Spacecraft Or Satellite Patents (Class 701/13)
  • Patent number: 12248321
    Abstract: A system and method for generating simulated vehicles with configured behaviors for analyzing autonomous vehicle motion planners are disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: obtaining configuration instructions and data for each of a plurality of simulated vehicles, a specific driving behavior for each of the plurality of simulated vehicles corresponding to perception data obtained from perception data sensors; and generating a plurality of trajectories and acceleration profiles to transition each of the plurality of simulated vehicles from a current position and speed to a corresponding target position and target speed, the target position and the target speed corresponding to the specific driving behavior for each of the plurality of simulated vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: TUSIMPLE, INC.
    Inventors: Xingdong Li, Xing Sun, Wutu Lin, Liu Liu
  • Patent number: 12240631
    Abstract: In an orbital attitude control device (1150), an ideal thrust axis direction calculator (1505) calculates an ideal thrust axis direction based on information of a predetermined orbit, an ideal attitude calculator (1506) calculates an ideal attitude of the satellite based on the ideal thrust axis direction and a solar direction, and a control torque calculator (1510) calculates an ideal control torque that makes the attitude of the satellite follow the ideal attitude and a torque restraint plane in which the solar direction is orthogonal to a rotational axis of the solar array panel, defines an evaluation function obtained by weighting a distance from the ideal control torque and a distance from the torque restraint plane and then summing the weighted distances, and calculates the control torque that allows the drive constraint to be satisfied and the evaluation function to be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Kitamura, Takeya Shima, Katsuhiko Yamada
  • Patent number: 12187463
    Abstract: A control method for controlling a momentum wheel device for stabilizing a spacecraft includes: providing the momentum wheel device as a real momentum wheel device having a momentum wheel driven by a motor; providing a simulated momentum wheel device based on an ideal physical model; concurrent feeding of a torque command to both momentum wheel devices, to change a rotational speed of both momentum wheel devices; controlling the motor to change the rotational speed dependent on the fed torque command; detecting a real rotation angle of the real momentum wheel device; calculating a simulated rotation angle of the simulated momentum wheel device by two-fold integration of the fed torque command; comparing the real rotation angle and the simulated rotation angle and generating an error signal corresponding to a deviation between the real and simulated rotation angles; and controlling the motor due to the error signal to reduce the deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: ROCKWELL COLLINS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Markus Ehinger
  • Patent number: 12179944
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for simulating a satellite mission operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Korea Aerospace Research Institute
    Inventors: Ok Chul Jung, Jae Dong Seong, Dea Won Chung
  • Patent number: 12172775
    Abstract: An object is to more accurately assist avoidance of a collision between space objects such as satellites or space debris in outer space. A recorder processing unit (110) acquires flight forecast information (401) indicating a flight forecast of each of a plurality of space objects (60) from a management business device (40) used by a management business operator that manages the plurality of space objects (60). Based on the acquired flight forecast information (401), the recorder processing unit (110) sets a forecast epoch of an orbit of each of the plurality of space objects (60), a forecast orbital element that identifies the orbit, and a forecast error that is forecast for the orbit, as orbit forecast information (51). The recorder processing unit (110) stores a space information recorder (50) including the orbit forecast information (51) in a storage unit (140).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hisayuki Mukae
  • Patent number: 12166567
    Abstract: A network management systems (NMS) and methods for automating aircraft wideband streaming L band providing dedicated high data rate communication links from an aircraft fitted with an approved L-band terminal and antenna over a satellite communication network, such as the Inmarsat Swift Broadband network. The systems and methods allow for modifying the L-band terminal wiring to inject a dedicated single channel per carrier (SCPC) signal from an external modem to achieve return data rates in the range of several Mbps over a dedicated leased satellite bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Satcom Direct, Inc.
