Patents by Inventor Lawrence Surace

Lawrence Surace 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: 11900823
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for landing a vehicle. For instance, the method may include: before a descent transition point, receiving from a service a landing zone confirmation including landing zone location information and an indication that a landing zone is clear; determining a landing flight path based on the landing zone location information; and upon the vehicle starting a descent to the landing zone using the landing flight path: receiving landing zone data from at least one of a radar system, a camera system, an altitude and heading reference system (AHRS), and a GPS system; performing an analysis based on the landing zone data to determine whether an unsafe condition exists; and based on the analysis, computing flight controls for the vehicle to continue the descent or modify the descent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Lawrence Surace
  • Patent number: 11851206
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of navigating a vertical take-off and landing (“VTOL”) vehicle near a landing zone, may comprise receiving data related to a first radar signal reflected from at least one corner reflector; determining whether the received data is consistent with a predefined target landing zone; upon determining that the received data is consistent with the predefined target landing zone, determining a location of the VTOL vehicle relative to the predefined target landing zone, using a second radar signal reflected from at least one corner reflector; and determining whether the location of the VTOL vehicle is consistent with a predefined landing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Pos, Lawrence Surace
  • Publication number: 20230192313
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of navigating a vertical take-off and landing (“VTOL”) vehicle near a landing zone, may comprise receiving data related to a first radar signal reflected from at least one corner reflector; determining whether the received data is consistent with a predefined target landing zone; upon determining that the received data is consistent with the predefined target landing zone, determining a location of the VTOL vehicle relative to the predefined target landing zone, using a second radar signal reflected from at least one corner reflector; and determining whether the location of the VTOL vehicle is consistent with a predefined landing position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Marc POS, Lawrence SURACE
  • Publication number: 20220414568
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for determining a capability of a vehicle for dispatch. The method may include receiving vehicle data from a vehicle located at or near a vehicle port, and a dispatch schedule, for a fleet of vehicles, from a dispatch service. The method may also include analyzing the received data to determine at least a dispatch capability of the vehicle and a maintenance state of the vehicle, the determined dispatch capability being one of authorization for dispatch with no maintenance alert, authorization for dispatch with at least one maintenance alert, or prohibition of dispatch with at least one maintenance alert. The method may further include identifying a vehicle for dispatch, and outputting the identified vehicle for dispatch to the dispatch service, and outputting the determined maintenance state of the vehicle to at least one of the dispatch service and a vehicle maintenance service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventor: Lawrence SURACE
  • Publication number: 20220270499
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for landing a vehicle. For instance, the method may include: before a descent transition point, receiving from a service a landing zone confirmation including landing zone location information and an indication that a landing zone is clear; determining a landing flight path based on the landing zone location information; and upon the vehicle starting a descent to the landing zone using the landing flight path: receiving landing zone data from at least one of a radar system, a camera system, an altitude and heading reference system (AHRS), and a GPS system; performing an analysis based on the landing zone data to determine whether an unsafe condition exists; and based on the analysis, computing flight controls for the vehicle to continue the descent or modify the descent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventor: Lawrence SURACE
  • Patent number: 11355022
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for landing a vehicle. For instance, the method may include: before a descent transition point, receiving from a service a landing zone confirmation including landing zone location information and an indication that a landing zone is clear; determining a landing flight path based on the landing zone location information; and upon the vehicle starting a descent to the landing zone using the landing flight path: receiving landing zone data from at least one of a radar system, a camera system, an altitude and heading reference system (AHRS), and a GPS system; performing an analysis based on the landing zone data to determine whether an unsafe condition exists; and based on the analysis, computing flight controls for the vehicle to continue the descent or modify the descent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Lawrence Surace
  • Publication number: 20220024600
    Abstract: A noise reduction system in a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle is provided. The noise reduction system is configured to: identify a noise level at which the VTOL vehicle can operate; dynamically determine a motor-specific fan RPM and a motor-specific fan pitch that will allow the vehicle to not exceed the noise level based on vehicle noise characteristics and an ambient noise level; determine whether the determined motor-specific fan RPM and motor-specific fan pitch will allow the vehicle to operate within its safety envelope; and cause a motor-specific fan RPM command and a motor-specific fan pitch command to be sent to the lifter motor controller to cause the vehicle lifter motors to operate at the determined motor-specific fan RPM and motor-specific fan pitch when it is determined that the determined motor-specific fan RPM and motor-specific fan pitch will allow the VTOL vehicle to operate within its safety envelope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Lawrence Surace, Dereck Clark, Christopher Hawley
  • Publication number: 20210255616
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for cross-vehicle vehicle navigation. For instance, the method may include: receiving from a detection node, of a plurality of detection nodes, a detection message comprising detected vehicle information for a detected vehicle; obtaining nearby vehicle state information comprising information indicating position, speed, track, heading, or flight path for a plurality of nearby vehicles other than the detected vehicle; performing an analysis of the detected vehicle information and the nearby vehicle state information to confirm a state of the detected vehicle, or determine the detected vehicle to be an intruder vehicle; and transmitting a message to a relevant vehicle from among the plurality of nearby vehicles, based on the analysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventor: Lawrence SURACE
  • Publication number: 20210082295
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for landing a vehicle. For instance, the method may include: before a descent transition point, receiving from a service a landing zone confirmation including landing zone location information and an indication that a landing zone is clear; determining a landing flight path based on the landing zone location information; and upon the vehicle starting a descent to the landing zone using the landing flight path: receiving landing zone data from at least one of a radar system, a camera system, an altitude and heading reference system (AHRS), and a GPS system; performing an analysis based on the landing zone data to determine whether an unsafe condition exists; and based on the analysis, computing flight controls for the vehicle to continue the descent or modify the descent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventor: Lawrence SURACE
  • Publication number: 20210082208
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for managing data from vehicles. For instance, the method may include receiving vehicle data from a vehicle of a plurality of vehicles; obtaining collective vehicle data and vehicle parameters; performing an analysis on the vehicle data, the collective vehicle data, and the vehicle parameters to: detect a vehicle parameter event, or detect an environment change; and in response to detecting the vehicle parameter event or the environment change, transmitting a status message to a service associated with the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventor: Lawrence SURACE
  • Publication number: 20190384587
    Abstract: A computer-implemented blockchain system for distributing, updating and verifying the installation of software embedded in an aircraft and for creating a built-in blockchain record of distributing, updating and verifying activities as proofs, including: a first node to insert into the distributed ledger in a first block of the blockchain storing a service record that contains distributable software code for updating the software embedded in the aircraft, and that specifies rules prescribing activities for loading, installing and verifying the software; a second node programmed to access the distributed ledger to obtain the service record and to initiate loading and installing activity performed upon the software embedded in the aircraft and to insert into the distributed ledger a second block of the blockchain storing a service record of at least one loading, installing and verifying activity was performed; and a third node to access the distributed ledger to obtain the service record.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Sujay Rao, Satyanarayan Kar, Lawrence Surace