orientation data. An operator control unit includes a user interface for commanding the robot, the turret, and the weapon. An operator control unit communications subsystem transmits commands to the robot and receives robot position data and turret orientation data from the robot. An operator control unit navigation subsystem is configured to determine the position of the operator control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Daniel R. Deguire, Kurt Bruck, John Young, Alex Kirillov, James Chung
  • Publication number: 20090129003
    Abstract: A mobile operator control unit for remotely controlling a robot includes a housing with a reconfigurable user interface with multiple sockets. A plurality of control modules are each removably received in a socket and include one or more switches. A module interface is connected to the one or more switches. A baseboard processing unit is connected to each module interface for receiving and processing signals received from the module interfaces. A transmitter is responsive to the baseboard processing unit for transmitting signals to the robot based on the activation of the module switches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: Kurt Bruck, Hoi Tong, Geoffrey B. Lansberry, Jake Warren, Alex Kirilov
  • Publication number: 20090095096
    Abstract: A hazardous materials sensing robot includes a robot platform and a universal mounting tray on the robot platform for removably mounting thereon a plurality of sensors each having an output. An electronic interface unit is configured to receive the outputs of the sensors. An operator control unit remotely operates the robot platform. There is a communication link between the robot platform and the operator control unit for transmitting the sensor outputs to the operator control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Inventors: Charles Edwin Dean, Jennifer R. Sarkis, Kurt Bruck, John Young, Hoi-Yin Tong, Christopher J. Langford