    Inventors: Rodrigo Gomez, Timothy W. Knowles, Ben T. Vuong, Lasse Thorbro-Steenberg
  • Patent number: 12152904
    Abstract: Disclosed is a single star-based orientation method using a dual-axis level sensor, which includes a calibration process and an actual calculation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Beijing Aerospace Institute for Metrology and Measurement Technology
    Inventors: Kun Xiong, Yinxiao Miao, Chunxi Wang, Qiufang Shang, Shengquan Tang, Tao Wang, Yue Wu, Zhen Wang, Qiang Wang, Ye Tang, Zhengjie Wang
  • Patent number: 12148044
    Abstract: A method for collecting drone data at a crash site using an autonomous or semi-autonomous drone may include determining or receiving a crash GPS location associated with a crash location of a crash scene, and may further include generating a pre-generated flight path for an autonomous or semi-autonomous drone based upon the crash GPS location. The autonomous or semi-autonomous drone may be mounted, or held securely in place, on an emergency response vehicle traveling to the crash location. The method may further include autonomously or semi-autonomously flying the autonomous or semi-autonomous drone in accordance with the pre-generated flight path at the crash GPS location to generate or collect drone data associated with the crash scene. The drone data may be used for one or more insurance-related purposes, such as handling, adjusting, or generating auto or homeowners insurance claims; crash reconstruction; fault determination; damaged vehicle repair; and/or buildup identification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
    Inventors: Rosemarie G. Grant, Christina P. Mullen
  • Patent number: 12140537
    Abstract: A terahertz sensing system and a terahertz sensing array are provided. The terahertz sensing array includes N sensing unit groups arranged in an array form, and each of the N sensing unit groups includes M reconfigurable sensing units. Each of the M reconfigurable sensing units can detect one type of terahertz wave physical characteristic parameter, and the type of the terahertz wave physical characteristic parameter that can be detected by the reconfigurable sensing unit may vary based on a detection configuration, where N and M are positive integers greater than 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Oupeng Li, Yinggang Du
  • Patent number: 12120466
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of satellites in orbit around a celestial body in a plurality of orbital planes. Each satellite includes an imaging device having a field of view (FOV) to capture an image of a sky that includes celestial image features of resident space object (RSO), stars, and/or planets. The satellite processor is configured to receive image data from sensors in the imaging device, to increase a positional detection accuracy of the celestial image features by defocusing imaging optics of the imaging device, to capture image data in a volume of the sky as the FOV of the imaging device on each satellite moves in an orbital plane, and generate by a centralized computer at least 1,000 celestial image features using the image data transmitted from each of the satellites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2024
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: NORTHSTAR EARTH & SPACE INC.
    Inventors: Stewart Bain, Narendra Gollu, Peter Klimas, Jean-Claude Leclerc, Daniel O'Connell, Frederic Pelletier, Naron Phou
  • Patent number: 12103713
    Abstract: An attitude determination and control system (ADCS) may include relatively large momentum wheels (i.e., reaction wheels) for improved momentum storage and magnetic torque rods that enable low power sun pointing and dissipate angular momentum imparted during deployment or by differential drag on the space vehicle. The momentum wheels, magnetic torque rods, or both may be algorithmically selected and driven to perform various maneuvers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Triad National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Dallmann, James Wren, Michael Proicou, Hannah Mohr, Jerry Delapp, John Martinez, Daniel Seitz, Paul Stein, Adam Warniment
  • Patent number: 12079011
    Abstract: An agricultural navigation system and method for an autonomous vehicle (AV) is described. The agricultural navigation system includes a system controller, a localization module associated with the system controller, and an environmental sensor. The system controller determines an AV positional pose that identifies the location of the AV. The system controller determines a relative body frame of reference (RBF) that is associated with the AV positional pose. The environmental sensor detects an asset feature in the AV environment. The asset feature includes an agricultural asset feature having a crop row. The system controller identifies at least one asset feature frame (AFF) that includes a coordinate system originating at the asset feature. The localization module determines the AV positional pose in the coordinate system of the AFF. The system controller transforms the AV positional pose from the RBF coordinate system to the coordinate system of the AFF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: FARMX, INC.
