Patents by Inventor Steven E. Spoldi
Steven E. Spoldi 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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Patent number: 10353402Abstract: A method and system for vector limiting of a rotor control volume for a helicopter with one or more controllers configured to issue a displacement command during a flight maneuver and a computer operably connected to the one or more controllers and configured to receive signals with a processor indicative of a displacement command for a rotor during a flight maneuver; determine with the processor an origination point for a command vector in a reference frame; determine with the processor the command vector in the reference frame; determine with the processor a command radius for the command vector; compare with the processor the command radius with values of estimated command radii in a look-up table; and determine with the processor a control volume limited command in response to the comparing of the command radius with the estimated command radius.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2015Date of Patent: July 16, 2019Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATIONInventor: Steven E. Spoldi
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Patent number: 10351225Abstract: A method for position hold override control of an aircraft includes determining, by a processor, that a position hold mode is enabled to hold the aircraft at a substantially fixed position with respect to a target. The processor receives a control input indicative of a commanded change in acceleration of the aircraft as an override of the position hold mode. The processor determines an acceleration command based on the commanded change in acceleration. The acceleration command is adjusted as an adjusted acceleration command responsive to a non-linear scheduled translational rate command based on feedback of a commanded velocity of the aircraft. An update to the commanded velocity of the aircraft is generated based on the adjusted acceleration command.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2016Date of Patent: July 16, 2019Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATIONInventors: Steven E. Spoldi, Alex Faynberg, Stephen Kubik, Donald T. Ream, John Rucci, Stephen C. McCulley, Christiaan Corry
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Publication number: 20180141642Abstract: A method for position hold override control of an aircraft includes determining, by a processor, that a position hold mode is enabled to hold the aircraft at a substantially fixed position with respect to a target. The processor receives a control input indicative of a commanded change in acceleration of the aircraft as an override of the position hold mode. The processor determines an acceleration command based on the commanded change in acceleration. The acceleration command is adjusted as an adjusted acceleration command responsive to a non-linear scheduled translational rate command based on feedback of a commanded velocity of the aircraft. An update to the commanded velocity of the aircraft is generated based on the adjusted acceleration command.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2016Publication date: May 24, 2018Inventors: Steven E. Spoldi, Alex Faynberg, Stephen Kubik, Donald T. Ream, John Rucci, Stephen C. McCulley, Christiaan Corry
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Publication number: 20170220047Abstract: A method and system for vector limiting of a rotor control volume for a helicopter with one or more controllers configured to issue a displacement command during a flight maneuver and a computer operably connected to the one or more controllers and configured to receive signals with a processor indicative of a displacement command for a rotor during a flight maneuver; determine with the processor an origination point for a command vector in a reference frame; determine with the processor the command vector in the reference frame; determine with the processor a command radius for the command vector; compare with the processor the command radius with values of estimated command radii in a look-up table; and determine with the processor a control volume limited command in response to the comparing of the command radius with the estimated command radius.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2015Publication date: August 3, 2017Applicant: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATIONInventor: Steven E. Spoldi
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Patent number: 8825233Abstract: A method for estimating airspeed of an aircraft includes receiving values indicative of operating conditions of the aircraft along an axis; estimating a tip path plane (TPP) angle along the axis from at least one of the operating conditions to create an estimated TPP angle; and determining an estimated airspeed as a function of the estimated TPP angle, the determining including referencing a look-up table that indexes the estimated TPP angle with the airspeed.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft CorporationInventor: Steven E. Spoldi
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Patent number: 8752796Abstract: A method of automatically jettisoning cargo suspended from a suspension system coupled to an auto jettison system, includes receiving an initial load value from at least one attachment point of the suspension system, the receiving of the initial load value in response to attaching the cargo to the suspension system; receiving an instantaneous load value of the cargo suspended on an attachment point, the attachment point being coupled to the cargo; predicting a rate of change of the instantaneous load value at a predetermined future time period; combining the predicted rate of change of the instantaneous load value with the initial load value to create a predicted load value; comparing the predicted load value to a threshold value for the attachment point; and jettisoning the cargo from the attachment point if the predicted value is greater than the threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2011Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft CorporationInventors: John J. Occhiato, Gordon E. Winer, Irvin B. Alansky, Steven E. Spoldi, Anthony Z. Stobiecki, Joseph P. Skonieczny
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Publication number: 20130325218Abstract: A method for estimating airspeed of an aircraft includes receiving values indicative of operating conditions of the aircraft along an axis; estimating a tip path plane (TPP) angle along the axis from at least one of the operating conditions to create an estimated TPP angle; and determining an estimated airspeed as a function of the estimated TPP angle, the determining including referencing a look-up table that indexes the estimated TPP angle with the airspeed.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2012Publication date: December 5, 2013Applicant: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATIONInventor: Steven E. Spoldi
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Publication number: 20130056586Abstract: A method of automatically jettisoning cargo suspended from a suspension system coupled to an auto jettison system, includes receiving an initial load value from at least one attachment point of the suspension system, the receiving of the initial load value in response to attaching the cargo to the suspension system; receiving an instantaneous load value of the cargo suspended on an attachment point, the attachment point being coupled to the cargo; predicting a rate of change of the instantaneous load value at a predetermined future time period; combining the predicted rate of change of the instantaneous load value with the initial load value to create a predicted load value; comparing the predicted load value to a threshold value for the attachment point; and jettisoning the cargo from the attachment point if the predicted value is greater than the threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2011Publication date: March 7, 2013Applicant: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATIONInventors: John J. Occhiato, Gordon E. Winer, Irvin B. Alansky, Steven E. Spoldi, Anthony Z. Stobiecki, Joseph P. Skonieczny