Patents by Inventor William C. Wu

William C. Wu 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: 11945606
    Abstract: Spacecraft propulsion systems and methods featuring a first storage tank containing a metallic propellant and a second storage tank containing a non-metallic propellant are provided. A selected one of the metallic propellant and the non-metallic propellant is supplied to an electric propulsion thruster, depending on an operational mode of the spacecraft. The metallic propellant is stored at a relatively high density, while the non-metallic propellant is stored at a lower density than the metallic propellant. Moreover, the non-metallic propellant is preferably utilized to produce thrust through the electric propulsion thruster during operational maneuvers, while the metallic propellant is reserved for producing thrust through the electric propulsion thruster during end-of-life, such as deorbiting, maneuvers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Gordon C. Wu, Derek Chan, William D. Deininger
  • Patent number: 5379372
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for designing generalized tables. The method and the apparatus are described by a collection of processes for performing operations such as creating a generalized table, deleting a generalized table, drawing a rule, stretching or shrinking a rule, shifting a set of rules, deleting a rule, aligning a rule, unaligning a rule, combining cells, dividing a cell, creating a region, and deleting a region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Inventor: William C. Wu