    Inventor: Edward Lee Koch
  • Patent number: 12028654
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of satellites in orbit around a celestial body in a plurality of orbital planes. Each satellite includes an imaging device having a field of view (FOV) to capture an image of a sky that includes celestial image features of resident space object (RSO), stars, and/or planets. The satellite processor is configured to receive image data from sensors in the imaging device, to increase a positional detection accuracy of the celestial image features by defocusing imaging optics of the imaging device, to capture image data in a volume of the sky as the FOV of the imaging device on each satellite moves in an orbital plane, and generate by a centralized computer at least 1,000 celestial image features using the image data transmitted from each of the satellites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: NORTHSTAR EARTH & SPACE INC.
    Inventors: Stewart Bain, Narendra Gollu, Peter Klimas, Jean-Claude Leclerc, Daniel O'Connell, Frederic Pelletier, Naron Phou
  • Patent number: 12022422
    Abstract: Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to a location server that transmits a control signaling request to a NTS in a non-terrestrial network, the control signaling requesting an entity type of the NTS, and ephemeris data associated with the NTS. The location server may transmit a control signaling request to a non-terrestrial network configuration entity in the non-terrestrial network, the control signaling requesting an identifier of the NTS, an entity type of the non-terrestrial network configuration entity, and/or a number of non-terrestrial network nodes communicatively connected to the non-terrestrial network configuration entity. The location server receives a control signaling response from the NTS and/or the non-terrestrial network configuration entity, the control signaling response indicating configuration parameter values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Majid Ghanbarinejad, Robin Thomas, Sher Ali Cheema
  • Patent number: 12013212
    Abstract: A system comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to transition from a terminal homing mode to a target search mode, responsive to an uplink signal and/or an autonomous determination of scene change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventor: Carlos Thomas Miralles
  • Patent number: 11987396
    Abstract: A system for controlling an operation of a vehicle to rendezvous with a target over a finite time horizon, wherein the vehicle and the target form a multi-object celestial system. A processor to formulate passive unsafe regions as passive safety constraints. The passive unsafe regions represents regions of space around the target guaranteeing collision trajectories with the target, in an event of total thruster failure. Update a controller having a model of dynamics of the vehicle with received data, and subject the updated controller to the passive safety constraints to generate control commands that produce a collision free rendezvous trajectory which avoids unsafe regions for the specified time period, guaranteeing a collision free trajectory with respect to the target in the event of the total vehicle thruster failure, so the vehicle does not collide with the target. Output the control commands to activate or not activate thrusters of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC RESEARCH LABORATORIES INC.
    Inventors: Avishai Weiss, Daniel Aguilar Marsillach, Stefano Di Cairano, Uros Kalabic
  • Patent number: 11955021
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a method and system (10) for classifying vehicle behaviour, particularly abnormal behaviour of civil aircraft (12). The method may comprise receiving aircraft data from an aircraft (12) which is to be classified; and determining whether the received aircraft data comprises identification information for the aircraft (12). In response to a determination that the received aircraft data comprises identification information, the method may comprise using said identification information to classify the behaviour of the aircraft (12). In response to a determination that the received aircraft data does not comprises identification information, the method may comprise obtaining the position of the aircraft and comparing the obtained position to an expected route for the aircraft to classify the behaviour of the aircraft (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS PLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Thomas Chehade, Markus Deittert, Matthew Neil Joseph, Simon Jonathan Mettrick, Yohahn Aleixo Hubert Ribeiro, Frederic Francis Taylor
  • Patent number: 11939085
    Abstract: Aspects relate to method and systems for wrapping simulated intra-aircraft communication to a physical controller area network. An exemplary method includes receiving simulator data from an aircraft simulator, disaggregating a simulated digital message from the simulator data, abstracting a simulated signal as a function of the simulated digital message, transmitting the simulated signal on at least a controller area network (CAN), receiving, using at least an aircraft component communicative with the at least a CAN, the simulated signal by way of the at least a CAN, transmitting a phenomenal signal by way of the at least a CAN, receiving the phenomenal signal by way of the at least a CAN, converting a phenomenal digital message as a function of the phenomenal signal, and inputting the phenomenal digital message to the aircraft simulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: BETA AIR, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Granger Warren, Charles C. Guthrie, Nicholas Moy, Alexander Hoekje List
  • Patent number: 11928979
