Patents by Inventor Michael Eglington
Michael Eglington 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).
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Publication number: 20240002068Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for controlling orientation of a payload of a balloon through a despin mechanism. In one instance, a system may include a flexible coupling configured to reduce effects of a balloon envelope tilting on a payload, a sensor configured to measure rotational displacement of the flexible coupling, a despin mechanism including a motor configured to rotate the payload, and a controller. The controller may be configured to use receive the measured rotational displacement and to use the despin mechanism to rotate the payload towards a preferred orientation based on the measured rotational displacement.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2022Publication date: January 4, 2024Applicant: Aerostar International, LLCInventors: Matthew Knoll, Michael Eglington
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Patent number: 11851154Abstract: Aspects of the technology relate to propulsion systems for high altitude, long duration balloons, such as balloons that operate in the stratosphere for weeks, months or longer. A propeller assembly is used to provide lateral directional adjustments, which allows the balloon to spend more time over a desired region, reduce the return time to the desired region, reduce fleet overprovisioning, and increases the safety case by additional controls and avoidance abilities. A control assembly manages operation of the propeller assembly, including setting the pointing direction, speed of rotation and determining when to turn on the propeller and for how long. The propulsion system including the control and propeller assemblies is rotatable around a connection member of the balloon. Such rotation is independently adjustable from any rotation of the balloon's payload. The propeller blades may be made of plastic, which reduces weight and cost while providing sufficient speed at stratospheric altitudes.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2021Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignee: Aerostar International, LLCInventors: Jacques Gagne, Matthew Knoll, Daniel Luebke, Jonathan Nutzmann, Michael Eglington, Sameera Ponda, Aaron Fan, Ewout van Bekkum
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Patent number: 11434022Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for controlling orientation of a payload of a balloon through a despin mechanism. In one instance, a system may include a flexible coupling configured to reduce effects of a balloon envelope tilting on a payload, a sensor configured to measure rotational displacement of the flexible coupling, a despin mechanism including a motor configured to rotate the payload, and a controller. The controller may be configured to use receive the measured rotational displacement and to use the despin mechanism to rotate the payload towards a preferred orientation based on the measured rotational displacement.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2018Date of Patent: September 6, 2022Assignee: Aerostar International, Inc.Inventors: Matthew Knoll, Michael Eglington
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Publication number: 20220219799Abstract: Aspects of the technology relate to propulsion systems for high altitude, long duration balloons, such as balloons that operate in the stratosphere for weeks, months or longer. A propeller assembly is used to provide lateral directional adjustments, which allows the balloon to spend more time over a desired region, reduce the return time to the desired region, reduce fleet overprovisioning, and increases the safety case by additional controls and avoidance abilities. A control assembly manages operation of the propeller assembly, including setting the pointing direction, speed of rotation and determining when to turn on the propeller and for how long. The propulsion system including the control and propeller assemblies is rotatable around a connection member of the balloon. Such rotation is independently adjustable from any rotation of the balloon's payload. The propeller blades may be made of plastic, which reduces weight and cost while providing sufficient speed at stratospheric altitudes.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2021Publication date: July 14, 2022Inventors: Jacques Gagne, Matthew Knoll, Daniel Luebke, Jonathan Nutzmann, Michael Eglington, Sameera Ponda, Aaron Fan, Ewout van Bekkum
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Patent number: 11220320Abstract: Aspects of the technology relate to propulsion systems for high altitude, long duration balloons, such as balloons that operate in the stratosphere for weeks, months or longer. A propeller assembly is used to provide lateral directional adjustments, which allows the balloon to spend more time over a desired region, reduce the return time to the desired region, reduce fleet overprovisioning, and increases the safety case by additional controls and avoidance abilities. A control assembly manages operation of the propeller assembly, including setting the pointing direction, speed of rotation and determining when to turn on the propeller and for how long. The propulsion system including the control and propeller assemblies is rotatable around a connection member of the balloon. Such rotation is independently adjustable from any rotation of the balloon's payload. The propeller blades may be made of plastic, which reduces weight and cost while providing sufficient speed at stratospheric altitudes.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2019Date of Patent: January 11, 2022Assignee: Aerostar International, Inc.Inventors: Jacques Gagne, Matthew Knoll, Daniel Alex Luebke, Jonathan Nutzmann, Michael Eglington, Sameera Ponda, Aaron Fan, Ewout van Bekkum
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Publication number: 20210016865Abstract: Aspects of the technology relate to propulsion systems for high altitude, long duration balloons, such as balloons that operate in the stratosphere for weeks, months or longer. A propeller assembly is used to provide lateral directional adjustments, which allows the balloon to spend more time over a desired region, reduce the return time to the desired region, reduce fleet overprovisioning, and increases the safety case by additional controls and avoidance abilities. A control assembly manages operation of the propeller assembly, including setting the pointing direction, speed of rotation and determining when to turn on the propeller and for how long. The propulsion system including the control and propeller assemblies is rotatable around a connection member of the balloon. Such rotation is independently adjustable from any rotation of the balloon's payload. The propeller blades may be made of plastic, which reduces weight and cost while providing sufficient speed at stratospheric altitudes.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2019Publication date: January 21, 2021Inventors: Jacques Gagne, Matthew Knoll, Daniel Alex Luebke, Jonathan Nutzmann, Michael Eglington, Sameera Ponda, Aaron Fan, Ewout van Bekkum
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Publication number: 20200189765Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for controlling orientation of a payload of a balloon through a despin mechanism. In one instance, a system may include a flexible coupling configured to reduce effects of a balloon envelope tilting on a payload, a sensor configured to measure rotational displacement of the flexible coupling, a despin mechanism including a motor configured to rotate the payload, and a controller. The controller may be configured to use receive the measured rotational displacement and to use the despin mechanism to rotate the payload towards a preferred orientation based on the measured rotational displacement.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2018Publication date: June 18, 2020Inventors: Matthew Knoll, Michael Eglington
