Patents by Inventor Timothy Mattson
Timothy Mattson 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: 11273919Abstract: In an embodiment, a system to deploy a plurality of parachutes includes a plurality of parachute canopies each packed in a canister, a plurality of rockets adapted to extract an associated canopy from the canister, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine that an aircraft is at least one of: in a hover mode of operation and a forward flight mode of operation. In response to the determination that the aircraft is in the hover mode of operation, the controller applies a hover deployment sequence including by instructing the plurality of parachutes to deploy substantially simultaneously. In response to the determination that the aircraft is in the forward mode of operation and above a threshold airspeed, the controller applies a forward deployment sequence including by instructing the plurality of parachutes to deploy in a predefined sequence.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2019Date of Patent: March 15, 2022Assignee: Kitty Hawk CorporationInventors: Craig Western, Amy Qian, Damon Vander Lind, Timothy Mattson, Eric Miller, Peter A. Swan
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Patent number: 11208214Abstract: A selection is made between single stage and multistage parachute deployment for a vehicle based at least in part on vehicle state information. In the event multistage parachute deployment is selected, a drogue parachute is deployed during a first deployment stage and afterwards, a main parachute is deployed during a second deployment stage. In the event single stage parachute deployment is selected, at least the main parachute is deployed in a single stage where in the event the drogue parachute is deployed during the single stage, the drogue and main parachute are deployed simultaneously.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2020Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: Kitty Hawk CorporationInventors: Craig Western, Damon Vander Lind, Eric Miller, James Thomas Yaru, Timothy Mattson, Andrew David Goessling
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Publication number: 20210070455Abstract: A selection is made between single stage and multistage parachute deployment for a vehicle based at least in part on vehicle state information. In the event multistage parachute deployment is selected, a drogue parachute is deployed during a first deployment stage and afterwards, a main parachute is deployed during a second deployment stage. In the event single stage parachute deployment is selected, at least the main parachute is deployed in a single stage where in the event the drogue parachute is deployed during the single stage, the drogue and main parachute are deployed simultaneously.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2020Publication date: March 11, 2021Inventors: Craig Western, Damon Vander Lind, Eric Miller, James Thomas Yaru, Timothy Mattson, Andrew David Goessling
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Patent number: 10717537Abstract: In an embodiment, a parachute deployment system includes a parachute coupled to a release via a first load path. The first path includes crown lines. The release is adapted to attach the parachute to a rocket via the crown lines, and disengage the parachute from the rocket if a load shifts from the first path to a second path. The system also includes a line constrainer between the release and the parachute. The crown lines pass through the line constrainer, and the line constrainer is adapted to restrict an extent to which the crown lines are able to extend away from a longitudinal axis. An example release includes a back plate configured to couple a tow line to crown lines and a soft pin. The pin is adapted to separate from the back plate in response to tensioning of the release line, causing the parachute to disengage.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2018Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: Kitty Hawk CorporationInventors: Peter A. Swan, Craig Western, Damon Vander Lind, Amy Qian, Timothy Mattson, Eric Miller
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Patent number: 10569889Abstract: A selection is made between single stage and multistage parachute deployment for a vehicle based at least in part on vehicle state information. In the event multistage parachute deployment is selected, a drogue parachute is deployed during a first deployment stage and afterwards, a main parachute is deployed during a second deployment stage. In the event single stage parachute deployment is selected, at least the main parachute is deployed in a single stage where in the event the drogue parachute is deployed during the single stage, the drogue and main parachute are deployed simultaneously.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2019Date of Patent: February 25, 2020Assignee: Kitty Hawk CorporationInventors: Craig Western, Damon Vander Lind, Eric Miller, James Thomas Yaru, Timothy Mattson, Andrew David Goessling
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Publication number: 20200047892Abstract: In an embodiment, a system to deploy a plurality of parachutes includes a plurality of parachute canopies each packed in a canister, a plurality of rockets adapted to extract an associated canopy from the canister, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine that an aircraft is at least one of: in a hover mode of operation and a forward flight mode of operation. In response to the determination that the aircraft is in the hover mode of operation, the controller applies a hover deployment sequence including by instructing the plurality of parachutes to deploy substantially simultaneously. In response to the determination that the aircraft is in the forward mode of operation and above a threshold airspeed, the controller applies a forward deployment sequence including by instructing the plurality of parachutes to deploy in a predefined sequence.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 4, 2019Publication date: February 13, 2020Inventors: Craig Western, Amy Qian, Damon Vander Lind, Timothy Mattson, Eric Miller, Peter A. Swan
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Patent number: 10464681Abstract: In an embodiment, a system to deploy a plurality of parachutes includes a plurality of parachute canopies each packed in a canister, a plurality of rockets adapted to extract an associated canopy from the canister, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine that an aircraft is at least one of: in a hover mode of operation and a forward flight mode of operation. In response to the determination that the aircraft is in the hover mode of operation, the controller applies a hover deployment sequence including by instructing the plurality of parachutes to deploy substantially simultaneously. In response to the determination that the aircraft is in the forward mode of operation and above a threshold airspeed, the controller applies a forward deployment sequence including by instructing the plurality of parachutes to deploy in a predefined sequence.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2019Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: Kitty Hawk CorporationInventors: Craig Western, Amy Qian, Damon Vander Lind, Timothy Mattson, Eric Miller, Peter A. Swan
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Publication number: 20190112058Abstract: In an embodiment, a parachute deployment system includes a parachute coupled to a release via a first load path. The first path includes crown lines. The release is adapted to attach the parachute to a rocket via the crown lines, and disengage the parachute from the rocket if a load shifts from the first path to a second path. The system also includes a line constrainer between the release and the parachute. The crown lines pass through the line constrainer, and the line constrainer is adapted to restrict an extent to which the crown lines are able to extend away from a longitudinal axis. An example release includes a back plate configured to couple a tow line to crown lines and a soft pin. The pin is adapted to separate from the back plate in response to tensioning of the release line, causing the parachute to disengage.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2018Publication date: April 18, 2019Inventors: Peter A. Swan, Craig Western, Damon Vander Lind, Amy Qian, Timothy Mattson, Eric Miller
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Patent number: 10099792Abstract: In an embodiment, a parachute deployment system includes a parachute coupled to a release via a first load path. The first path includes crown lines. The release is adapted to attach the parachute to a rocket via the crown lines, and disengage the parachute from the rocket if a load shifts from the first path to a second path. The system also includes a line constrainer between the release and the parachute. The crown lines pass through the line constrainer, and the line constrainer is adapted to restrict an extent to which the crown lines are able to extend away from a longitudinal axis. An example release includes a back plate configured to couple a tow line to crown lines and a soft pin. The pin is adapted to separate from the back plate in response to tensioning of the release line, causing the parachute to disengage.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2018Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: Kitty Hawk CorporationInventors: Peter A. Swan, Craig Western, Damon Vander Lind, Amy Qian, Timothy Mattson, Eric Miller