    Abstract: A device for avoiding a potential conflict detected in a predetermined trajectory prediction horizon between a first trajectory of a first ship or aircraft and a second trajectory of a second ship or aircraft is disclosed. Each trajectory includes a plurality of segments formed between multiple navigation points. The device includes a determination unit for determining at least one lateral peripheral envelope of the first trajectory, a division unit for dividing the lateral peripheral envelope into a plurality of juxtaposed sections arranged longitudinally the ones after the others and delimited by transition lines marking the change between sections, each transition line cutting, at a first point of intersection, a segment of the first trajectory and, at a second point of intersection, and an edge of the lateral peripheral envelope, a discretisation unit, and a computing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS
    Inventor: Philippe Reinquin
  • Patent number: 11930024
    Abstract: A method of detecting anomalous user behavior in a cloud environment includes calculating a first vector that is representative of actions taken during a plurality of previous time intervals; calculating a similarity between the first vector and a second vector that comprises counts of actions taken by the user during a current time interval; comparing the similarity to a baseline threshold to determine whether one or more anomalous actions have occurred; and generating an alert based at least in part on a determination that the one or more anomalous actions have occurred in the cloud environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Brian H. Xu, Chao Feng, Ganesh Kirti
  • Patent number: 11912426
    Abstract: Thrust values for motors in an aircraft are generated where each flight controller in a plurality of flight controllers generates a thrust value for each motor in a plurality of motors using an optimization problem with a single solution. Each flight controller in the plurality of flight controllers passes one of the generated thrust values to a corresponding motor in the plurality of motors, where other generated thrust values for that flight controller terminate at that flight controller. The plurality of motors perform the passed thrust values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
    Inventor: Tim Allan Wheeler
  • Patent number: 11902007
    Abstract: A facility operates with respect to a configuration of one or more unmanned aerial vehicles operating as relays between on or more wireless network participant devices and one or more wireless base stations being supported directly or indirectly by a planetary surface. The facility conducts an experiment that yields quality of service results and flight duration results for each of multiple values of a UAV control parameter. The facility selects a value of the UAV control parameter that produced an advantageous tradeoff of quality of service results and flight duration results, and stores the selected value, such that the stored value of the UAV control parameter is usable to operate the UAVs of the configuration in production service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: DISH Wireless L.L.C.
    Inventor: Mustafa Al Tamimi
  • Patent number: 11882634
    Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) lighting apparatus is provided. The LED lighting apparatus includes a first LED array; a second LED array; a first driving chip configured to receive AC power, and to control the first LED array based on a first control signal; a second driving chip configured to receive the AC power, and to control the second LED array based on a second control signal; a communication device configured to generate the first control signal and the second control signal based on a request from an external device; and an AC/DC converter configured to receive the AC power, and to provide DC power to the communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Deokhee Han
  • Patent number: 11876602
    Abstract: The application provides a communication method, an apparatus, and a system that are used in a satellite network. A user terminal receives, on a management channel, a sounding signal sent by a management satellite. The management satellite manages one or more serving satellites. The user terminal sends a respiratory signal to the management satellite. The respiratory signal carries information about the user terminal. The information about the user terminal is used to determine information about a serving satellite that serves the user terminal. The management satellite or a ground station may uniformly schedule the serving satellite to serve the user terminal. When the serving satellite is switched, a negotiation between satellites may be omitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yunfei Qiao, Rongdao Yu, Yinggang Du, Bin Wang, Tianxiang Wang
  • Patent number: 11873123
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an aerospace vehicle navigation and control system comprising a terrestrial illumination matching module for determining spacecraft position and attitude. The method permits aerospace vehicle position and attitude determinations using terrestrial lights using an Earth-pointing camera without the need of a dedicated sensor to track stars, the sun, or the horizon. Thus, a module for making such determinations can easily and inexpensively be made onboard an aerospace vehicle if an Earth-pointing sensor, such as a camera, is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Liberty M. Shockley, Robert A. Bettinger
  • Patent number: 11834203
    Abstract: Drift-based rendezvous control system for controlling an operation of a spacecraft to rendezvous the spacecraft to a goal region over a finite time (FT) horizon. The system including accepting data including values of spacecraft states at a specified time period within the FT horizon. A processor at the specified time period selects a set of drift regions corresponding to a desired goal region at a location on an orbit where the target is located at the specified time period. Update a controller having a model of dynamics of the spacecraft with the accepted data. Formulate the set of drift regions as a penalty in a cost function of the updated controller. Generate control commands resulting in a real-time drift-based control policy where upon entering the drift region, the thrusters are turned off in order to minimize an amount of operation of the thrusters while rendezvousing with the desired goal region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC RESEARCH LABORATORIES INC.
