Patents by Inventor Robert Szczerba

Robert Szczerba 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).

  • Publication number: 20070168090
    Abstract: A system maintains communication between a plurality of unmanned vehicles within an environment. The system includes a sensor component and an evaluator. The sensor component senses objects within the environment. The sensor component is located on a first unmanned vehicle. The evaluator evaluates data from the sensor component. The evaluator is located on the first unmanned vehicle. The evaluator compares data for the first unmanned vehicle and a second unmanned vehicle and determines whether a trajectory of one of the first and second unmanned vehicles may be modified to maintain communication between the first unmanned vehicle and the second unmanned vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2006
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Inventors: Stephen DeMarco, Nader Mehravari, Robert Szczerba
  • Publication number: 20070074209
    Abstract: A system in accordance with the present invention automatically designs a software component to perform a defined task having task inputs and task outputs. The system includes a plurality of modules, a first comparator, a selector, and a second comparator. Each of the plurality of modules has module inputs and module outputs. The first comparator compares the module outputs to the task outputs. The first comparator determines whether the task outputs are achievable by the plurality of modules. The first comparator determines whether at least two of the plurality of modules satisfy one of the task outputs. The selector selects a preferred module from the at least two of the plurality of modules. The second comparator compares at least one of the task inputs to inputs of the preferred module. The second comparator determines whether the inputs of the preferred module are included within the task inputs. The first comparator receives inputs of the preferred module that are not included within the task inputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Inventors: Adam Jung, John Moody, Robert Szczerba, Joel Tleon
  • Publication number: 20070032920
    Abstract: A system ensures safety and security of teams of collaborative autonomous unmanned vehicles in executing a mission plan. The system includes a plurality of components, a first device, a second device, and a third device. The plurality of components perform situation analysis, mission planning, mission replanning, mission plan execution, and collaboration between the autonomous unmanned vehicles. The first device identifies safety critical components of the plurality of components. The second device identifies security sensitive components of the plurality of components. The third device isolates the safety critical components from contamination by other components of the plurality of components. The third device isolates security sensitive data from contaminating non-security sensitive components of the plurality of components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Inventors: Michael Dapp, Adam Jung, Robert Szczerba, Paul Thurm, Joel Tleon
  • Publication number: 20070021880
    Abstract: A system collaboratively and autonomously plans and controls a team of unmanned vehicles within an environment. A mission planning component creates a mission plan for a plurality of members of the team of unmanned vehicles. The mission planning component creates a task plan for each member based on the mission plan. A collaboration component assigns members to the team and roles for the assigned members. The collaboration component updates membership and roles of the members based on the changing situation of the environment. A situational awareness component evaluates the changing situation of the environment based on information from the assigned members of the team. A contingency management component monitors the changing situation of the environment. The contingency management component monitors changes of capabilities of the assigned members of the team and execution of the mission plan and task plans.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Inventors: Brent Appleby, Jerry Franke, Stephen Jameson, Adam Jung, Robert Szczerba, Joel Tleon
  • Publication number: 20070021879
    Abstract: A system collaboratively and autonomously plans and controls a team of vehicles having subsystems within an environment. The system includes a mission management component, a communication component, a payload controller component, and an automatic target recognition component. The mission management component plans and executes a mission plan of the team and plans and executes tasks of the vehicles. The communication component plans communication and networking for the team. The communication component manages quality of service for the team. The communication component directs communication subsystems for the team and for the vehicles. The payload controller component directs and executes sensor subsystems for the team and for the vehicles. The automatic target recognition component processes and fuses information from the sensor subsystems and from the vehicles for use by the mission management component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Inventors: Dale DelNero, Stephen DeMarco, Adam Jung, John Moody, Peter Stiles, Robert Szczerba, Joel Tleon
  • Publication number: 20060184291
    Abstract: A system processes asynchronous requests from members of a team of autonomous unmanned vehicles. The system includes a user request interface for receiving a request from a single team member and a request manager for performing a task in response to the request and returning a result of the task to the user request interface. The user request interface transfers the result to the single team member without communicating to any other members of the team.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Inventors: Rosemary Paradis, Robert Szczerba
  • Publication number: 20060184292