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Patent number: 7451030Abstract: A system and method provide for precision guiding of agricultural vehicles along a series of adjacent paths to form rows for cultivating a field. In one aspect of the invention the vehicle is moved along a first path while receiving positioning information from a navigational system (e.g., RTK GPS). This positioning information is stored in a processor and is used by the processor to compute a second path adjacent to said first path by calculating piecewise perpendicular offsets from the first path at multiple locations along the first path. The process is repeated to compute a third and subsequent paths so as to cover the field. Because of the offset process, the field may be covered with paths that have varying curvature along their length, while providing substantially no gaps or overlaps in the coverage of the field.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2005Date of Patent: November 11, 2008Assignee: Novariant, Inc.Inventors: Michael Eglington, Michael L. O'Connor, Lars G. Leckie, Glen A. Sapilewski
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Patent number: 7256388Abstract: A system and method provide for precision guiding of agricultural vehicles along a series of adjacent paths to form rows for cultivating a field. In one aspect of the invention the vehicle is moved along a first path while receiving positioning information from a navigational system (e.g., RTK GPS). This positioning information is stored in a processor and is used by the processor to compute a second path adjacent to said first path by calculating piecewise perpendicular offsets from the first path at multiple locations along the first path. The process is repeated to compute a third and subsequent paths so as to cover the field. Because of the offset process, the field may be covered with paths that have varying curvature along their length, while providing substantially no gaps or overlaps in the coverage of the field.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2005Date of Patent: August 14, 2007Assignee: Novariant, Inc.Inventors: Michael Eglington, Michael L. O'Connor, Lars G. Leckie, Glen A. Sapilewski
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Publication number: 20060175541Abstract: A system and method provide for precision guiding of agricultural vehicles along a series of adjacent paths to form rows for cultivating a field. In one aspect of the invention the vehicle is moved along a first path while receiving positioning information from a navigational system (e.g., RTK GPS). This positioning information is stored in a processor and is used by the processor to compute a second path adjacent to said first path by calculating piecewise perpendicular offsets from the first path at multiple locations along the first path. The process is repeated to compute a third and subsequent paths so as to cover the field. Because of the offset process, the field may be covered with paths that have varying curvature along their length, while providing substantially no gaps or overlaps in the coverage of the field.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2005Publication date: August 10, 2006Applicant: Novariant, Inc.Inventors: Michael Eglington, Michael O'Connor, Lars Leckie, Glen Sapilewski
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Publication number: 20060178825Abstract: A system and method provide for precision guiding of agricultural vehicles along a series of adjacent paths to form rows for cultivating a field. In one aspect of the invention the vehicle is moved along a first path while receiving positioning information from a navigational system (e.g., RTK GPS). This positioning information is stored in a processor and is used by the processor to compute a second path adjacent to said first path by calculating piecewise perpendicular offsets from the first path at multiple locations along the first path. The process is repeated to compute a third and subsequent paths so as to cover the field. Because of the offset process, the field may be covered with paths that have varying curvature along their length, while providing substantially no gaps or overlaps in the coverage of the field.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2005Publication date: August 10, 2006Applicant: Novariant, Inc.Inventors: Michael Eglington, Michael O'Connor, Lars Leckie, Glen Sapilewski
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Publication number: 20060178823Abstract: A system and method provide for precision guiding of agricultural vehicles along a series of adjacent paths to form rows for cultivating a field. In one aspect of the invention the vehicle is moved along a first path while receiving positioning information from a navigational system (e.g., RTK GPS). This positioning information is stored in a processor and is used by the processor to compute a second path adjacent to said first path by calculating piecewise perpendicular offsets from the first path at multiple locations along the first path. The process is repeated to compute a third and subsequent paths so as to cover the field. Because of the offset process, the field may be covered with paths that have varying curvature along their length, while providing substantially no gaps or overlaps in the coverage of the field.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2005Publication date: August 10, 2006Applicant: Novariant, Inc.Inventors: Michael Eglington, Michael O'Connor, Lars Leckie, Glen Sapilewski
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Publication number: 20060178820Abstract: A system and method provide for precision guiding of agricultural vehicles along a series of adjacent paths to form rows for cultivating a field. In one aspect of the invention the vehicle is moved along a first path while receiving positioning information from a navigational system (e.g., RTK GPS). This positioning information is stored in a processor and is used by the processor to compute a second path adjacent to said first path by calculating piecewise perpendicular offsets from the first path at multiple locations along the first path. The process is repeated to compute a third and subsequent paths so as to cover the field. Because of the offset process, the field may be covered with paths that have varying curvature along their length, while providing substantially no gaps or overlaps in the coverage of the field.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2005Publication date: August 10, 2006Applicant: Novariant, Inc.Inventors: Michael Eglington, Michael O'Connor, Lars Leckie, Glen Sapilewski
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Publication number: 20060025894Abstract: A vehicle control system with user-guided calibration is presented. In one embodiment, a vehicle control system is presented comprising an output device and circuitry operative to provide an output, via the output device, that guides a user through a plurality of calibration steps in a particular order. The circuitry can additionally or alternatively be operative to determine which of the calibration steps, if any, to present as a next calibration step based on whether a given calibration step is successful. Other embodiments are provided, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or in combination with one another.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2004Publication date: February 2, 2006Inventors: Michael O'Connor, Michael Eglington, Lars Leckie, Robert Melhorn, Qinghe Chang, Brian Walter, Glen Sapilewski