    Inventors: Avishai Weiss, Daniel Aguilar Marsillach, Stefano Di Cairano
  • Patent number: 11816784
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for technology that generates, by a first neural network, an initial set of model weights based on input data and iteratively generates, by a second neural network, an updated set of model weights based on residual data associated with the initial set of model weights and the input data. Additionally, the technology may output a geometric model of the input data based on the updated set of model weights. In one example, the first neural network and the second neural network reduce the dependence of the geometric model on the number of data points in the input data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Rene Ranftl, Vladlen Koltun
  • Patent number: 11807405
    Abstract: A universal test port is connected to the different functional sub-systems of a spacecraft, allowing the sub-systems to be tested from a single location of an assembled spacecraft. The universal test port is mounted on an external surface of the spacecraft and configured to connect to the different functional sub-systems (such as power, propulsion, and command and data handling, for example) of the assembled spacecraft, allowing for the streamlining of testing operations by electrical ground system equipment during assembly, integration, and test (AIT) operations and reducing the risk of collateral damage to spacecraft hardware during testing in AIT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Maxar Space LLC
    Inventor: Kristin Elisabeth Norwood
  • Patent number: 11807404
    Abstract: Systems and methods controlling an operation of a vehicle in real time to rendezvous the vehicle with a target over a finite time horizon having multiple specified time periods. Select a set of unsafe regions from stored unsafe regions, the set of unsafe regions represents regions of space around the target in which any operation of the PSNO thrusters does not avoid collision with the target, guaranteeing collision trajectories with the target. Formulating the set of unsafe regions as safety constraints, and updating a controller having a model of dynamics of the vehicle with the accepted data. Generating control commands by subjecting the updated controller to the safety constraints to produce a rendezvous trajectory that avoids the set of unsafe regions, guaranteeing an operation of at least the PSNO thrusters, in the event of partial vehicle thruster failure results in a trajectory that does not collide with the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC RESEARCH LABORATORIES INC.
    Inventors: Avishai Weiss, Stefano Di Cairano, Daniel Aguilar Marsillach, Uros Kalabic
  • Patent number: 11801948
    Abstract: An orbital trajectory planning system includes a first computer processor environment configured to preprocess data for providing to a physics-based n-body simulation model, the first computer processor environment including a graphical user interface (GUI) for receiving input from a user. The system also includes a second computer processor environment running at least partially trained neural network software that has been trained to perform nonlinear mapping of the output of the n-body simulation model to a result related to a proposed trajectory for a spacecraft, the second computer processor environment receiving input information from the first computer processor environment. Further the system relates to a third computer processor environment configured to receive data related to the output from the neural network of the second computer processor environment, the third computer processor environment providing user useable output through a GUI running on the third computer processor environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: ProximaAI.com
    Inventor: Michael Limotta
  • Patent number: 11780611
    Abstract: A universal external port is proposed to add new functionality to or replace existing functionality of an already deployed spacecraft (e.g., a satellite in orbit). The universal external port is mounted on an external surface of the spacecraft and configured to connect to different types of external modules that have different functions, without removing components from the spacecraft other than one or more components of the universal external port. A communication interface onboard the spacecraft is configured to wirelessly receive a software patch from an entity remote from the spacecraft (e.g., from a ground terminal or other spacecraft) to program the spacecraft to change operation of the spacecraft to utilize the external module when the external module is connected to the universal external port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Maxar Space LLC
