Patents by Inventor Roland S. Burns

Roland S. Burns 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: 4664052
    Abstract: A control system for causing a vehicle, such as a ship, to follow a track comprising track segments TS1, TS2 whose position and heading are specified, in accordance with a weighted function of track error and heading error. On changing from following a track segment TS1 to the next segment TS2 at P1 the vehicle will overshoot, as shown by curve A. The invention provides for the weighting factor for the heading to be temporarily increased when the vehicle changes track segments, thus reducing the overshoot as shown by curve B. A further improvement, indicated by curve C, is obtained by fixing the changeover point at P2, in advance of the track segment intersection, the amount of the advance being a function of vehicle characteristics and speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Assignee: Poly Enterprises Plymouth Limited
    Inventors: Roland S. Burns, Michael J. Dove