    Abstract: A system in accordance with the present invention tasks a team of autonomous unmanned vehicles. The system includes a first team member and a second team member. The first team member has a first level of autonomy. The second team member has a second level of autonomy. The first level of autonomy is different than the first level of autonomy. The first team member is given instructions corresponding to the first level of autonomy. The second team member is given instructions corresponding to the second level of autonomy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Inventors: Brent Appleby, Rosemary Paradis, Robert Szczerba
  • Publication number: 20060121418
    Abstract: A system predictively determines data transmitted within a wireless network in accordance with a mission plan and changes to the mission plan. The system includes a first team member and a second team member. The first team member includes a first module for evaluating the changes to the mission plan encountered by the first team member and determining whether to transmit information of the change to the second team member. The first team member further includes a second module containing rules for evaluating changes to the mission plan encountered by the first team member. The first module utilizes the rules of the second module to predictively alter the mission plan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2004
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Inventors: Stephen DeMarco, Robert Szczerba
  • Publication number: 20050202827
    Abstract: A system predictively allocates bandwidth within a wireless network in accordance with a mission plan. The system includes a first team member and a second team member. The first team member predicts subsequent communication demand by the second team member in accordance with the mission plan. The second team member predicts subsequent communication demand by the first team member in accordance with the mission plan. The first team member is allocated a bandwidth commensurate with a predicted need of the first team member and a predicted need of the second team member. The second team member being allocated a bandwidth commensurate with a predicted need of the first team member and the second team member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Publication date: September 15, 2005
    Inventors: Stephen DeMarco, Robert Szczerba
  • Patent number: 6859927
    Abstract: A distributed data processing system and method are presented herein for purposes of controlling allocation of resources and task execution. The system includes a communication network that passes messages between computers connected to the network. A plurality of computers are connected to the network and run programs thereon including a central authority and at least first and second autonomous agents. The central authority generates a graph associated with each agent and wherein each graph represents for the associated agent what resources that agent has and what task or tasks that agent may perform. Each agent employs the associated graph to determine what resource or resources are needed by that agent to carry out the task of tasks to be performed by that agent. The agents negotiate with each other for the resources needed to carry out the task or tasks to be performed by the agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: John O. Moody, Ira Glickstein, Robert Szczerba
  • Patent number: 6842899
    Abstract: A distributed data processing system employing negotiation among autonomous agents for allocation of resources is presented herein. The system includes a communications network for passing messages between computers connected thereto, a plurality of computers connected to the network for running programs thereon including at least first and second autonomous agents. Each agent receives a graph associated therewith and wherein the graph represents for the associated agent what resources that agent has and what task or tasks that agent may perform. Each agent employs the associated graph to determine what resource or resources are needed by that agent to carry out the task or tasks to be performed by that agent. The agents negotiate with each other for the resources needed to carry out the task or tasks to be performed by the agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: John O. Moody, Ira Glickstein, Robert Szczerba
  • Publication number: 20050005272
    Abstract: A distributed data processing system and method are presented herein for purposes of controlling allocation of resources and task execution. The system includes a communication network that passes messages between computers connected to the network. A plurality of computers are connected to the network and run programs thereon including a central authority and at least first and second autonomous agents. The central authority generates a graph associated with each agent and wherein each graph represents for the associated agent what resources that agent has and what task or tasks that agent may perform. Each agent employs the associated graph to determine what resource or resources are needed by that agent to carry out the task of tasks to be performed by that agent. The agents negotiate with each other for the resources needed to carry out the task or tasks to be performed by the agents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Publication date: January 6, 2005
    Inventors: John Moody, Ira Glickstein, Robert Szczerba
  • Publication number: 20010042123
    Abstract: A distributed data processing system employing negotiation among autonomous agents for allocation of resources is presented herein. The system includes a communications network for passing messages between computers connected thereto, a plurality of computers connected to the network for running programs thereon including at least first and second autonomous agents. Each agent receives a graph associated therewith and wherein the graph represents for the associated agent what resources that agent has and what task or tasks that agent may perform. Each agent employs the associated graph to determine what resource or resources are needed by that agent to carry out the task or tasks to be performed by that agent. The agents negotiate with each other for the resources needed to carry out the task or tasks to be performed by the agents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Publication date: November 15, 2001
    Applicant: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: John O. Moody, Ira Glickstein, Robert Szczerba