    Inventor: Robert Erik Schwarz
  • Patent number: 11772824
    Abstract: Systems and methods for obtaining images of a lunar surface and cislunar space using a hybrid telescope are provided. One hybrid telescope is carried by each of two spacecraft. Each spacecraft is in an elliptical orbit about the Moon. The periapsides of the spacecraft orbits are 180° apart from one another. In addition, the spacecraft can be phased 180° apart from one another to enable an offset in access times of each telescope to the cislunar and surface domains respectively. The image sensors associated with the telescopes can include a staring mode for collecting images from cislunar space, and a scanning mode for collecting images from the lunar surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Elvis Dariel Silva, Jeffrey Edward Van Cleve, Robert Hadley Philbrick, Christopher Joseph Grant, Jacob Daniel Griesbach, Michael Patrick Mahoney
  • Patent number: 11767134
    Abstract: For power-enhanced slew maneuvers, a method determines a power collection function for a satellite. The method determines a power cost function for the satellite. The method calculates a power enhanced slew maneuver based on the power collection function and the power cost function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Inventors: Skylar Cox, Tyson Smith, Tanner Lex Jones
  • Patent number: 11697513
    Abstract: A method (50) for orbit control of a satellite (10) in Earth orbit and for desaturation of an angular momentum storage device of the satellite, the satellite (10) including an articulated arm (21) suitable for moving a propulsion unit (31) within a motion volume included in a half-space delimited by an orbital plane when the satellite is in a mission attitude, the method (50) including a single-arm control mode using only the propulsion unit (31) carried by the articulated arm (21), the single-arm control mode using a maneuvering plan including only thrust maneuvers to be executed when the satellite (10) is located within an angular range of at most 180° centered on a target node in the orbit of the satellite (10), including two thrust maneuvers to be performed respectively upstream and downstream of the target node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS
    Inventor: Philippe Laurens
  • Patent number: 11691730
    Abstract: A system and method for the remote piloting of an electric aircraft is illustrated. The system comprises a remote device located outside an electric aircraft, wherein the remote device is configured to receive a flight command input from a user and transmit the flight command input to a flight controller located on the aircraft. The flight controller is located inside the aircraft and configured to receive the flight command input from the remote device and enact the flight command autonomously as a function of the flight command input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: BETA AIR, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Moy, Collin Freiheit, Joshua E. Auerbach
  • Patent number: 11694558
    Abstract: A method and system for continuously re-planning a vehicle's path, in the face of stationary and moving obstacles, dynamically calculates a new path in real time which is both efficient and maintains minimum safety clearances relative to obstacles. Repulsion signals emanating from obstacles and propagating through delineated sections of a grid representing a geographic space are summed along with values representing the relative distance of the sections from the vehicle origin and vehicle destination. The grid sections having optimal values according to a predetermined criteria represent an efficient and safe travel path between the vehicle origin and destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventor: James W. Herriot
  • Patent number: 11681292
    Abstract: A system and method for generating simulated vehicles with configured behaviors for analyzing autonomous vehicle motion planners are disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: receiving perception data from a plurality of perception data sensors; obtaining configuration instructions and data including pre-defined parameters and executables defining a specific driving behavior for each of a plurality of simulated dynamic vehicles; generating a target position and target speed for each of the plurality of simulated dynamic vehicles, the generated target positions and target speeds being based on the perception data and the configuration instructions and data; and generating a plurality of trajectories and acceleration profiles to transition each of the plurality of simulated dynamic vehicles from a current position and speed to the corresponding target position and target speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: TUSIMPLE, INC.
    Inventors: Xingdong Li, Xing Sun, Wutu Lin, Liu Liu
  • Patent number: 11649076
    Abstract: A system detects a maneuver of at least one space object by receiving a first data set relating to orbital characteristics of at least one space debris object. The system trains a model, using the first data set, in order to model orbital behaviors of the at least one space debris object. The system then receives a second data set relating to orbital characteristics of the at least one space object, and detects a maneuver of the at least one space object using the trained model and the second data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Jonsimon Tack, Christine Nezda
  • Patent number: 11619470
    Abstract: Systems and methods of calculating a ballistic solution for a projectile are provided. A ballistic system may include an airborne device, a ballistic computer, a data interface, and a flight module, or any combination thereof. The airborne device (e.g., a drone) may be operable to gather wind data along or adjacent to a flight path of a projectile to a target. The ballistic computer may be in data communication with the airborne device to receive the wind data. The ballistic computer may be configured to calculate a ballistic solution for the projectile based on the wind data. The data interface may be in data communication with the ballistic computer to output the ballistic solution to a user. The flight module may be configured to calibrate a flight path of the airborne device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Knightwerx Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Baumgartner
  • Patent number: 11614734
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments enable local visual identification and verification of robotic vehicles. Various embodiments may enable disambiguation of a robotic vehicle from among a plurality of robotic vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles Alfred Bergan, Edward Harrison Teague, Paul Guckian
  • Patent number: 11597539
    Abstract: A method for attitude control of a satellite in inclined low orbit in survival mode is disclosed, the satellite including at least one solar generator, at least one solar sensor, magnetic torquers capable of forming internal magnetic moments in a satellite reference frame having three orthogonal axes X, Y, and Z, and inertial actuators capable of forming internal angular momentums in the satellite reference frame. The at least one solar sensor has a field of view at least 180° wide within the XZ plane around the Z axis, the method including a step of attitude control using a first control law, a step of searching for the sun by means of the at least one solar sensor, when a first phase of visibility of the sun is detected, and a step of attitude control using a second control law.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignees: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS, AIRBUS ONEWEB SATELLITES SAS
    Inventors: Yannick Neubrand, Alexandre Jullien, Marie Sachot
  • Patent number: 11561539
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating an aircraft includes operating the aircraft in a first mode including determining an attitude based on a pilot stick signal, where a translational speed or an attitude of the aircraft is proportional to an amplitude of the pilot stick signal in the first mode; transitioning from the first mode to a second mode when a velocity of the aircraft exceeds a first velocity threshold; and operating the aircraft in the second mode where the output of the rate controller is proportional to the amplitude of the pilot stick signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventor: Sung Kyun Kim
  • Patent number: 11554881
    Abstract: This patent presents an attitude determination and control system based on a Quaternion Kalman Filter (QKF) with an extendable number of sensors and actuators. Furthermore, it is compatible with the spherical motor as its attitude actuator. The system includes a processor with a QKF, at least one direct attitude actuator, and at least two environmental sensors. Firstly, system dynamics calculates a first propagation attitude determination result. Next, update the first propagation with the attitude sensor measurements. Then, control the satellite's attitude via the attitude actuator closer to the attitude command provided by the user. The proposed system dynamic model could adjust the number of actuators and sensors freely without reprogramming the algorithms for new missions with new configurations on the actuators and sensors. Moreover, if some components fail, the algorithm can automatically remove those related sequences to avoid the overall failure of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: TENSOR TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Po-Hsun Yen, Shang-Jung Lee, Yung-Cheng Chang, Sung-Liang Hou
  • Patent number: 11514334
    Abstract: Techniques for maintaining a knowledge database system based on user interactions with the database system are described herein. An aspect includes generating a user interface based on a knowledge database comprising a plurality of entities, wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of user interface elements, each user interface element of the plurality of user interface elements corresponding to one or more of the plurality of entities of the knowledge database. Another aspect includes receiving a user interaction corresponding to the user interface. Another aspect includes updating the knowledge database based on the received user interaction, wherein updating the knowledge database based on the received user interaction includes determining a user interface element associated with the received user interaction, mapping the determined user interface element to a first entity of the plurality of entities of the knowledge database, and performing a weight update corresponding to the first entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Vagner Figueredo de Santana, Bernardo Goncalves, Alecio Pedro Delazari Binotto, Ana Paula Appel, Renato Luiz de Freitas Cunha
  • Patent number: 11506505
    Abstract: A method for generation of a vehicle path for a vehicle. The method includes, using an excursion planning processor to perform generating a grid of attitude constraint masks, wherein each attitude constraint mask corresponds to a respective possible attitude of the vehicle. The method also includes defining a distance function between two points on a vehicle path, such that the vehicle path defines a change in orientation of the vehicle, determining a vehicle path component, of the vehicle path, between the two points having a selected cost, selecting a vehicle path in the grid of attitude constraint masks from the vehicle path component, and generating an excursion plan so that the vehicle travels along the vehicle path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Brian K. Pheiffer, Neal Carlson
  • Patent number: 11199585
    Abstract: Diagnosing whether controllers of internal vehicle systems are the source of failures detected by a system control managing a vehicle such as a spacecraft. Highspeed data is received via at a field programmable gate array (FPGA) embedded in an assembly of the vehicle. The FPGA includes a controller and a digital diagnostic interface. In one embodiment, the diagnostic interface utilizes Very Highspeed Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) Hardware Description Language (VHDL) for performance modeling of a controller configured to control at least one internal system within the vehicle. The VHDL performance models the controller. Upon receiving an indication of a failure, the performance modeling of the controller is used to ascertain whether or not the controller is the source of the failure. Disassembly of the assembly housing the internal system is not required in order to ascertain whether or not the controller is the source of the failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert P. Wichowski, Timothy A. Roberts, Darren Woodman, Nicholas Van Derzee
  • Patent number: 11155356
    Abstract: Thrust values for motors in an aircraft are generated where each flight controller in a plurality of flight controllers generates a thrust value for each motor in a plurality of motors using an optimization problem with a single solution. Each flight controller in the plurality of flight controllers passes one of the generated thrust values to a corresponding motor in the plurality of motors, where other generated thrust values for that flight controller terminate at that flight controller. The plurality of motors perform the passed thrust values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
    Inventor: Tim Allan Wheeler
  • Patent number: 11155368
    Abstract: A spacecraft includes a propulsion subsystem including at least two electric thrusters, an electrical interface assembly that couples electrical conductors from the thrusters to a spacecraft harness, a pneumatic interface assembly that controls flow rate of propellant to the thrusters and a thruster support module (TSM) including a pointing arrangement and a mounting arrangement. A proximal portion of the mounting arrangement is coupled with a distal portion of the pointing arrangement; the at least two electric thrusters are disposed on a distal portion of the mounting arrangement; the electrical interface assembly and the pneumatic interface assembly are disposed on the proximal portion of the mounting arrangement. The mounting arrangement is configured to limit heat transfer between the thrusters and (b) one or more of the proximal portion of the mounting arrangement, the electrical interface assembly and the pneumatic interface assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Space Systems/Loral, LLC
    Inventors: Lenny Low, Jorge Delgado, Gordon Wu, Maria Eugenia Torres
  • Patent number: 11036900
    Abstract: Provided is a simulation device of a satellite, which updates a set value of a simulator, using a command signal transmitted to the satellite, operational data received from the satellite, and flight information. The simulation device of the satellite may comprise: a communication unit for receiving operational data from the satellite, and transmitting a command signal to the satellite; a flight control unit for calculating flight information of the satellite, using the received operational data; and an updating unit for updating a set value used for simulating an operation of the satellite, using at least one of the operational data, the command signal, and the flight information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Inventors: Hoonhee Lee, Dawoon Jung
  • Patent number: 11021248
    Abstract: A controller system of an aerial vehicle may receive environmental data from one or more sensors of the aerial vehicle and adjusts limits of the aerial vehicle given the environmental conditions. When the aerial vehicle receives an input, such as a flight input from a remote controller or an environmental input such as a gust of wind, the controller system calculates appropriate motor inputs that are provided to the thrust motors of the aerial vehicle such that the adjusted limits of the aerial vehicle are not exceeded. In calculating the appropriate input to the thrust motors, the controller system performs an iterative process. For example, for a given maximum torque that can be applied to the thrust motors, the controller system iteratively allocates the torque such that torque components that are important for the stability of the aerial are first fulfilled, whereas subsequent torque components may be fulfilled or scaled back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Anthony Enke, Benjamin Tankersley, Jean-Bernard Berteaux, Axel Murguet, Garance Bruneau